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1.
"To Trevor and the Team (especially Annie and Miemmie). Thank you all so much for my new improved vision. I feel like Jaime Sommers…aka the bionic woman! It’s like a miracle."
- Robin
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2.
"Dear Dr Gray, Annie and Team. I would like to thank you both for the ICL procedure and aftercare provided after hours – both eyes done in August and September. It was really good to be able to speak to other clients who had already had the ICL op before deciding to go ahead with it myself. After wearing ‘jam-jar bottom’ glasses for the whole of my life, and having to put up with eye infections from contact lenses, it is absolutely amazing that I can now wake up and just see – I still can’t quite believe it myself! All the information you had for me before my op was informative and no question was seen as a ‘silly’ question. I know I am a very nervous person when it comes to my eyes and would personally like to thank Annie for her patience and understanding to realize I was a complete and utter ‘stress head’. I would certainly have the procedure done again and am more than happy to be contacted by clients to share my experience. What you do really does change people’s lives! Thank you so much."
- Tracy
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3.
"Dear Annie. Thank you, Dr Gray and the whole team that made my experience with the Eye Institute so positive. I am slowly getting used to seeing the world in a whole new light and have just got prescription lenses so I can read and see ‘close up’ which is wonderful. Annie thank you for all your help before, during and after my surgery. You do such a great job in such a great way – very, very much appreciated."
- Catherine
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4.
"To Dr Trevor Gray, Annie and Team. I just want to say a huge thank you for my greatly improved sight, and for the wonderful care and support from you all. Everything is so clear, I never thought it would be so good, I find I’m seeing things I hadn’t seen before; I can’t remember ever having such great vision. Thanks ever so much."
- Tina
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5.
"Dear Trevor, Annie and the team. Just a quick note to say thank you very much for making the whole ICL procedure and operation a very easy and worry free experience. I am still so chuffed how every day my eyesight is getting better and better and how joining the NZ Police is now one step closer thanks to you guys."
- Ben
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6.
"To Trevor, Annie, Sue, TC and all the team. Thank you so much. I did not think I would ever be without jam jar glasses and you have made my wishes come true. Words cannot express my gratitude to you all. You will have a very special place in my heart. Thank you."
- Anna
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7.
"Dear Trevor and Annie. Thank you for your encouragement and professionalism and most of all for giving me the gift of sight."
- David
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8.
"On behalf of myself and Diem many thanks for the new eyes, great service and friendly staff. It made the whole experience a lot easier. It has made a huge difference to my life and even just small things like waking up in the morning and being able to see clearly has made it so much better."
- Neal
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9.
"Dear Annie and your wonderful team. I am so happy to have such amazingly excellent eyesight. My family and friends are completely impressed as well. I hadn't cleared my cell phone messages for a few days so I didn't realise that I had missed your call. You are so lovely to 'phone and check in with me after I had left the surgery the other day. Thank you. Mark Eagle has made time to see me for a checkup this afternoon (he was booked through until 16 April). He is unlikely to be thoroughly impressed by the outcome of the surgery because he already knows that Dr Gray and the team achieve outstanding results, and that I would be very well looked after. I look forward to seeing you all again."
- Tina
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10.
"I hope all is well with you and the team up there in the land of success stories and life changes!"
- Kim
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11.
"I have been meaning to email you for AGES but keep getting side-tracked... tsk tsk. Loving my new eyes and telling everyone I meet that has glasses that they should get the surgery too!!! Really life-changing... cant thank you enough :)"
- Melanie

Free Phone 0800 39 35 27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Implantable Contact Lens FAQ's
Implantable Contact Lens (ICLs) are indicated for patients unsuitable for LASIK with extremes of myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and/or astigmatism.

Implantable Contact Lens (ICLs) are designed to correct visual problems much the same way as an external contact lens. Unlike external contact lens, Implantable Contact Lenses are placed inside the eye behind the iris (colored part of the eye) and in front of the eye's natural lens. Unlike LASIK, the ICL is a reversible procedure.

Dr Trevor Gray has performed more successful ICL operations than any other surgeon in New Zealand or Australia – 440 ICLs as of August 2009.

1. ICLs better than LASIK?
2. How do ICLs work?
3. Who should consider ICLs?
4. What problems have been encountered with ICLs?
5. Are there any physical limitations to the patient following the ICL procedure?
6. Is the ICL a permanent implant?
7. What material is the ICL made of?
8. What is involved in the ICL procedure?
9. Can both eyes be implanted with an ICL at once? If not, how long must I wait before surgery is performed on the second eye
10. Follow up
11. Does receiving an ICL mean I will always be completely free of spectacles?
ICLs Better Than LASIK?

Eye Institute offers ‘Implantable Contact Lenses’ (ICLs) for appropriately selected patients with near-sightedness or far-sightedness where LASIK is unsuitable. Since the introduction of this technology in 1993, more than 55,000 procedures have been done worldwide.  Following the proven safety and efficacy of this form of vision correction and Dr Trevor Gray has provided ICL surgery for Eye Institute patients since early 2004. He has performed well over 440 ICLprocedures and is the most experienced ICL surgeon in New Zealand and Australia.
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How do ICLs work?

The Implantable Contact Lens are a very thin, foldable lens, which is inserted into the eye through a tiny sutureless corneal incision during a 30 minute local anaesthetic procedure. Each ICL is specially designed and custom-made (in Switzerland) to fit the patient’s own unique anatomy. It lies behind the iris and in front of the lens, without touching the central lens. The ICL is reversible and can correct near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism.
 
Who should consider ICLs?

Implantable Contact Lens are best suited for patients with high nearsightedness or high farsightedness with problems wearing contact lenses. More specific guidelines of ICL eligibility could include:

• Nearsightedness more than –8.0 D and up to –20.0 D (especially if thin corneas would raise the risk of LASIK-induced problems)
• Farsightedness more than +4.0 D, and up to +18.0 D
• Corneas too thin to have safe LASIK
• Forme Fruste or clinical keratoconus that is stable
• Older than 21 years and a stable refraction for >2 years, not pregnant

Patients who are unsuitable have:

• Small eyes with less than 2.8mm anterior chamber depth
• Glaucoma
• Irregular astigmatism with poor glasses vision
 
What problems have been encountered with ICLs?

No procedure can be risk-free. Ultimately, the patient needs to make up their mind about the risk/benefit balance for the various options available to them to correct their high myopia or high hyperopia. Some patients need surgical correction of their severe focus error for safety reasons. Theoretically, the proximity of the ICL to the iris and lens raises the possibility of late onset lens opacities or pigment dispersion. Both these rare but potential problems (occurred in 0.4% patients in the FDA Study Group) are much more easily fixed than corneal complications following LASIK surgery. Current evidence supports ICLs as being a very effective and safe option for these patients.
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Are there any physical limitations to the patient following the ICL procedure?

There are no long term physical limitations after Implantable Contact Lens procedure. That is, you should be able to have a complete return to normal activity very soon after ICL implantation.
 
Is the ICL a permanent implant?

The Implantable Contact Lens is designed to be placed in your eye and remain there permanently.
 
What material is the ICL made of?

The ICL is made of ‘Collamer’ which is a 100% pure collagen copolymer material that is compatible with your body’s natural chemistry (often called “biocompatibility”).  Because of this, it is “quiet in the eye,” meaning you won’t even know it’s there! There is no risk of rejection or discolouration of the ICL.
 
What is involved in the ICL procedure?

The actual ICL procedure takes about 15 minutes. A topical anaesthetic gel is used and a mild sedative is given.
 
Can both eyes be implanted with an ICL at once? If not, how long must I wait before surgery is performed on the second eye

For safety, one eye is operated on at a time. The other can be done a few days later.  Even more convenient arrangements are possible for out-of-town patients.
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Follow up

A postoperative check is important about 1-2 hours after your ICL procedure. Further postoperative checks are usually at one day, one week, one month, three months and six months. Following this it is important to have ongoing routine eye checks every year with your optometrist. ‘Out of town’ patients would need to have their one day check at Eye Institute but subsequent checks can be done with their own optometrist.  All visits up to 6 weeks are covered by the initial fee.
Does receiving an ICL mean I will always be completely free of spectacles?

Implantable Contact Lenses are designed to provide as close to normal vision for the patient’s age as possible. All people with normal distance vision, will benefit from wearing reading glasses for near work at some stage in their 40s. ICL patients experience this aging change (called presbyopia) just the same as normal people.

For further information regarding ICLs or more details regarding the above scientific paper in Cornea, please contact Dr Trevor Gray or his Technician (Annie) at Eye Institute 0800 393 527.
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