Emily Thomas is a Visianary!

It was a very emotional day last Thursday for Emily Thomas, OD of Springfield, MO. Why?

Emily, who has been extremely nearsighted and dependent on glasses or contact lenses since she was a young child, decided to have the Visian ICL - Implantable Contact Lens - procedure. Her reaction to being able to see the clock and her Mom's face immediately after the procedure sent us all looking for tissues!

Having done her 4th year Optometry externship with MEC back in 2007, Emily is still considered part of the Mulqueeny Eye Centers extended family. She decided to return to her old stomping grounds in St. Louis last week for her procedure. We're really glad she did!

The hardest part for Emily was waiting for the procedure to begin! Once things got rolling at the surgery center though, it was all over in a matter of 30-40 minutes. An emotional Emily read the clock without corrective lenses for the first time that she can remember, while tears and hugs were shared by staff and family members.

Emily is now 20/15 - one line better than 20/20- without her glasses or contact lenses!

"My vision is now 20/15 in each eye and I am over-the-moon happy with my results! I can't ever remember seeing this clearly in my life...I'm beyond happy. It's blowing my mind!"

Congratulations Emily! We're so happy for you!

The procedure was performed by Lawrence A. Gans, MD, while the pre- and post-operative care is being provided by Sean P. Mulqueeny, OD at Mulqueeny Eye Centers.

What exactly is the ICL?

We refer to the ICL as the Implantable Contact Lens, when in reality, it stands for Implantable Collamer Lens. Collamer is an advanced lens material composed of collagen, so it is 100% compatible with the body's own chemistry, much like the lens implants used in cataract surgery.

Over 300,000 of these lenses have been implanted worldwide and the number is growing. The ICL is not only a great alternative for those who are not good candidates for LASIK or other vision correction procedures, it is also becoming the procedure of choice for those who are considered excellent candidates for LASIK as well.

What are the advantages of the ICL Procedure?

The Visian ICL™ offers the widest range of treatment for nearsightedness, -3.00 to -20.00
Great option for patients who are not candidates for LASIK or other refractive surgery procedures
May be combined with other procedures like LASIK to accommodate prescriptions with astigmatism or higher degrees of nearsightedness
The Visian ICL™ can be removed with a simple surgical procedure, unlike LASIK and PRK, which change the structure of the cornea
Requires no maintenance
Extremely safe procedure with consistent and excellent results proven in several clinical trials

Who is a candidate?

Patients who are moderately nearsighted (-3.00 prescription) or greater are generally great candidates for the Visian ICL.

The procedure is not available for those who are farsighted and the lens implants are not available in a toric (astigmatism) design.

Patients who desire the ICL procedure may also have LASIK or another procedure in addition to the ICL to correct astigmatism or greater degrees of nearsightedness.

For more information, see our Visian ICL FAQ's or call our office at 314-542-3600 to find out if you are a good candidate!