PROCEDURES

Implantable Collamer Lens / EVO ICL Washington DC and the DMV

Brusco Vision offers EVO ICL as a safe and effective solution for vision correction. ICL is the procedure Dr. Brusco had performed to correct his own vision and provide visual freedom!

See the World Without the Burden of Glasses and Contact Lenses

Originally, EVO ICL surgery was seen as a solution only for ophthalmology patients who were very nearsighted or had corneal thickness that was insufficient to support an SBK LASIK procedure. ICL is still a great option for them! However, because of the consistently precise outcomes that ICL delivers, it has grown to be one of the most popular vision correction options among many near-sighted patients who simply want phenomenal vision. ICL can give you the freedom to see the world without the burden of glasses and contact lenses at Brusco Vision in Washington, D.C., and the DMV. We’re proud to offer an exceptional range of refractive surgery procedures and fully tailor them to your needs! Call our office today to schedule your complete eye examination and learn about EVO ICL and our other vision correction options.

Is ICL safe?

Yes. EVO ICL is a proven vision correction procedure. It was FDA approved in the United States in 2005 but has been available worldwide since 1993. Since then, over 1 million ICL procedures have been performed by surgeons in over 60 countries, with a patient satisfaction rate of global EVO ICL users of 99%. The EVO ICL is the latest phakic intraocular lens to receive approval from the FDA for a wide range of myopic (nearsightedness) correction needs. It is a precise technology that delivers exceptional outcomes and rapid visual recovery. The ICL remains in place indefinitely without needing maintenance but can be removed in the future if necessary. This is the procedure Dr. Brusco chose to correct his vision in 2014.

What is ICL?

The EVO ICL is an advanced vision correction treatment technology and SBK LASIK alternative. It is well-suited for patients with moderate to severe nearsightedness (myopia), with or without astigmatism who have been burdened by wearing some type of corrective lens. It’s also a great option for patients with dry eyes, thin corneas, or corneal scarring, including people who have been told they are not good candidates for SBK LASIK! In fact, for many people, the EVO ICL is simply a BETTER option than SBK LASIK because of how it works and what it avoids.

Unlike with laser vision correction procedures, corneal tissue is not removed to create a new refraction with the EVO ICL. Instead, the EVO ICL lens works like a small contact that gets inserted into the eye but doesn’t move. The artificial lens is made from Collamer, an exclusive technologically advanced lens material. Because of the collagen in Collamer, it is in sync with the body’s natural chemistry and provides consistent and clear, sharp vision.

EVO ICL corrects vision, but it also creates a barrier of UV protection – Collamer has unique UV-blocking properties that protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays while allowing natural visible light to pass through unaltered for crisp results. The implantable collamer lens not only offers UV protection but also prevents the development of cataracts and the need for future cataract surgery. This is the procedure Dr. Brusco chose to have his vision corrected.

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A EVO ICL or EVO implantable Collamer lens makes you less dependent on your specs or contact lenses. It's an FDA-approved procedure where an eye surgeon inserts a biocompatible synthetic lens into your cornea instead of removing tissue from it.
- Nature World News

How it Works

To correct your vision, this advanced Collamer lens is gently added to your eye in front of the natural lens, and behind the iris, to correct your prescription and have you seeing clearly – without glasses or contacts. Implantable lenses bend the light to focus it perfectly onto the retina, similar to how a contact lens works on the surface of the eye. Unlike contact lenses, it’s maintenance-free. It never dries out or gets dirty. You don’t have to put it in every morning or worry about it getting lost. And you can’t develop an allergy to it over time. Patients tell us they do not feel the new lens or notice it’s there, and it’s not noticeable to others. Unless you share it with others (and we hope you do), only Dr. Brusco will be aware that vision correction has taken place.

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Advantages of EVO ICL

EVO ICL delivers the best optics and visual freedom of any vision correction procedure because of how it works and its placement in the eye. These precision results make it an attractive option for many patients who simply want amazingly crisp, clear vision. In addition, EVO ICL at Brusco Vision in Washington DC and the DMV can permanently correct your vision without removing any natural tissue of the cornea, up to a prescription of -20D! If, in the unlikely event you need or wish to remove your ICLs in the future, they can be removed with an additional procedure. Finally, as an added bonus, EVO ICLs contain an ultraviolet blocker that protects eyes from harmful UV rays.

Is EVO ICL Right for You?

The range of patients who enthusiastically choose ICL is diverse and not limited to only those with myopic astigmatism or who have been told they don’t qualify for other vision correction procedures – many of our patients qualify for EVO ICL eye surgery as well as many of our other advanced vision correction procedures such as SBK LASIK, ASA PRK, and SMILE. If you’re nearsighted, with or without astigmatism, EVO ICL may be a great option for you, even if other procedures aren’t a good match for your unique eyes. EVO ICL provides distance vision correction without the need for contacts or glasses.

The first and most critical step in determining candidacy for a procedure is to schedule a thorough consultation with an eye care professional where a detailed examination with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment (ANOVA) is performed. With this information, our eye doctor determines what type of vision correction procedure is perfect for you. This goes above and beyond a traditional LASIK screening – the ANOVA sets the foundation for exceptional visual outcomes with each patient’s long-term needs in mind. At Brusco Vision, we like to think one, two, and three decades ahead.

ICL Day of Your Surgery

On the day of the surgical procedure, patients can expect to be in our office for 2 hours. The EVO ICL implantation procedure is quick and painless, typically taking 10 to 20 minutes per eye. Come with a friend or family member who can drive you home, since your vision may be blurry in recovery.

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Step One

A mild sedative is offered to patients and anesthetic eye drops are applied to numb the eye. A small, gentle eyelid holder is placed between your eyelids so you don’t have to worry about blinking during the procedure.

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Step Two

A small incision is made in the far edge of the cornea for the ICL implantation. The collamer lens designed for you is then inserted through this small incision and smoothed out into place.

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Step Three

The ICL is centered on the visual axis directly behind the iris. The incision is small and self-seals.

Recovery Time

EVO ICL patients typically experience little if any discomfort during or after the procedure. You will see improvement in your vision almost immediately and most patients are able to resume regular activities, including returning to work, the day after surgery…without their glasses or contact lenses!

Benefits of EVO ICL

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Safety

Over the long term, you’re more likely to develop a serious eye infection from wearing contact lenses than from the one time experience of ICL. Never worry about leaving your contacts in too long again with ICL!

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Save Money

While the cost of a vision correction procedure does come with an initial upfront investment, do you know how much you’re already spending on contact lenses and glasses? Try our cost calculator to see how it adds up over time.

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Independence

Live more independently. Experience the sense of relief with not having to deal with contacts, eyeglasses, or solutions to manage. Just wake up and see. ICL vision correction better accommodates a busy, active lifestyle.

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Save Time

Eliminate the need to clean your contact lenses or continually wipe your glasses free of smudges. ICL vision correction frees up 5-10 more minutes of your day to avoid these annoying tasks. Over the course of a year, that adds up to 45 hours. What would you do with that extra time?

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Reasons to Have EVO ICL at Brusco Vision

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, EVO ICL has been shown to be a safe procedure. Over one million procedures have been performed in over 60 countries. Additionally, the concept of a lens being well-tolerated inside the eye has been demonstrated since the 1970s.

Absolutely. The toric version (toric EVOs) of the ICL treats astigmatism. Not only does ICL treat astigmatism, but it generally does so better than glasses or contacts can.

The EVO ICL will not degrade over time, so once implanted, there is no upkeep involved, and will not need to be replaced. It is removable, however, in the event it needs to be taken out in the future.

No. However, ICL does not eliminate the need for reading glasses when you develop presbyopia – this occurs whether you’ve had ICLs or not.

No. The implant procedure only takes about 10 minutes per eye and you will not feel any discomfort. However, you will probably experience a bit of a light show during the process.

EVO ICL procedures take about 10 minutes per eye to complete, but you can expect to be at the office for up to 2 hours on the day of surgery.

Although vision tends to be blurry the first few hours after the procedure, most of our ICL patients are back to work and resume normal activities the very next day. The vision continues to clear and improve even more over the next several weeks.

EVO ICL is used to correct common vision issues, and ideal candidates are patients ages 21 to 45 with nearsightedness, with or without astigmatism, and a stable prescription for at least a year. Patients must also meet the minimum endothelium density for the procedure. EVO ICL can be the answer if you’re looking for improved visual acuity or visual perception and a way to cut the cost and annoyance of standard contacts or glasses. To find out if EVO ICL is a good fit for you, get in touch with us.

The Brusco Vision Difference

At Brusco Vision, we work hard to provide the best care possible for each of our patients while utilizing the most cutting-edge technology and professional staff in the field of vision correction surgery. When you put your confidence in our experts to assist you in obtaining the improved vision you’ve been hoping for, you’ll have an amazing experience. Call our office right away to learn more about EVO ICL or to arrange a consultation if you’re tired of wearing glasses or contacts and live in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia area.

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