Visian ICL

What is an ICL?
The Visian™ ICL – Implantable Contact Lens
Family Eye Center – The Visian ICL doctors of Minnesota

The doctors at Family Eye Center are proud to offer a new refractive lens implant called the Visian™ ICL. (also called the implantable contact lens) For patients who are looking for vision correction alternatives to LASIK, glasses or contact lenses the ICL lens has proven to be a viable alternative. The Visian™ ICL actually corrects up to -15 diopters of nearsightedness and extends well beyond the treatable limits of LASIK eye surgery. If you have been told that LASIK eye surgery is not an option please feel free to contact us immediately and we will be happy to provide a complimentary screening to determine your candidacy. This lens implant is a great alternative for patients that suffer from high myopia.

Unlike traditional contact lenses that go on the surface of the eye, Visian ICL is surgically inserted into the eye where it provides excellent quality of vision for a wide range of correction needs. Many patients often describe their vision after ICL surgery as crystal clear.

Jeffrey Fischer, M.D. has undergone specialized intraocular lens implant training with the Visian ICL and has passed all the surgical outcomes criteria to be a licensed Visian ICL surgeon in Minnesota.

Determining Your Visian ICL candidacy

The only way to determine your candidacy for the Implantable Contact lens implant is to come in for a comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Fischer at Family Eye Center. After a series of eye tests the doctors will be able to determine the best vision correction option for you. Choosing the Visian™ ICL as your refractive implant of choice needs to be a carefully thought out and researched decision. We make every effort to provide the best vision care solutions to our patients and that is why we have selected this revolutionary lens.

You might be a good candidate for the Visian™ ICL if

• You have thin corneas and LASIK eye surgery is not a safe option.
• You have dry eye syndrome (www.dry-eye-syndrome.net)
• You have moderate to extreme levels of myopia (nearsightedness)
• You are a nearsighted patient between the ages of 25 and 50.

Before determining you actual candidacy we suggest doing a significant amount of research on your unique visual situation. Make sure to interview qualified comprehensive eye surgeons not just LASIK surgeons. A comprehensive ophthalmologist will have better, unbiased idea as to what vision correction option will be the best for you. You can rest assured that the doctors at Family Eye Center will only provide the best possible vision correction options. Ask for the informed consent document and be sure to read the entire document. This document will detail the risks of this type of eye surgery.

The Surgical Process – Visian ICL Minnesota

Dr. Fischer welcomes you to the surgical center in Willmar, MN. Our staff and credible doctors offer a very sterile and accommodating environment for ICL surgery. After being escorted in the surgical suite and prepped for surgery your eye will be numbed with light topical anesthetic. This surgery process is very similar to the widely accepted phacoemulsification cataract surgery that Dr. Fischer has years of experience with. Prior to the ICL surgery Dr. Fischer will make two microscopic holes in the iris. Once the eye is numbed the surgeon will make 2 side port incisions and one main temporal incision that is critical to the insertion process. Next Dr. Fischer will insert the ICL through the main temporal incision and place the lens behind the iris and in front of the crystalline lens. This insertion procedure is typically performed one eye at a time. There is very little discomfort and normally no pain associated with the procedure. Some drops or perhaps oral medication may be prescribed and a visit is usually scheduled the day after surgery. Patients will be advised to arrange for someone to drive them to and from surgery.

The Benefits of Visian ICL

Lens Implant of Versatility
Visian™ ICL is actually a removable lens implant and can correct a wider range of prescriptions than LASIK or PRK. Also, the ICL can be removed if needed.

Incision Size Advantages
If you are a highly nearsighted patient seeking an Visian ICL in Minnesota would you rather choose a lens with a 7mm incision size where you need eye stitches or one with a 3mm that requires no stitches? The ICL is implanted with a 3mm incision size instead of other phakic IOL alternatives. The incision required to implant the foldable Visian ICL is very small and done in a safe zone of the eye so as to not negatively impact vision.

Beyond the limits of lasers – A wide treatment range
The Visian ICL has proven to be the phakic IOL lens of choice for high myopes and patients with severe levels of nearsightedness. The Visian ICL can correct from -3.0 to -20.0 diopters with or without astigmatism and hyperopia.

Biocompatibility
The Visian ICL is made from Collamer, a collagen copolymer. Collagen is the same naturally occurring substance present in all of our connective tissue and the eye. It is highly biocompatible and not recognized as a foreign object as a result of its unique makeup. Implantation of the lens does not physically change any part of the cornea or other part of the eye, side effects such as halos and glare are almost nonexistent. Also, if needed or requested, the Visian ICL can be removed.

Page Topics Include: The Visian Implantable Contact, Visian ICL, phakic IOL, Visian ICL Minnesota. Visian ICL doctors Minneapolis, Visian ICL surgery centers.

Did you know?

• The Visian Implantable Contact Lens is FDA approved and over 75,000 have been implanted to date.
• Dr. Fischer had to complete certification surgical courses to implant this Visian ICL lens implant and is a board certified ophthalmologist practicing in Willmar, Minnesota