For those unsuitable for Laser vision correction, an alternative is the ARTISAN / VERISEYES or Implantable contact Lens (ICL).

To avoid confusion: Note the Artisan and Veriseyes are both identical intraocular lenses used in phakic lens surgery. They are all manufactured by the same manufacturer (Ophtec, Netherlands) and Veriseyes is the market name for the device distributed by AMO.

The Artisan / Veriseyes device is a phakic IOL (intraocular lens implant) is implanted inside the eye to correct your refractive error. The advantages of the implant are the following:

• Reversible
• Rapid visual rehabilitation
• Excellent quality of vision
• Ability to correct high levels of correction, both for nearsightedness and farsightedness
• Ability to correct high levels of astigmatism
• Long track record

As with all procedures, extensive planning is required and tests to ensure suitability. If this is an option, this will be explained to you by the evaluating surgeon at your consultation at Centre for Sight, UK.

The following are results submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA.

FDA Clinical Study

(Number of eyes =155 -5.50 to -22.50 D) 6 months

85% 6/12 or better –

90% +/- 1.00D

0 % loss of 2 lines or more BSCVA

2.9% oval pupil (technique related)

No change in Mean Endothelial cells pre & post (health of the inside layer of the cornea) (Maloney et al.)

Read about the experience of one of our patients reported in this Daily Mail article.

The procedure is called a Phakic IOL procedure. The phakic portion means your own crystalline lens is retained and another lens is added in. In this case the Artisan / Veriseyes phakic lens is inserted through a small incision. This can be done under local anesthetic or general where you are completely asleep. Patients in the UK appear to prefer the option of General anesthetic, Our preference at the Centre for Sight, UK is to perform one eye at a time with a minimum of 1 week between. This is so that we are confident that the first eye following the phakic IOL procedure is well on its way to recovery. We want to be sure that the intraocular lens is working and calculated to be correct for the first eye before embarking on the second eye. In less conservative countries than the UK, both eyes are treated at the same time. We at Centre for Sight believe this is unnecessary and prefer the former option.

Recovery from the phakic lens procedure can be very rapid. Most patients seen at the first postoperative day cannot wait for the second eye treatment to be completed !

Those with high astigmatism are also suitable for this type of phakic IOL procedure although the intraocular lens may have to be made as a special order specifically for the patient.

Contact us at Centre for Sight to learn more about phakic IOL procedures in the UK. Enquiries@centreforsight.com