​Phakic Intraocular Lens Implants

Phakic Intraocular Lenses (PIOLs) are an alternative to LASIK and PRK eye surgery for correcting moderate to severe myopia. In some cases these produce better and more predictable vision outcomes than laser refractive surgery.

Implantable Lenses for Clearer Vision without Eyewear

Phakic IOLs are clear implantable lenses that are surgically placed either between the cornea and the iris or just behind the iris. This is done without removing the natural lens. Phakic lenses enable light to focus properly on the retina for clearer vision without corrective eyewear. These implantable lenses function like contact lenses to correct nearsightedness. The difference is that Phakic IOLs work from within the eye instead of sitting on the surface of the eye.

Phakic lenses are used to correct refractive errors, errors in the eye's focusing power. All phakic lenses approved by the FDA are for the correction of nearsightedness or myopia. The cornea and natural lens of the eye focus light to create an image on the retina, much like the way the lens of a camera focuses light to create an image on film. The bending and focusing of light is also known as refraction. Imperfections in the focusing power of the eye, called refractive errors, cause images on the retina to be out of focus or blurred.

People who are nearsighted have more difficulty seeing distant objects than near objects. For these people, the images of distant objects come to focus in front of the retina instead of on the retina. Ideally, phakic lenses cause light entering the eye to be focused on the retina providing clear distance vision without the aid of glasses or contact lenses.

Comparing Phakic IOLs to Other Vision Correction Options

Surgery is not required to correct nearsightedness. One can wear glasses or contact lenses instead to correct the vision. Depending on how nearsighted the person is. Other conditions of eye, other refractive surgery options may be available, including PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) and LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis).

Phakic IOL surgery has been shown to give better vision, have higher patient satisfaction, and safer than laser surgery, and avoids the risk of corneal ectasia. Phakic IOLs have better best spectacle-corrected visual acuity and refractive predictability and stability compared with LASIK and PRK and have very high satisfaction rates. Implantation of Phakic IOLs forgoes the risks of corneal ectasia and retinal detachment associated with excimer laser surgery and refractive lens exchange, respectively.

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