- Medically Reviewed by: Mr Mfazo Hove, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
- Author: Mr Mfazo Hove
- Published: March 14, 2025
- Last Updated: July 7, 2026
Are you researching which is the best place to get ICL surgery in London? Implantable Collamer Lens surgery offers exceptional results for people who are not suitable for laser eye surgery, and choosing the right clinic is what turns a good candidate into an excellent outcome. This guide explains the recognition, expertise and documented results behind Blue Fin Vision®, and why they matter to you.
Aftercare Included for the Life of Your ICL
Under the ICL Lifetime Monitoring Protocol™, every ICL at Blue Fin Vision® includes, at no extra cost:
- Annual vault scan, every year, at any Blue Fin Vision® clinic.
- Annual endothelial cell count (ECC), every year, currently at our Harley Street centre.
- Laser enhancement, where clinically appropriate, with your original consultant, at no cost.
- Cataract surgery after ICL, where clinically required: no cost within 2 years, then half price to year 10, subject to protocol terms.
For as long as the lens remains in your eye. No expiry. No subscription. No renewal fees.
Recognition That Reflects the Standard of Care
Blue Fin Vision® is recognised by leading authorities in private healthcare and luxury wellness. Mr Mfazo Hove is listed at Top Recommended level in the Spear’s 500 Health & Wellness Index within the Opticians, Ophthalmologists and Laser Eye Surgeons category, placing him among the leading surgeons in this field, and Blue Fin Vision® features in the Tatler Address Book, reserved for specialists whose practice reflects refinement, discretion and uncompromising care. That recognition rests on documented outcomes, a consultant-led model and hundreds of verified five-star reviews, currently a Doctify rating of 4.96 out of 5 from 557 or more verified reviews, marking Blue Fin Vision® as a top-rated London eye clinic.
Expertise You Can Verify
Evidence, not adjectives, should decide where you have surgery. ICL surgery has a well-documented safety and effectiveness profile in the peer-reviewed literature,¹ ² with long-term studies showing stable correction over many years of follow-up.³ ⁴ Blue Fin Vision® adds its own audited record: six consecutive years of National Ophthalmology Database outcome data and more than 57,000 vision correction procedures performed by its lead consultant, one of the top doctors working in refractive surgery, with independently audited cataract complication rates well below UK averages.
What ICL Surgery Is, and Who It Suits
An Implantable Collamer Lens is placed behind the iris and in front of your natural lens to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, without reshaping the cornea.⁵ It is especially valuable for higher prescriptions, thinner corneas, dry eyes or contact lens intolerance, and it is fully reversible: the lens can be removed or exchanged if your needs change. London ICL surgery at Blue Fin Vision® follows this same evidence-led approach.
- Typically suited to myopia in the region of -6.00 to -18.00 dioptres, and to eyes unsuitable for laser.
- Generally offered from around age 21, with a stable prescription.
- Not the automatic choice for everyone: low to moderate prescriptions may do better with laser, and patients over 45 with early lens changes may be better served by lens replacement.
Care That Continues After Surgery
What sets Blue Fin Vision® apart is not only the operation but everything around it. Consultant-only implantation means your named surgeon performs your procedure personally. A structured enhancement pathway with an in-house laser suite handles any residual prescription, and in-house capability for ICL exchange or repositioning is retained should it ever be needed. Every ICL is then covered by the ICL Lifetime Monitoring Protocol™, included in the price, with annual vault checks, endothelial cell counts at Harley Street, and direct specialist access if any measurement moves outside its defined range. It is a written clinical programme, the same for every patient.
Results, Restored Overnight
One Blue Fin Vision® patient moved from a -7.00 prescription, unable to read the largest chart letter unaided, to 6/5 vision within 24 hours of ICL surgery, attending a black-tie dinner the following evening without glasses or contact lenses. Anterior segment imaging confirmed her ICL vault in the optimal range, demonstrating precise positioning and safety.
Aftercare as the Proof Behind the Recognition
Recognition and outcomes matter most when they are backed by care you can verify. Every ICL at Blue Fin Vision® includes, at no cost and for the life of the implant, an annual vault scan and an annual endothelial cell count, under the ICL Lifetime Monitoring Protocol™. Vault scans are available at any clinic; endothelial cell counts are currently provided at Harley Street, with the aim of extending this to more sites over time. It is aftercare you can hold the clinic to, rather than a claim. The same principle applies to enhancement. Where fine-tuning is clinically appropriate, it is carried out by your original consultant, at no cost. Having the laser on site means enhancement can be considered within the same clinical team, rather than requiring referral elsewhere.
Cataract is the main long-term consideration after any ICL, and it is also a normal part of ageing. Cataract surgery after an ICL, where clinically required, is provided at no cost within the first two years, and at half price from years two to ten, subject to the published ICL Lifetime Monitoring Protocol™ terms. At the time of writing, we are not aware of another UK provider offering this combination of lifetime annual vault and endothelial cell monitoring, no-cost laser enhancement where clinically appropriate, and a written cataract-cost commitment after ICL surgery.
A Surgeon's Perspective
“Implantable Collamer Lens surgery is an excellent option for patients seeking a reversible, highly precise refractive correction, especially those unsuitable for laser treatments. At Blue Fin Vision®, we deliver safe, customised ICL procedures that provide outstanding visual clarity and patient satisfaction.” , Mr Mfazo Hove, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
The Clinical Takeaway
The best place for ICL surgery in London is the one that pairs recognised, consultant-led expertise, delivered by top specialists, with published outcomes and a written, lifelong monitoring commitment. For high prescriptions and thin corneas in particular, that combination is what Blue Fin Vision® offers.
Common Questions
Is lifetime ICL monitoring and aftercare really included?
Yes. Every ICL at Blue Fin Vision® includes annual vault and endothelial cell scans for the life of the implant, and laser enhancement where clinically appropriate with your original consultant at no cost, all under the ICL Lifetime Monitoring Protocol™. Where cataract surgery is clinically required after an ICL, it is provided at no cost within two years and half price from years two to ten, subject to the protocol terms.
Why does it matter that my surgeon also does laser and lens replacement?
A surgeon working across ICL, laser and refractive lens exchange handles both corneal and higher-stakes intraocular surgery routinely, which builds the judgement that matters in complex cases and keeps the recommendation between procedures unbiased.
Am I a candidate for ICL if my prescription is very high?
Often, yes. ICL is particularly suited to higher prescriptions and thinner corneas, the group most frequently unsuitable for laser. A consultant-led assessment confirms whether it is right for your eyes.
Explore More at Blue Fin Vision®
References
- Packer M. Meta-analysis and review: effectiveness, safety, and central port design of the intraocular collamer lens. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016;10:1059-1077.
- Sanders DR, Doney K, Poco M; ICL in Treatment of Myopia Study Group. United States Food and Drug Administration clinical trial of the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) for moderate to high myopia: three-year follow-up. Ophthalmology. 2004;111(9):1683-1692.
- Igarashi A, Shimizu K, Kamiya K. Eight-year follow-up of posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens implantation for moderate to high myopia. Am J Ophthalmol. 2014;157(3):532-539.
- Kamiya K, Shimizu K, Igarashi A, Hikita F, Komatsu M. Four-year follow-up of implantable collamer lens implantation for moderate to high myopia. Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(7):845-850.
- Montes-Mico R, Ruiz-Mesa R, Rodriguez-Prats JL, Tana-Rivero P. Posterior-chamber phakic implantable collamer lenses with a central port: a review. Acta Ophthalmol. 2021;99(3):e288-e301.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr Mfazo Hove
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
MBChB MD FRCOphth CertLRS
Mr Mfazo Hove is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon with experience spanning more than 57,000 procedures. He completed 6.5 years of specialist training at Moorfields Eye Hospital and served for five years as a consultant at the Western Eye Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. He is the founder of Blue Fin Vision®, a consultant-led private ophthalmology practice operating across London, Essex, and Hertfordshire. His clinical expertise encompasses advanced cataract surgery, refractive lens replacement, laser vision correction, and implantable Collamer lenses (ICL).
A ZEISS Key Opinion Leader, Mr Hove is a respected international speaker with five invited engagements across seven cities in 2026:
- ZEISS China tour (Changsha, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, April – ZEISS APAC User Meeting)
- RCOphth Annual Congress – May – Manchester
- ZEISS EMEA User Meeting (Istanbul)
- ZEISS Lausanne User Meeting (Lausanne)
- European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Annual Congress (ESCRS, London)
