Astigmatism means that the cornea, or front window of the eye is shaped more like a football than a basketball. The curvature in one direction is different than the curvature 90 degrees away (perpendicular). Astigmatism causes the vision to be slightly blurry. This can be corrected with glasses or special contact lenses (toric lens). The Visian ICL has a toric model which corrects astigmatism, giving patients with astigmatism and myopia clear vision. There is an extra cost for the toric model due to the more complex manufacturing and fitting if the toric lens. Dr. DeBry will review your refraction numbers and help you to decide if the toric model will be necessary for your procedure.
The ICL is made of a high tech material known as collamer. Collamer is a revolutionary material used exclusively in making STAAR Surgical corrective lenses, including several models of the Visian ICL. Its name comes from the combination of “collagen” and “polymer”. Because it is made with collagen, Collamer is compatible with your body’s natural chemistry. Collamer is easy to implant because it unfolds gently and predictably in the eye. Collamer transmits light very similarly to your natural lens because the material’s characteristics are nearly identical to the human crystalline lens. Collamer offers numerous advantages over other lens materials:
Quality of Vision
Due to its unique anti-reflective properties and high water content, Collamer helps transmit light nearly identically to the human crystalline lens. This means less light is reflected within the eye, leading to sharper, clearer vision; and far fewer occurrences of glare, halos, or poor night vision associated with other lenses or corrective procedures.
Biocompatibility
Meaning “compatible with your body’s natural chemistry,” biocompatibility is a key advantage of Collamer. The collagen in the Collamer attracts fibronectin, a substance found naturally in the eye. A layer of fibronectin forms around the lens, inhibiting white cell adhesion to the lens. This coating prevents the lens from being identified as a foreign object, and the lens remains unnoticed and “quiet in the eye” indefinitely. What’s more, like the collagen it contains, Collamer carries a slight negative ionic charge. Proteins in the eye also carry a negative charge. As these two negative forces meet each other along the border of the Visian ICL, the charge repulsion pushes away the proteins from the lens, naturally keeping it clean and clear.
UV Protection
Long-term exposure to UV radiation can damage the eyes; longer term or more intense exposure increase the chance of eye disorders including the development of cataracts and some retinal problems. As an added feature, the Visian ICL advanced lens material contains a UV blocker that actually prevents harmful UVA and UVB rays from entering the eye, possibly preventing the development of UV related eye disorders.
