Implantable Contact Lens Surgery

[BumbleBumShake]

I’m considering getting my eyesight fixed, but due to my ridiculously poor sight, I’d need the implantable lens instead of regular old laser

Has anyone had this that can offer some wisdom? The thought of it gives me the shivers but I also can’t bear another 40 years of lenses and I don’t like wearing glasses at all.

Im in my 40s, decent health and have no eye issues, aside from the shit vision!

My prescription was -9 with astigmatism and I had lens replacement for a cataract which formed after a detached retina. I can now see completely unaided in that eye. It was very liberating. The surgery is a bit weird - no pain at all and pretty quick and a doddle after the retina surgery. I am going to have my other eye done.

Exactly the same for me. I had lens implants during cataract removal on both eyes
vision went from -9.50 and -10 right down to perfect!! Miraculous and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
Procedure takes 15 minutes, numbing tablets inserted beforehand and injections into the eye( worst part but soon over)
At one point I felt I could see a kaleidoscope as he removed the lens but within hours my vision was returning!
obviously Cataracts meant it was done on the NHS but I would’ve have willingly paid.

Thank you both, that’s very helpful. I guess I need to get my big girl pants on and do something about it, instead of keep procrastinating!

I had both lens replaced last October. The difference is amazing. I went to optical express and had both done at same time. I had to get laser enhancement in March to finish it off as I was still a bit blurry, but so pleased I did.

I am so tempted by this, I’m -7.5 and -8.5 and constantly juggling glasses on top of my lenses. I doubt I’d get it on the NHS, what are private prices like?

@smokywood for the implants I’ve seen prices ranging from £4-8k

I thought about this but then I decided against it as they said I’d probably need reading glasses afterwards. Otherwise I probably won’t need them for 10-15 years. It is also very expensive but might just pay for itself if I didn’t have to buy contact lenses or strong prescription glasses for the next few decades.

I still need reading glasses but the difference is I buy them from Home bargains for £2.50 instead of £250!

Definitely get refractive lens replacement. It'll more than pay for itself by the time you've got new glasses/contact lenses 3 more times.

Oh this sounds amazing.

I had to have it due to cataracts - previously +7.5 and 5.5. The implanted lenses are bifocals. Its absolutely changed my life - being able to read the alarm clock the first time I woke was amazing! Do it! I did pay privately at Morefields.

I have glaucoma surgeon said might as well do cataracts at the same time when discussing surgery. I was long sighted. Had one eye done at a time. Omg everything was so bright and colourful. From plus 3. To minus .75. I only need glasses for driving and watching TV now. NHS. Husband went private and had trifocals getting used to those took longer.

One small word of caution though, you can end up with the capsule surrounding the new lens crystalising after a while which means you have to get a hole lasered in to it to let the light through and be able to see clearly again.

I had cataract surgery about 15 years ago and it is starting to crystallise now. It's not terrible but it's a bit like looking at the world through smeared cling film, so hopefully my optician will agree that it's time to sort it soon. I'm told it is easy, quick and painless, so fingers crossed it will do the trick.

Also - while I'm being a prophet of doom - at night particularly, you can sometimes see the edge of the lens moving about and the lights flaring round it which is a little bit distracting. I think you subconsciously learn to ignore it though because I don't notice it much now.

And also once they are in, you can't change them without a great deal of difficulty as unlike your natural lens they won't break up ultrasonically (that's how they get your natural lens out in the first place). I elected to stay short-sighted rather than fully correct as my other short-sighted eye was fine and it was going to be too big a disrepancy in vision. Now my good eye is forming a cataract too, so it will need done soon - and I expect I will leave it short sighted too to match the other one.

It is brilliant though! Definitely worth considering.

I had it done a couple of years ago at Moorfields, privately, with Bruce Allan. No regrets.

I didn’t have cataracts so got lenses implanted over my natural lenses rather than as replacements.

I don’t need reading glasses and no signs of needing them any time soon, I am 45.

The one issue: my eyesight has slipped a little (got marginally more short sighted), possibly due to some medication I took, and obviously there is no way to increase the implanted prescription. It’s fine but a little annoying. So be very certain your prescription is stable.

This is all really helpful, thank you everyone!

is this because it was cataracts, or is the crystallisation just an ICL risk?

I don't know- the ICL gets rid of the cataract because it happens on your natural lens. I'm told the crystallisation happens on the natural capsule the ICL sits in. It may not happen to everyone either. It's taken 15 years for me but it only took 2 years for it to happen to my aunt.

I've just looked it up, it seems to occur if there are cells left after cataract surgery - so it's maybe not a problem for an elective replacement? That's a positive!

I’m due to have my ICL surgery soon. A friend who had laser mentioned how much pain he was in after which has freaked me out again slightly! Was it really painful after??

I had it done a couple of weeks ago. There wasn’t any pain apart from lights being extremely bright for a couple of days afterwards. Nothing sunglasses couldn’t sort out.

It is the same as cataract surgery, dh had it, can see distance perfectly but needs reading glasses

@DarkRootsBlueHow was the op and recovery? I’m determined to have the surgery but am very anxious about it. I work in clinical negligence which doesn’t help!

The op is no bother at all. It’s quick and you don’t feel a thing. I’ve had far worse dental appointments.

I’m finding the recovery quite tricky. I can see fine indoors, can read, watch TV, everything, could do all that from Day 2. But outside the glare is making my vision blurry. With sunglasses on a cloudy day it’s ok but otherwise it’s all pretty out of focus past about 4 metres. I’m trying to be patient as there is an adjustment period, but obviously worry that it’s not going to improve and I’ll have to get further laser or something (and I don’t know how much that would cost or if it would be part of the original cost).

I have multifocal lenses which I believe are harder to adapt to.

Can I ask how old you are to have the surgery? I have -10.5 and -9.5 eyes and have been told in the last few years that I need to wait until I’m 50+ to have lens replacement surgery. I’m 43 with no sign of cataracts yet (family history of cataracts and glaucoma). Thanks and apologies if I’ve hijacked the thread.

What’s so awful about having to use reading glasses?

I’m 56 and didn’t have cataracts, just did it for eyesight. I think maybe they are not keen to do it before 50 as your prescription might not be stable yet? Though during the consultation they didn’t ask if my prescription was stable maybe they just assumed it was as I’m mid 50s.