Phakic Intraocular Lenses

What does PHAKIC IOLs Treat ?

Phakic IOLs can treat refractive errors. Doctors primarily use phakic IOLs to treat myopia and myopic astigmatism, specifically when laser surgery cannot achieve the desired level of correction.

How do PHAKIC IOLs work ?

The key principle behind phakic intraocular lenses is that a surgeon can correct a patient’s vision by placing a synthetic lens over the patient’s natural eye lens.

This can refocus incoming light, helping a patient achieve a better level of visual acuity, often at or near the levels needed to perform activities such as driving or reading without additional corrective lenses.

Benefits of PHAKIC IOLs over Lasik

Did you have your heart set on LASIK? If you’re feeling left out because you can’t have this popular procedure, don’t. Phakic IOLs actually have certain advantages over LASIK.

While the vast majority of patients who undergo laser vision correction achieve 20/20 vision or better, there are experts who believe that phakic IOLs are a better option for some patients because they avoid problems that can be caused by the laser, such as visual distortions and/or tiny refractive errors — particularly in patients with high myopia.

In contrast to laser vision correction procedures, no tissue is removed from the cornea when phakic IOLs are implanted. As a result, the procedure poses less risk of certain postoperative symptoms; namely dry eye.

Implanting phakic IOLs is a safe procedure. The lenses are made of a biocompatible material that is very similar to your eyes’ natural lenses, and no permanent sutures are required.

Nearly 100 percent of patients who undergo this procedure achieve the visual acuity required to legally drive, and close to half (or more) of patients achieve 20/20 vision or better.

Implanting phakic IOLs takes just 15 to 30 minutes. Although the procedure is intended to be permanent, the lenses can be removed if necessary. And if you are under 40 and don’t need reading glasses yet, you will be able to see at multiple distances.

Risk and Complications of PHAKIC IOLs

All surgical procedures pose certain risks, including phakic IOLs. Because they are implanted in an area of your eye deeper than the area treated in LASIK, some of the risks differ from those associated with LASIK.

Here are some of the potential risks :

• Inflammation
• Retinal detachment
• Sudden rise in IOP (internal eye pressure) that may lead to glaucoma
• Loss of cells on the inside surface of the cornea, which can lead to blurry vision or corneal edema

If you have phakic IOLs, it is important that you be evaluated periodically to make sure the surrounding tissues aren’t being damaged by your new lenses. If you are considering phakic IOLs, meet with a qualified eye surgeon to discuss the benefits and potential drawbacks of the procedure.