HEALTH: Get perfect vision

2009/10/20

ZUHAILA SEDEK

Those with vision problems can now opt for ICL, which uses implantable contact lens technology. ZUHAILA SEDEK writes.

IMAGINE being bitten by a poisonous spider and you wake up the next day with a perfect 20-20 vision. You then toss your spectacles into the dustbin and walk to work feeling on top of the world. What a feeling! Not to be a killjoy, but this is, of course, mere fiction. If it was that easy to get a perfect vision, like the spider that bit Peter Parker in the comic and movie Spider-Man, the spectacles business would have to close shop by now.

But the prospect of attaining perfect vision is still there — through Lasik and the latest technology, iContact Lens (ICL), also known as Phakic Intraocular Lens Implantation.

ICL is an artificial lens that is surgically placed inside the eye without removing the natural lens. Traditional contact lenses are placed on the eyeball. But in ICL, the lenses are put behind the iris. Fret not; no major surgery is involved here.

ICL is foldable, allowing for insertion through a very small incision, about 3mm. It was brought into Malaysia by Vista Laser Eye Center Sdn Bhd, the company that made popular the Lasik service. Its chief consultant ophthalmic surgeon Dr Aloysius Low said ICL is now one of the options for those suffering from moderate to high myopia with thin cornea and for whom Lasik may not be suitable.

“Not everyone can go through the Lasik procedure. ICL is applicable to most, except for those who have cataracts,” Dr Low said.

However, those who had their cataract treated can still opt for ICL.

ICL is widely used in the US military to correct soldiers’ vision. The person responsible for that is Colonel Scott D. Barnes MD from Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the United States. The ophthalmologist, who was deployed to Iraq for four years to treat soldiers whose visions were affected by the war, was in Kuala Lumpur for a seminar hosted by Vista, recently. “After seeing how these soldiers had suffered with bad vision, I knew I had to do something as the problem could have put their lives at risk,” said Barnes.

Those who dream of being in the military but think they won’t make the cut because of this problem can always opt for ICL. “A soldier with perfect vision is a better fighter,” said Barnes.

He said many soldiers in the US military with vision problems have resorted to normal contact lens on their own call.

“The problem when you use normal contact lenses as a soldier is that you can’t take care of your eyes all the time. Some soldiers even had their eyes infected as they couldn’t clean the lenses with solutions. Some even bring their spectacles in the backpack.

ICL is suitable for those below 45 but not for children.

“The problem is that as soldiers, you can’t risk taking care of your eyes and fight battles at the same time.

Vision problems can affect their combat effectiveness especially if they get lost or captured by the enemy,” he added.

That is why the US government is financing those who are in the Navy, Air Force or Army to go for ICL. “There was a soldier who had undergone ICL treatment. His eyes were badly injured because of explosions while in Iraq. Though his eyes were in bad shape, his lenses (ICL) were still intact and not damaged at all,” said Barnes.

Barnes added that ICL is invisible, making it a cosmetically-friendly treatment.

“About 30 to 40 per cent of people in the US wear spectacles. Many are now turning to ICL as it can last a lifetime and they no longer have to endure putting on normal contact lenses or break their spectacles,” he said.

“Not only does good vision bring many benefits, it will also improve one’s quality of life,” he added.

The ICL lens is made from collagen copolymer. It is almost rectangular in shape so it stays put when inserted into the eye. It is also thinner than human hair.

There are two procedures involved in ICL. The first step is when a YAG laser (YAG is a crystal that is used as a lasing medium) is used to make two small openings in the peripheral iris. The openings guard against possible elevation of intraocular (the lens implanted) pressure immediately following the implantation of the lens.

Then the lens will be folded and loaded into a small cartridge, which will be placed through the incision. As the lens is inserted, it will gently unfold in the eye. Once the lens is fully deployed, the four corners of the lens will be placed behind your iris and in front of the crystalline lens (transparent lens that transmits and refracts light).

According to Barnes, ICL has changed many of his patients’ lives.

“Many of my patients came to express how happy they are with ICL. They are comfortable having it and say it’s much better than spectacles, and some of them even say that it’s much better than Lasik,” said Barnes.

Consultation is needed for those who opt for ICL. Pregnant women are advised not to opt for ICL until after six months of delivery due to changes to the body. For those with astigmatism, it is priced at RM7,188 per eye and RM6,488 per eye for those without astigmatism. The price is inclusive of surgery fee, first-time medication and one-year follow-up related to ICL but does not include the fee for the YAG laser procedure. You can also opt for installment payment.

Apart from ICL, Vista is also introducing Vista Nasa iLasik, which is exclusively used by Nasa and the US military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps). This laser eye treatment is a combination of the VISX CustomVue Lasik treatment and the IntraLase Method. It uses measurement that is 25 times more precise than standard measurement for spectacles and contact lenses. This technology also has additional tissue savings feature as less cornea tissue is removed compared to the standard Lasik for the same eye power. For details, visit www.vista.com.my