Lens Implants

If you are nearsighted or farsighted, implantable lenses are a reversible alternative to laser surgery. A Lens implant is an additional lens, not a replacements of the body's own lens, so patients do not lose the ability to focus on objects at a close distances (accommodation).

Lens implantation is an intraocular procedure that has been used with increased frequency since 1996. However, we at the ALZ clinic suggest implants only when other less invasive procedures are contraindicated.

There are three different types of lenses:

	Phakic Posterior Chamber Lenses, e.g. the ICL (implanted contact lens) are additional synthetic lenses that are implanted into the posterior chamber of the eye between the iris and the eye's own natural lens. More...

	Phakic Anterior Chamber Lenses, e.g. the Acrysof Phakic IOL or Verisyse Lens are implanted into the anterior chamber of the eye between the cornea and the iris of the eye. More...

	Sphero-toric lenses (ICL and Verisyse) are additional synthetic lens used for the correction of severe nearsightedness or farsightedness with an astigmatic component. Sphero-toric lens were just introduced in 1999 and have been offered at ALZ since 2001. More...

The advantages of lens implants are:

- Minimally invasive outpatient procedure (approx. 15 min)
- Virtually painless
- The natural lens remains, allows accommodation
- The central optical zone is not disturbed
- Results are rapid and predictable
- Reduced risk of visual side effects
- Long-term convenient refractive correction
- Lenses are removable and exchangeable