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module_contentThe ICL contact lenses directly in your eye
Many conventional methods of laser eye treatment are not suitable for people who have a thin cornea or who suffer from severe short-sightedness or long-sightedness. ICL contact lenses are the ideal alternative: they are able to correct visual impairments of more than +3 dpt. or more than – 8 dpt. – even when there is an astigmatism involved. Unlike other contact lenses, ICL lenses remain in the eye permanently. However, it is possible to remove or exchange them at any time.
The advantages of the ICL contact lenses at a glance
- the lenses enable the correction of severe visual impairments, also those involving astigmatism
- they are biocompatible and very well tolerated
- they cannot be felt or seen
- they can remain in the eyes for a lifetime, but also removed if necessary
- the routine outpatient procedure doesn’t take long and is virtually painless
module_contentThe ICL treatment procedure
The eye is prepared
The doctor first of all explains the individual steps that will be performed. Before the procedure, you will receive eye drops to anaesthetise the eye. They make sure that you don’t feel anything during the procedure. The doctor then opens the eye with a very small incision into the cornea.
The implanted contact lens
The ICL is a clear plastic lens which is very small and particularly soft. It is easy to fold and, within a few moments, is placed into the eye through the corneal incision using a small injector. In all, the whole procedure lasts just around four minutes per eye. It is performed as a routine outpatient procedure.
How the visual impairment correction works with ICL
The space in which the ICL sits is in the eye’s posterior chamber between the iris and the eye’s own lens. You cannot see or feel it, but the effects are clear to see: together with the lens, the ICL bundles the light exactly onto the centre of the retina so that you can see in focus again without the need for visual aids. The lens can simply stay in your eye.
module_videomodule_contentThe costs of the ICL lens operation
The price for implantation of the ICL lenses is generally in the low four-figure range. The price can vary on an individual basis, as the devices used and also the severity of the visual impairment can have a bearing on costs. However, we recommend that any potential patients make an application to their health insurer for covering all or at least part of the costs.
module_accordionFAQs on ICL treatment
Laser operations cannot correct very severe visual impairments (more than +3 or -10 dpt.) or cases where there is a very thin cornea. In contrast, the ICL, a phakic intraocular lens, can restore vision even in these cases. The special feature here is that the lens does not compromise the close focus ability of the eye’s own lens. This means that even very severely visually impaired people can live without visual aids until presbyopia sets in – the procedure is largely performed for people up to the age of 45 years.
The cost depends on several factors, namely the strength of the refractive error, the corneal condition and the type of lenses selected. There is a possible window from about 3,250 euros for one eye.
You will neither see nor feel the lens.
This depends on the type of lens. The anterior chamber lenses are placed in front of the iris, and the posterior chamber lenses are placed between the iris and the eye’s own lens. All lenses are made of the biocompatible plastic collamer.
You can pay the costs in instalments, for which we offer attractive terms. The one-off costs pay for themselves quickly when there are no long-term costs for contact lenses and/or glasses. And, anyway, the feeling of living without visual aids is priceless.
It is not envisaged that statutory health insurance funds will pay the costs of lens treatments or laser eye operations. An exception is the insertion of a monofocal lens to correct cataracts. You should ask your private health insurer, as they have varying regulations for reimbursement of procedures. In any case, the treatment operation for visual impairment to improve work performance can be offset against tax, but as an exception – this is permitted by para 33 of German Income Tax Law.
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