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- How many years do phakic lenses last?<\/strong>
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of phakic lenses?<\/strong>
- What are the opinions about phakic lenses?<\/strong>
- How much does phakic lens implantation cost?<\/strong>
EVO Visian ICL phakic lenses for patients from Krakow and Ma\u0142opolska:<\/strong> qualification with MS-39 tomography, lens size selection, procedure, and all follow-ups take place at our clinic at ul. Kluczborska 15\/U3 in Krakow. Operated by Dr. med. Victor Derhartunian, who has performed approximately 1,500 phakic lens implantations. Price: 11,000 PLN per eye<\/strong> \u2013 one rate for every variant, including toric. Qualification examination: 400 PLN.<\/p>\n\n
Laser or ICL lens? The decision is made at qualification in Krakow<\/h2>\n\n
At qualification in Krakow, we first check whether the eyes are suitable for laser correction. We propose a phakic lens when laser would be a compromise or is not an option at all\u2014ICL corrects the defect without removing corneal tissue, because the implant sits behind the iris, in front of the eye’s natural lens.<\/p>\n\n
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- Cornea too thin or irregular for laser:<\/strong> with ICL, corneal thickness does not limit correction.<\/li>\n\n
- High defect:<\/strong> myopia up to \u221220 D and hyperopia up to +10 D\u2014in this range, laser would often have to remove too much tissue.<\/li>\n\n
- Tendency toward dry eye:<\/strong> the procedure affects corneal nerves to a lesser extent than laser correction.<\/li>\n\n
- Reversibility:<\/strong> the lens can be removed or replaced; laser changes the cornea permanently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
If test results favor laser, we will discuss it on the spot\u2014in Krakow we also perform laser eye correction<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
Eye measurement in the diagnostic lab at Kluczborska<\/h2>\n\n
The safety of the ICL lens depends on selecting its size. This determines the vault, i.e., the distance between the implant and the eye’s natural lens\u2014too small or too large is the most common cause of complications and repeat procedures described in the literature.<\/p>\n\n
In the Krakow diagnostic lab, we measure the anterior segment of the eye with a second-generation MS-39 tomograph with axial length measurement<\/strong>, assess corneal endothelial cells, and create a three-dimensional model of the eye. We select the lens size from this model, not from a table\u2014before the decision to proceed is made.<\/p>\n\n
Qualification for ICL lenses in Krakow\u2014who is suitable<\/h2>\n\n
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- Usually yes:<\/strong> people aged 21\u201360 (with stable defect from age 18), whose defect has not changed for at least a year, with a sufficiently deep anterior chamber and a normal endothelial cell count.<\/li>\n\n
- For individual assessment:<\/strong> history of glaucoma, previous eye procedures, shallow anterior chamber, or early changes in the natural lens.<\/li>\n\n
- Probably not:<\/strong> active eye inflammation, clearly reduced endothelial cell count, or a defect that is still changing. After about age 45, when presbyopia sets in, refractive lens exchange in Krakow<\/a> is often better.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Three visits at ul. Kluczborska\u2014from qualification to follow-up<\/h2>\n\n
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- Visit 1\u2014qualification (approx. 90 minutes, 400 PLN):<\/strong> tomography, biometry, endothelial assessment, and lens size selection. The lens is ordered individually to the eye’s parameters.<\/li>\n\n
- Visit 2\u2014procedure (10\u201320 minutes per eye):<\/strong> anesthesia with drops, incision of about 3 mm, no sutures. You return home the same day, with an accompanying person.<\/li>\n\n
- Visit 3\u2014follow-up the next day<\/strong>, and two more in the first month\u2014included in the package price.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Vision usually stabilizes within the first few days. Return to desk work typically occurs after about 3 days, to sports after 2 weeks.<\/p>\n\n
Six stages of ICL lens implantation<\/h3>\n\n
\n\n![\"Stage](\"https:\/\/swisslaser.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/icl-schritt-1-tropfen-768x768.jpg\")
1. Pupil dilation with drops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n![\"Stage](\"https:\/\/swisslaser.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/icl-schritt-2-injektor-768x768.jpg\")
2. Injector introduces the rolled lens through a micro-incision of approx. 3 mm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n![\"Stage](\"https:\/\/swisslaser.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/icl-schritt-3-linse-auf-iris-768x768.jpg\")
3. The lens unfolds in the eye, still in front of the iris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n\n![\"Stage](\"https:\/\/swisslaser.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/icl-schritt-4-hinter-iris-768x768.jpg\")
4. The surgeon slides the lens footplates behind the iris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n![\"Stage](\"https:\/\/swisslaser.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/icl-schritt-5-nach-implantation-768x768.jpg\")
5. After the procedure, the pupil constricts again\u2014the implant is not visible<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n![\"Stage](\"https:\/\/swisslaser.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/icl-schritt-6-querschnitt-768x768.jpg\")
6. In cross-section: ICL sits between the iris and the eye’s natural lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n Stage illustrations: STAAR Surgical.<\/p>\n\n
EVO ICL vs. earlier generations of phakic lenses<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Diagram:](\"https:\/\/swisslaser.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/icl-polozenie-pl.png\")
The EVO ICL lens sits behind the iris, in front of the eye’s natural lens \u2013 the cornea remains untouched.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n Older phakic lenses required iridotomy \u2013 an additional laser incision in the iris to ensure aqueous humor flow in the eye. This was a separate procedure before the actual implantation.<\/p>\n\n
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- Central AquaPort hole.<\/strong>The EVO lens has a hole in the central part through which aqueous humor flows naturally. Iridotomy is not needed \u2013 one procedure eliminated along with its associated risk.<\/li>\n\n
- Size selection based on 3D model.<\/strong>MS-39 tomography allows simulation of lens positioning before the procedure (vault prediction). Proper vault \u2013 the gap between the phakic lens and the eye’s natural lens \u2013 is the main safety factor over decades.<\/li>\n\n
- Endothelial assessment before qualification.<\/strong>We count corneal endothelial cells. This layer determines corneal transparency and its reserve does not regenerate \u2013 that is why it is a qualification criterion, not a formality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
- Size selection based on 3D model.<\/strong>MS-39 tomography allows simulation of lens positioning before the procedure (vault prediction). Proper vault \u2013 the gap between the phakic lens and the eye’s natural lens \u2013 is the main safety factor over decades.<\/li>\n\n
- Visit 2\u2014procedure (10\u201320 minutes per eye):<\/strong> anesthesia with drops, incision of about 3 mm, no sutures. You return home the same day, with an accompanying person.<\/li>\n\n
- For individual assessment:<\/strong> history of glaucoma, previous eye procedures, shallow anterior chamber, or early changes in the natural lens.<\/li>\n\n
- High defect:<\/strong> myopia up to \u221220 D and hyperopia up to +10 D\u2014in this range, laser would often have to remove too much tissue.<\/li>\n\n
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of phakic lenses?<\/strong>