Surgical volume is a recognised and imperfect proxy for surgical competency – imperfect because quantity is not the same as quality, but nonetheless meaningful because ICL implantation requires consistent familiarity with the anatomical range encountered across a large case series. ¹ A surgeon performing a small number of ICL cases annually has limited exposure to the spectrum of anterior chamber configurations, vault variability, intraoperative challenges, and enhancement decisions that accumulate over a high-volume practice.
The more important question behind the headline number is whether the surgeon can demonstrate their results. Outcome data – vault measurements, refractive accuracy, enhancement rates, complication incidence – tells a different story to a case count. ² ³ Surgeons who maintain a structured refractive audit, submit to national databases, or publish outcome data are operating to a higher standard of accountability than those who cite volume alone.
At Blue Fin Vision®, Mr Mfazo Hove has performed ICL surgery across multiple hospital environments and publishes National Ophthalmology Database outcome data from his practice. The STAAR STELLA calculator is used for all lens sizing and power calculations, and results feed into an ongoing audit that allows data-driven refinement of outcomes over time. Patients who ask this question at their consultation should expect a specific number – and a willingness to share the results behind it.
References
- Barsam A, Bhogal M, Morris S, et al. Posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens insertion for myopia and myopic astigmatism. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;6:CD008259. PMID: 22696375.
- Kamiya K, Shimizu K, Igarashi A, Komatsu M. Four-year follow-up of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens implantation for moderate to high myopia. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(7):845–850. PMID: 19597104.
- Packer M. Meta-analysis and review: effectiveness, safety, and central port design of the intraocular collamer lens. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016;10:1059–1077. PMID: 27390517.
Related Topics
- ICL Surgery Checklist
- Are You on the GMC Specialist Register for Ophthalmology?
- Does Your Surgeon Hold the CertLRS Qualification?
- How Many ICL Procedures Has Your Surgeon Performed?
- Can You Show Me Your Refractive Outcome Data?
- Is Surgery Performed in a Proper Hospital Theatre with Laminar Airflow?
- What Is My Pre-Operative Endothelial Cell Count?
- How Often Will ECC and Vault Be Monitored, and Is This Included?
- What Vault Are You Targeting?
- Does the Clinic Have Access to Laser Eye Surgery for Enhancement?
- Which ICL System and Calculator Do You Use?
- What Happens If I Develop a Cataract Within Two Years?
- What Is the Arrangement If Cataract Develops Between Two and Ten Years?
- Have You Performed Cataract Surgery in an Eye with an Existing ICL?
- How Do You Manage Biometry Calculations in Post-ICL Eyes?
- What Happens If My Myopia Continues to Progress?
- At What Level Would Enhancement Be Considered?
- When After Surgery Would Enhancement Be Performed?
- Who Performs the Enhancement – the Same Consultant?
- Is Laser Enhancement Included in the Price?
- Is Sedation Available, and What Does It Cost?
- Is Oral Diazepam Available for Anxious Patients?
- What Is the Minimum Stay Required Near the Clinic?
- Will You Identify a Named Local Ophthalmologist Before Surgery?
- How Will Annual Vault and ECC Monitoring Be Arranged If I Live Far Away?
