In ICL surgery, an ultra-thin and extremely soft lens is inserted into the patient’s eye order to correct a patient’s refractive error. ICL surgery is analogous to placing a contact lens permanently inside the eye, instead of daily practice of placing and removing a contact lens on top of the eye. The thin collamer lens is inserted into the through a microscopic incision and placed behind the iris and in front of the natural crystalline lens.

Due to the extremely small size of the incisions and ample pain control, most patients will experience nearly no pain during the extremely short surgery. ICL surgery is designed to decrease a patient’s dependence on glasses for both distance and reading vision.

Early side effects of ICL surgery may include swelling, increased eye pressure, inflammation or rarely, infection. Patients may also experience temporary dry eye or temporary glaring around lights in the evening. Essentially all side effects can be successfully treated with medications and allowing the eye to fully heal from surgery.

Ideal candidates for ICL surgery are those patients who:

• Are under 45
• Have severe myopia (near-sightedness)
• Have moderate to severe hyperopia (far-sightedness)
• Have moderate to severe astigmatism up to 5.0D
• Have certain corneal conditions (too thin, or too “soft” for laser vision correction)

A clear contact lens is then placed on the eye to create a “bandage effect” while the surface cells regrow in 4 to 5 days.

Although the results of PRK are excellent, and comparable to SMILE and LASIK, patients do experience mild to moderate discomfort as the surface cells heal in the days following surgery. Because of this, PRK is usually reserved as the treatment of choice only for specific reasons (eg. unique eye shape, thin corneas).

Side effects of PRK include mild to moderate discomfort, dry eyes, and foreign body sensation. Patients may experience night time glare or halo for a several days, which resolves with normal healing. Complications of PRK are extremely rare and are ALL treatable. These include infection, swelling or haze to the cornea from healing.

Ideal candidates for PRK are:

• Under 45
• Myopia (near-sightedness) up to -9.0D
• Astigmatism up to 5.0D
• Corneas too thin for SMILE or LASIK
• “Soft” corneas at risk for ectasia

A femtosecond laser creates a thin corneal flap which is then gently moved, like a page of a book. The resulting exposed cornea is then reshaped with a second laser (called an excimer) resulting in perfectly corrected vision within seconds. The flap is then gently replaced back to it’s original location and acts as a natural bandage. This is the major advantage of lasik over older types of refractive surgery (such as PRK) because the “bandage effect” of the flap allows for rapid healing (reduced pain and rapid visual recovery).

Side effects of lasik are mild and include temporary dry eyes, and foreign body sensation. Patients may experience night time glare or halo for a few days, which quickly resolves with normal healing.

Complications of lasik are extremely rare and are ALL treatable. These include infection, swelling or inflammation under the flap (diffuse lamellar keratitis). Very infrequently, the corneal flap may slightly shift immediately after surgery or later, from eye trauma.

Flap repositioning is an quick, easy, and painless option to restore excellence visual acuity in these uncommon situations.

Ideal candidates for lasik are:

• Under 45
• Myopia (near-sightedness) up to -9.0D
• Hyperopia (far-sightedness) up to +3.0D
• Astigmatism up to 5.0D
• Suitable corneal thickness

A femtosecond laser creates a thin corneal piece (lenticule) inside the cornea as well as a small incision. The surgeon removes the lenticule through the tiny opening which allows for the cornea to be reshaped. The major advantage of SMILE over LASIK is the lack of a flap. The least invasive refractive procedure in the world, SMILE leaves the surface of the cornea almost completely untouched allowing SMILE patients to benefit from less dry eye and more stable results over time.

Side effects of SMILE are mild and include temporary dry eyes, and foreign body sensation. Patients may experience nighttime glare or halo for a few days, which quickly resolves with normal healing. Complications of SMILE are extremely rare and are ALL treatable. These include infection, swelling or inflammation (diffuse lamellar keratitis).

Ideal candidates for SMILE are:

• Under 45
• Myopia (near-sightedness) up to -9.0D
• Astigmatism up to 5.0D
• Suitable corneal thickness
• Contact sports