phakic IOL options 

("Phakic" means the natural lens is still in place;  IOL stands for "intra ocular lens.") 

Phakic IOL implants are tiny lenses designed to be placed permanently within the eye to correct vision problems.  They are made from a material that allows them to stay in the eye without needing any care.  They are removable, if necessary, but this is rarely done.  Implanting one of these special lenses offers dramatic results that are quite predictable.  We currently offer both the Starr Visian and the Alcon Cachet lens.  Of all the surgeons in the world using the Visian ICL Toric lens (which also corrects astigmatism), Dr. Gimbel has had the most experience - and he was one of the first surgeons in Canada to become certified in offering the Cachet lens.  

Implanting the lens is a relatively simple outpatient procedure.  In most cases, topical drops are used to anesthetize the eye, so no injection is necessary.  In rare cases patients are sedated with oral or intravenous medications, but only if necessary for the patient's comfort.

To begin, the surgeon makes a small incision in either the white part of the eye or on the edge of the cornea. The surgeon then inserts an implantable lens through the incision and carefully positions it behind the iris, in front of the eye’s natural lens. The implanted lens becomes the eye’s third lens (the cornea and the natural lens being the other two lenses). The surgery is usually completed without stitches, since the incision is designed to be self-sealing. The whole procedure takes approximately 20 minutes for each eye.

This procedure can also be used to treat astigmatism, and for some people other surgical procedures may be combined with lens implantation to solve astigmatic focusing problems.

To see the lens and surgery procedure go to Eye Animations "Tests & Treatment" then "Phakic IOL"  

To speak to a Patient Counsellor about this procedure, please contact us.