New Technologies to Assess Lens-Mediated Effects of the Cornea

Evaluation of the toric implantable collamer lens for simultaneous treatment of myopia and astigmatism

Myopic astigmatism is a prevalent condition that can be treated with spectacles, contact lenses, or laser refractive surgery. However, these treatment options have functional limitations at higher levels of refractive error. The toric implantable collamer lens is designed to treat a broad range of refractive error, generally up to -18 diopters with +1 to +6 diopters of astigmatism. Approval for a more limited treatment range of up to 15 diopters of myopia with +1 to +4 diopters of astigmatism is being sought in the US, where this device has not yet received marketing approval. Surgical correction of high-myopic astigmatism can be life-altering and allow people to participate in activities that were not previously feasible because of visual limitations. The toric implantable collamer lens is implanted behind the iris and in front of the natural crystalline lens. With earlier lens designs, it was necessary to create an iridectomy or iridotomy to prevent pupillary block. The newest toric implantable collamer lens model has a small central hole that is not visually noticeable. This eliminates the need to create a hole in the iris, thereby enhancing the safety of the procedure.