What Causes Cataracts With ICL?

Cataracts have many different causes. Natural aging of the lens is by far the most common but cataracts can also be caused by many other things such as medications, health conditions or trauma. While ICL vision correction surgery works great for the vast majority of people, there will come patients who eventually go on to develop small cataracts following the procedure.

The ICL is placed in the space between the iris and the lens. This partition allows the ICL to correct vision without really interacting with much else within the eye. (here is a handy eye diagram to see where this space is).

Just like everything in the body, the lens requires nutrients and oxygen. The lens gets these nutrients and oxygen from the water-like aqueous humor which bathes the lens to keep it healthy. With the proper ICL distance vaulting over the lens, the lens can continue to receive all these vital nutrients. However, if the ICL gets too close to the lens, it impairs the flow of these nutrients and oxygen into the lens. The lens as a result starts to get “sick” and can get cloudy. This cloudiness leads to a cataract.

Fortunately, few people will actually go on to get cataracts. And these people more than likely already started out with some aging of the lens. But also fortunately, cataracts are a very treatable condition; cataract surgery works very well and still allows for awesome vision afterwards!

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