Is ICL a Better Fit
for You Than LASIK?

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Cutting-edge surgical solutions that put your needs first. That’s what our staff at Standard Optical has stood for in our over 100 years of operation. We adopt the most advanced new procedures because we want to bring you the best eye care possible. After all, you don’t last as long as we have without constant innovation and commitment to our patients’ eye health.

One of the most advanced procedures we offer is ICL surgery, an alternative to other refractive surgeries, which has rapidly grown in popularity over the last several years. In fact, more than 2 million ICL surgeries have been performed, and the team at Standard Optical was one of the first to adopt ICL in the country!

What Is ICL?

ICL, or “implantable Collamer Lens,” is a surgery to correct refractive vision errors including nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. While many of the most popular refractive surgeries use laser correction — including LASIK — ICL instead places a specialized contact lens in the eye. The lens itself is made of “Collamer,” a biocompatible material made up of a natural material. It’s placed under the top layer of the cornea, changing your eye’s shape to correct your refractive issues.

This surgery is unique in that the time it takes to recover is shorter than most other vision correction procedures. It’s also easily repeatable, if necessary. It’s uncommon for your vision to change dramatically after corrective surgery, but if you need further refractive correction, the synthetic lens used in ICL can simply be exchanged, which is reassuring to many of our patients.

Standard Optical can put your individual, customized prescription lens into nearly any frame for ideal performance sunglasses.

ICL: An Alternative To LASIK

ICL is very similar to LASIK in its outcomes: surgery is quick and virtually painless, the recovery period is minimal, and both can result in incredibly precise, life-changing vision correction in as little as 24 hours after the procedure!

However, some patients are better candidates for ICL than LASIK, including those with:

  • Severe myopia (nearsightedness). ICL can generally treat more severe myopia than LASIK, from roughly -3 to -20 diopters.
  • Thin corneas. LASIK involves the creation of an ultrathin corneal flap, but if a cornea is too thin even for that, LASIK won’t be a safe option. ICL doesn’t have this issue.
  • Dry eye, or those at risk for dry eye. Compared to LASIK, ICL has even less risk of causing or worsening dry eye, making it preferable to dryness-sensitive patients.

The Benefits Of ICL

ICL is a lifetime solution to refractive vision issues, eliminating your need to maintain — or pay for — glasses, contacts, or other eyewear. In just a few weeks, you can go from your first discussion of ICL, to seeing the results of the procedure within days of the actual ICL surgery. A lifetime of freedom from corrective eyewear has a literal price point, but you can’t put a price tag on the peace of mind ICL can bring — which is one of the reasons we’re happy to be able to bring ICL to our patients.

As mentioned, ICL has a number of advantages over LASIK for certain patients, and it’s unique for its ability to be adjusted. If your vision changes after refractive surgery, or if you need another eye surgery such as cataract surgery, you can replace your synthetic lens as needed. ICL can even be performed with other vision corrective surgeries like LASIK for even more dynamic and precise refractive vision correction.

Why Should You Have Your ICL Performed at Standard Optical?

ICL is one of the most advanced vision correction options available, but that also means that many eye surgeons haven’t had quite as much experience with the newer ICL surgery.

That’s not an issue for our team at Standard Optical. We’re some of the first in the country to adopt new surgical techniques, and Utah’s leader in ICL, but we also have over 100 years of experience caring for the unique needs of our patients. We believe in providing a lifetime of care, from kindergarten to cataracts, and we’re proud to be able to improve your vision during adulthood with ICL.

Find out what many years of experience, state-of-the-art procedures, and old-fashioned, patient-first care can do for you and your eyes. Learn more about ICL by calling us at 1-801-210-6217, or schedule an appointment at one of our 19 Standard Optical Vision Centers.

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