Enhancement is not a separate episode of care – it is a continuation of the original surgical pathway. The surgeon performing enhancement on an eye that has previously received an ICL needs access to the complete pre-operative dataset: original corneal topography, anterior chamber measurements, ICL size and power, vault measurements, and the refractive history from which the ICL power was calculated. ¹ Without that data, laser planning is done in partial ignorance of the eye’s baseline state.
This means that enhancement by a different surgeon – at a different centre, working from a referral letter rather than the original clinical record – is clinically inferior to enhancement performed by the original surgeon with full access to all pre-operative and operative data. ² The convenience of proximity does not offset the loss of informational continuity.
At Blue Fin Vision®, all enhancements following ICL surgery are performed by Mr Mfazo Hove – the same consultant who performed the original procedure. This is not a commercial arrangement designed to retain patients within the practice; it is a clinical standard. Patients who receive ICL surgery at Blue Fin Vision® receive laser enhancement planning from a surgeon who has access to every measurement ever taken on their eyes, from the initial pre-operative assessment onwards. ³
Patients should confirm this at consultation. If a practice cannot guarantee that enhancement will be performed by the original surgeon, patients should ask who it will be performed by and what clinical data they will have access to.
References
- Ganesh S, Brar S. Clinical outcomes of phakic intraocular lens implantation for the correction of high myopia with three years of follow-up. Clin Ophthalmol. 2013;7:2011–2021. PMID: 24204123.
- Fernandes P, González-Méijome JM, Madrid-Costa D, Ferrer-Blasco T, Jorge J, Montés-Micó R. Implantable collamer posterior chamber intraocular lenses: a review of potential complications. J Refract Surg. 2011;27(10):765–776. PMID: 21610721.
- 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?
