I recently went for eye tests at Optimax TTDI and they said my eye power/cornea thickness was too high/thin so I wasn't suitable for lasik or epilasik. About 800-850 power both eyes with about 490micron thickness is too risky already. So disappointed and angry . The alternative they say is Implantable Contact Lens behind the iris but got certain risks like get glaucoma/cataract as grow older. Looking for input from anyone please.

ICL is ready? Last i heard about it, it was still in clinical trial but that was an adaptive lens which would expand and contract according to the cornea.

yeah even Vista is offering it but at a damn high price(rm12k)

http://vista.com.my/icontactlens/whatisicontactlens.aspx

better you follow their advice bro, becoz glaucoma is serious condition. it can lead to blindness..

I've problem with lasik too.. so.. the only solution is Phakic ICL.. Vista is offering RM6598/eye and they are going to increase it by RM100 next year. There's an additional rm800 charge which is for YAG procedure where they use laser to create two holes in your iris. Apparently they say that the vision gain is much more better than LASIK and this is lense is also removable.

Having said that, even though the recovery period is faster than lasik as they only require a minor insertion of the cornea compared to the flap of LASIK, but will require more visits for separate operations.. 1 for the YAG procedure.. then 2 weeks later come back for the implant.. it's unidirectional procedure.. means.. you need to come back another day for the other eye..

Looking at the costs, it's rather expensive... so.. if anyone has did it, do share your experiences ya..

When you said that the lens were removable you mean that the lens is removable by surgery method alone right?

For a 2nd opinion of LASIK try out Dr Ching Weng Seng from Pantai Cheras, he's has the world most advance refractive laser. That might help a bit. 490um might not be too thin for the LASIK if you have the right system to pefrom.

If you still considering Phakic IOL / ICL, you can try out Dr Aziz from Shurki & Hardeep Eye Specialist. He charge half the price of what they offering and he's very exprience on the treatment. Pm me if you need his number.

thx everyone but I did epi-lasik at Optimax TTDI already. Very good vision with minor side effect after 1 week and very satisfied!
Decided not to do ICL as higher chance of cataract/glaucoma as u grow older which is totally not worth it at all + super high price.

yes.. via surgery..


good to hear that.. for me.. they say i'm a keratoconus suspect.. just a very small indication that keratoconus in one of my eyes may have appeared in my eye in some time of my life but it has already stopped.. but there's a big risk if do lasik which will trigger it again.. a quick check wt my bro who is also a doc, he told this was developed becoz most probably i frequently rub my eyes when it was itchy last time.. probably i did but i can't recall.. phakic icl is very expensive.. so.. ive decided against doing it.. however, there are few lenses available and they are qualified doctors for those operations.. for visian icl.. i've just found out this website.. http://www.visianinfo.com/html/find-visian-doctor.html

anyway..there goes my first new year's resolution..

I have the same problem as u.. now still under consideration of ICL. Yes is expensive but good that zero interest can pay by installment.

This post has been edited by JeayceChin: Jun 7 2010, 11:55 PM

So Jeayce -did you do the ICL ?

I wanted to get some feedback on people who has done it. I recently checked at Vista, and they recommended ICL for me because of high power (>8.0). They also mentioned its more clearer (high definition) view post surgery versus Lasik.

I can understand glaucoma can happen due to ICL at older age , but why cataract? If cataract happens, then they can replace the ICL lense isnt it.

ICL Risks

All surgical procedures hold some possibility of complications and implantable contact lens treatment is no exception. Below is an overview of potential ICL risks.
Implantable Contact Lens Risks

When considering refractive surgery of any kind, you should be aware of each procedure's possible complications. Potential ICL risks include:

DocShop can help you find an eye care specialist in your area today.

Overcorrection – This complication occurs if the prescriptive power of the implanted ICL is too strong. In most cases it can be corrected with corrective eyewear or with an ICL replacement.

Undercorrection – The opposite of overcorrection, undercorrection is the result of an implantable contact lens with too weak of a prescription. Correction methods are similar to those of overcorrection.

Infection – During most surgeries, there is a potential of an infection. Severe infection during ICL implantation is rare.

Increased intraocular pressure – Pressure may build in the eye after an ICL procedure. The sooner a surgeon is alerted to this complication, the greater the chance of avoiding serious damage.

Repositioning or removal of lens –ICLs have the potential, however slight, of needing to be repositioned. The frequency of this complication may vary by implantable contact lens models.

Damage to crystalline lens – Because implantable contact lenses are implanted into the eye, there is a potential that the eye's natural lens may be damaged during the procedure. If the damage is severe, the crystalline lens may need to be replaced with an intraocular lens.

Cataract development – Over 50 percent of the population will develop cataracts by the age of 65, however, it is believed that the use of some implantable contact lenses may cause cataracts at an earlier age.

Halos, glare, and double vision – Updated ICL models greatly diminish the risks of halos, glare, and double vision.

Retinal detachment – Less than 1 percent of patients in the clinical studies for both the Verisyse™ phakic IOL and the Visian ICL™ were affected by retinal detachment. It should be noted, however, that the occurrence of retinal detachment increased as the degree of myopia increased.

Vision loss – Extremely rare, there is a possibility of vision loss from this refractive procedure. Typically the loss of visual acuity is due to bleeding, severe inflammation, or an untreated infection.
Understanding ICL Risks

It is important to note that several of the ICL risks listed above are potential complications of all refractive procedures, including:

* Halos, glare, and double vision
* Infection
* Overcorrection
* Undercorrection
* Vision loss

In fact, ICL risks, such as halos, glare, and double vision tend to occur less frequently than the same laser eye surgery complications. Also, unlike LASIK vision correction and PRK surgery, overcorrection and undercorrection of refractive errors can be remedied by simply replacing the ICL with another implantable contact lens that has the correct prescription.

The ICL risks of vision loss and cataract development are rare. Improvements to implantable contact lens models have diminished the frequency of many ICL risks.

Because of differences between the design of implantable contact lenses, the placement of the lenses, and the surgical procedure used, the ICL risks associated with the Visian ICL™ and the Verisyse™ phakic IOL may vary. It is important to discuss the variations of possible complications with an ophthalmologist.

Link:
http://www.docshop.com/education/vision/refractive/icl/risks

But stil no feedback from a experience person.

omg is it still expensive now? i need to do ICL,i have been dying to do lasik since 5 years ago but i couldn't find time before, and now after check-up for lasik they discovered i have keratoconus

I'm not in malaysia, so if it's cheaper to do ICL here, maybe i'll just do it next year. Though after reading this thread, i'm positive it's much cheaper here since i'll do it in my university hospital where only need to pay 10% of the cost.

I went for an eye examination at Optimax TTDI. Due to my high power, I was only offered to undergo ICL. Has anyone did ICL before? Mind to share your experience and does ICL cause premature cataract?

Is it possible to have a lasik as my cornea thickness is just 477um for OD and 488um for OS ?
Planning to be a pilot but astigmatism screw my life. how sad
Personally what I think on ICL, it's not worth to take the risk as long as you still can see by your spectacles. The complication developed in the future isn't a good risk to take

Is it different from IOL?

I am into 3rd year after IOL in one eye, no problems, excellent vision. Take a look, search "phaco---" on Youtube. It is not cheap and requires a few follow ups for payment but very easy procedure.

Lasik cannot be undone and may leave the eye unsuitable for phaco later if you need it. I don't understand the statement about increasing chances for cataracts, since the lens is removed and replaced with plastic.

European friends decided to do it at home because follow-ups and guarantees are included free for life under their insurance.

111

mind to share ur surgery experience? did u had the surgery in Vista or Optimax?

It is different. I presume yours would be a Pseudophakic IOL that replaces the natural crystalline lens.

ICLs are Phakic IOLs, which do not replace the natural crystalline lens. Rather, it is embedded in front of the lens, and can be removed if necessary.

Yes, your description sounds correct. The earlier people probably meant the other process I didn't have done. I believe it is newer and slightly more risky? Does it have gradually variable focus for far and near ?

Mine is like a cataract operation without slicing the cornea just poking a tube through a tiny hole. The actual process at Optimax took only about 1/2 hour, some weird pressure but no pain, eye patch off the next day with great vision for both reading and distance. Easier than seeing the dentist!

111

In many ways, the terms can be confusing. IOL means intraocular lens, and strictly speaking, an IOL is any artificial lens that is implanted in the eye. However, IOL has come to be accepted as the artificial lens that is implanted in the eye after removal of the natural crystalline lens or cataract. In other words, the IOL replaces the original natural lens. This type of IOL is mainly used in the treatment of cataract.

ICL refers to the Visian implantable collamer lens, which is a type of phakic IOL. A phakic IOL is an artificial lens that is implanted in the eye in front of the natural crystalline lens. Phakic IOLs are mainly used for the treatment of refractive error, such as high myopia. You will still be able to focus for both near and far is because you still have your natural crystalline lens.

The main problem with phakic IOLs is damage to the natural crystalline lens causing cataract. Most of the patients that I've seen with phakic IOLs already have some form of early cataract and it's only a matter of time before both the phakic IOL and cataract need to be removed. There are also other potential complications, such as elevated eye pressure and endothelial cell loss. Unfortunately there is a lack of data on the effect of phakic IOLs beyond 10 years, so we don't know how they affect the eyes in the long term.

http://www.vision-and-eye-health.com/phaki...cular-lens.html