Implantable contact lenses are generally only considered when a person’s prescription falls beyond the treatable range of either Lasik or Lasek. It is unlikely that you would choose to have implantable contact lenses ahead of laser eye surgery as it is a more invasive procedure. Having said this, there are certain advantages associated with implantable contact lenses and you can read about these below:
The advantages of implantable contact lenses are as follows:
- Prescription range: One of the main advantages of implantable contact lenses is that they can treat prescriptions that are beyond the range of laser eye surgery. They are considered surgery for high prescriptions.
- Your natural lens remains: One of the main advantages is the fact that the natural lens in your eye is left intact. This is different to clear lens extraction and ensures that after surgery, as well as having great distance vision you will still have the ability to focus on things close to you. This is because your near vision is controlled by the existing lens in your eye.
- Safe: Although the risks are slightly higher than for laser eye surgery, implantable contact lenses are still considered an extremely safe procedure.
- Cornea left intact: During surgery, your cornea is left completely intact which means that the structural integrity and strength of your eye is not compromised. This is one of the main advantages of implantable contact lenses over Lasik eye surgery.
- Reversible: The procedure is reversible, meaning if things go wrong it can generally be rectified. Many people considering implantable contact lens surgery feel reassured knowing that this is the case.
- Thin Corneas: Implantable contact lenses are likely to be an option for people with thin corneas who are unsuitable for laser eye surgery.
- Dry Eyes: If you have dry eye problems prior to surgery implantable contact lenses will not make it any worse. This is an advantage over Lasik as the Lasik procedure generally exacerbates dry eyes.
