What are Phakic Intraocular Lenses?

 
 


Phakic intraocular lenses (IOLs) are a type of lens implant that is placed into the eye to reduce a person's need for glasses or contact lenses. You can think of it as a contact lens that is inserted into the eye to correct your vision. These lenses are usually necessary for patients who are more highly nearsighted and don’t qualify for full correction with LASIK or PRK.

Are Phakic Lenses Right For You?

 
 
 
For nearsighted patients with very strong prescriptions, LASIK or PRK may not be the best option for vision correction. For many of these patients, phakic intraocular lenses may provide the vision they seek.
 
 

How Does It Work?

 
 

 A phakic lens is placed inside the eye, in front of the iris (the colored part of the eye).

This extra focusing lens works with the cornea and the eye’s natural lens to properly focus light on the retina, leading to dramatically improved vision and less dependence on glasses and contact lenses.

 

 Refractive Lens Exchange (also known as Refractive Lensectomy) is a surgical procedure where the crystalline lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens implant. This procedure is similar to cataract surgery, but with Refractive Lensectomy the purpose is to correct vision to gain independence from glasses or contact lenses.