For patients with moderate to very high myopia, ICL surgery offers structural advantages that corneal laser procedures cannot replicate. This is a clinical position that informs practice at Blue Fin Vision® when assessing patients in this prescription range.
Laser procedures such as LASIK or SMILE correct vision by removing corneal tissue to reshape the eye’s focusing surface. In patients with high myopia, the amount of tissue removal required can reduce the residual stromal bed and potentially compromise corneal biomechanical stability.¹
ICL surgery takes a fundamentally different approach. A thin biocompatible lens is placed inside the eye behind the iris while the cornea is left entirely undisturbed. Corneal thickness, shape, and nerve architecture remain unchanged.²
Modern ICL designs incorporate a central port that allows natural aqueous flow, removing the need for peripheral iridotomies and lowering the risk of pressure-related complications associated with earlier lens generations.³
At Blue Fin Vision®, ICL is often the preferred option for patients with myopia above −6.00 to −8.00 dioptres, and is typically the recommended procedure for all patients beyond −10.00. Detailed corneal tomography and anterior chamber assessment form the basis of that decision.
References
- Roberts CJ, Dupps WJ Jr. Biomechanics of corneal ectasia and biomechanical treatments. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2014;40(6):991–1003.
- Packer M. The Implantable Collamer Lens with a central port: review of the literature. Clin Ophthalmol. 2018;12:2427–2438.
- Shimizu K, Kamiya K, Igarashi A, Shiratani T. Long-term comparison of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens with and without a central hole implantation for moderate to high myopia and myopic astigmatism. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016;95(14):e3270.
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- High Astigmatism: Laser, Toric ICL or Toric Lens?
- Very High Myopia: Why ICL Often Becomes the Preferred Option
- Early Lens Dysfunction: When Laser May No Longer Be the Best Choice
- Enhancements After Laser, ICL or Lens Replacement
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