Many people thinking of having laser eye surgery wonder if there is some other method that could give them similar results without them having to risk permanently damaging their eyesight.
For some of these people, that other method is something called implantable contact lenses or ICLs.
Implantable contact lenses work on the same principle as the external contact lenses that millions of people wear every day.
The difference is ICLs are placed inside the eye instead of outside the eyes.
ICLs, just as external contact lenses, can mainly be used to correct nearsightedness and far sightedness.
Like eye laser surgery, ICL is a form of surgery.
Is is one, however, in which the lens of the eye is not permanently altered.
Instead an implanted lens, with the corrective prescriptions, is placed over the eye's natural lens where they work together to correct the patients natural vision.
The basic difference between laser eye surgeries and ICLs is that eye laser surgeries are permanent.
In other words, eye laser surgery actually alters the cornea.
Once a cut is made, it cannot be undone.
If there is an error in the procedure, as there sometimes is, the patient has to have another operation with possible additional surgical cuts made to the eye.
So the error can be fixed.
If just can't be reversed.
In an ICL procedure, however, if the patient decides that he doesn't like the results of the procedure, he can simply have the contact lens removed from his eyes.
When comparing the success rates between laser eye surgeries and implantable contact lens surgery, the results are almost identical.
With both, the success rate falls somewhere in the 94-96 percent range.
A big caveat, however, in those cases where laser eye surgery does go wrong, sometimes it goes horribly wrong and does permanent damage to the eye.
With an ICL procedure, the chances of this happening are much less.
For those who have considered eye laser surgery but are concerned with the risk, implantable contact lenses are certainly worth the time to evaluate.
Talk to your personal physician and get his view and do your own research.
Also, ask your doctor to recommend an ophthalmologist for you to consult for his opinion as well.
The best thing about an ICL procedure is that it is not permanent.
So, if you later feel that you would rather have laser eye surgery, you can still have it.
Simply have the implantable contact lenses removed and have the eye laser surgery performed.
For some of these people, that other method is something called implantable contact lenses or ICLs.
Implantable contact lenses work on the same principle as the external contact lenses that millions of people wear every day.
The difference is ICLs are placed inside the eye instead of outside the eyes.
ICLs, just as external contact lenses, can mainly be used to correct nearsightedness and far sightedness.
Like eye laser surgery, ICL is a form of surgery.
Is is one, however, in which the lens of the eye is not permanently altered.
Instead an implanted lens, with the corrective prescriptions, is placed over the eye's natural lens where they work together to correct the patients natural vision.
The basic difference between laser eye surgeries and ICLs is that eye laser surgeries are permanent.
In other words, eye laser surgery actually alters the cornea.
Once a cut is made, it cannot be undone.
If there is an error in the procedure, as there sometimes is, the patient has to have another operation with possible additional surgical cuts made to the eye.
So the error can be fixed.
If just can't be reversed.
In an ICL procedure, however, if the patient decides that he doesn't like the results of the procedure, he can simply have the contact lens removed from his eyes.
When comparing the success rates between laser eye surgeries and implantable contact lens surgery, the results are almost identical.
With both, the success rate falls somewhere in the 94-96 percent range.
A big caveat, however, in those cases where laser eye surgery does go wrong, sometimes it goes horribly wrong and does permanent damage to the eye.
With an ICL procedure, the chances of this happening are much less.
For those who have considered eye laser surgery but are concerned with the risk, implantable contact lenses are certainly worth the time to evaluate.
Talk to your personal physician and get his view and do your own research.
Also, ask your doctor to recommend an ophthalmologist for you to consult for his opinion as well.
The best thing about an ICL procedure is that it is not permanent.
So, if you later feel that you would rather have laser eye surgery, you can still have it.
Simply have the implantable contact lenses removed and have the eye laser surgery performed.