Implantable Contact Lenses

Implantable contact lenses offer patients another option to correct refractive errors in their vision. The procedure is very safe and has been around for more than 15 years, although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approved it for use in the United States a few years ago.

There are many people who are not ideal candidates for LASIK surgery due to overly thin corneas, abnormally shaped corneas, or having too strong of a prescription. Implantable contact lenses provide patients who cannot undergo LASIK with an ability to correct their vision and get rid of their glasses or contacts once and for all.

Implantable contact lenses are made from an organic collagen-based protein material called Collamer. They are thin, pliable, and undetectable to others once placed in your eye. Since they are permanently implanted in your eye, they reduce the risk of infection commonly associated with regular contact lenses.

The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis and takes about 30 minutes to complete. It is similar to cataract surgery, except you will not have your natural lens removed. Patients are awake throughout the entire procedure and are given a topical anesthetic to numb the eye. Your ophthalmologist will make an incision three millimeters wide in your cornea. The implantable contact lens will then be inserted into your eye. It is placed behind the iris and in front of your eye's natural lens.

The healing process takes about a month. Patients generally see an improvement in their vision within a few hours. You will not require stitches for the incision, and you will be able to return to work the next day. You will need to use eye drops for approximately three weeks after having surgery.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.