Are you searching for a permanent way to correct your vision that doesn’t involve replacing the natural lenses in your eyes or reshaping your cornea? Many people find themselves torn between EVO ICL vs LASIK. Thankfully Thomas Eye Group in Atlanta offers the latest in vision correction solutions, including ICL eye surgery and LASIK. As you probably know, LASIK involves reshaping the cornea so that the light received by the eye is properly reflected on the macula and retina.
By contrast, ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) surgery does not reshape the cornea or remove any part of the eye. Instead, it’s a procedure that involves inserting a biocompatible lens between your iris (colored part of your eye), and your natural lens. It was approved by the FDA in 2022 to correct nearsightedness and astigmatisms. Since then, the EVO ICL has been used to correct the vision of more than 1.5 million people across the globe, and when patients were surveyed, 99.4 percent of the surveyed patients would elect to have the surgery again if they needed it.
Collamer IOLs are biocompatible lenses that are manufactured from a co-polymer and collagen. This helps ensure that the lens is flexible enough to work with the eye’s natural muscles and movements and comfortable while offering UV protection. These artificial lenses are surgically inserted into the eyes between the iris and the natural lens in order to help focus light on the back of the eye and improve vision. Individuals often choose the EVO ICL because it doesn’t involve removing tissue from the cornea.
Good candidates for the EVO ICL are nearsighted or have an astigmatism. They may also have thin corneas or dry eye disease that would disqualify them from other types of vision correction surgery. Both of those conditions can indicate that LASIK isn’t the best choice for permanent vision correction. The individual should also be between the ages of 21 and 45 and be nearsighted with a prescription between -3D to -20D with an astigmatism that is 2.5D or less.
Additionally, the EVO ICL and Visian Toric surgeries are not recommended for people who are taking steroids or medications to suppress their immune systems.
Astigmatisms can be corrected with the Visian Toric ICL from Staar Surgical. These lenses are designed to treat astigmatisms from 1D to 4D. One of our most memorable cases at Thomas Eye Group was Natalie Thomas. In 2019, Natalie Thomas was scheduled to get married to the love of her life, but she wanted to be able to look at her new husband without having to wear glasses.
In Natalie’s case, she’d worn glasses since she was about one year old and undergone numerous eye muscle surgeries in order to help her eyes move together. She also wasn’t a good candidate for LASIK. With all of that in mind, she talked to our eye surgeon, Dr. Carlisle in Lilburn, GA about Visian Toric ICL. As it turned out, she was a good candidate and underwent the surgery. Because of the surgery, she was able to walk down the aisle and view her new husband without additional vision correction.
Individuals choose ICL surgery for a variety of reasons. They’re tired of fighting with their glasses all day, or their contact lenses have gotten extremely uncomfortable. They may have also tried to get other types of vision correction surgery, like LASIK or PRK, and been told they’re not good candidates.
We offer the EVO ICL and the Visian Toric ICL. Both of these procedures are considered minimally invasive.
The EVO ICL lenses are designed for people who are between the ages of 21 and 45, are nearsighted with a small amount of astigmatism and who have dry eye and/or thin corneas. We recommend that individuals have a nearsighted prescription between -3.0 D and -20.0 D, and and astigmatism correction between 1 D and 4 D. In addition to providing permanent vision correction, EVO ICLs also provide UV protection.
Visian Toric ICLs are designed to help correct nearsightedness with moderate astigmatisms with one procedure. This lens works for people who need astigmatism correction between 1D and 4D, and it can be used for individuals who need -3D and -20D correction for nearsightedness.
You can expect your EVO and Visian Toric ICL surgery to take between 20 and 30 minutes per eye. Patients are given a topical anesthetic in the form of numbing eye drops, which helps eliminate any pain. Prior to the implantation surgery, the eye surgeon may create a few small holes in the cornea to help release any fluid that might build up during and immediately after the surgery.
Most patients can resume some of their normal activities 24 hours after the surgery. A post-op list of instructions is given to each patient along with antibiotic eye drops.
If you’re considering permanent vision correction in order to reduce your reliance on eyeglasses and contact lenses, you may be researching several different procedures, like ICL, LASIK, SMILE and PRK.
The exact ICL surgery cost depends on a lot of factors, including the individual’s prescription and eye care needs. The good news is that financing is available, and we accept a broad range of insurance policies. This can help make your ICL operation affordable. If you’d like to learn more about the EVO ICL cost, we recommend scheduling a consultation with our ICL surgeon to get your questions answered and to learn more about the costs of the procedure.
Evo and Visian ICL implants are designed to last for the lifetime of the wearer. However, they can be removed at a later date if the patient no longer wants the lenses.
Directly after the ICL surgery, patients typically report glare or halos around lights, slight discomfort and fluctuating vision. These symptoms usually resolve as the eye heals and the brain adjusts to the new visual input.
If you decide that you don’t like the ICL implants at a later date, they can be removed. However, it’s important to note that your vision may be different than when you had the implants inserted, and you’ll likely need to resume wearing glasses or contact lenses in order to see clearly.
If your vision changes and you can no longer see clearly with your ICL lenses, it may be possible to replace your lenses with an updated prescription. However, it’s a good idea to get a consultation and eye exam with one of our ophthalmologists if you notice any vision changes.
Thomas Eye Group has been helping children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens see clearly since 1974, and many of our patients, like Natalie, have become lifetime patients. We’re also dedicated to providing our patients advanced eye care services, like Evo and Visian ICL, LASIK, cataract surgery and treatments for various eye diseases, like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and dry eye disease. If you’re looking for compassionate eye care with experienced optometrists, ophthalmologists and eye surgeons, we have them. We have pediatric and adult eye doctors with specialties that include glaucoma, cataracts, diseases of the retina and oculoplastics.
If you’re ready to ditch the glasses and contacts for permanent vision correction, schedule an appointment below or call us at 678-892-2020.
Content last reviewed on 5/6/2025 by Dr. Sandy Carman
