Dr Moïse Tourabaly · Refractive surgery

Phakic ICL implant: where does it sit in the eye?

Zoomed cross-section of the front of the eye showing the position of the ICL implant. Side cross-section, front of the eye on the left: cornea, anterior chamber, iris with the pupil in the centre, natural crystalline lens preserved and held by fine zonular fibres. With the ICL, a thin implant sits in the posterior chamber, behind the iris and in front of the preserved crystalline lens, in the sulcus. Light enters through the cornea, passes through the pupil and then the implant. light Cornea Iris (pupil) Crystalline lens kept anterior chamber ICL implant posterior chamber, sulcus

Without an implant, light passes through the cornea, the pupil and the natural crystalline lens to the back of the eye. Hover over a structure to highlight it.

With ICL: a thin implant is placed behind the iris and in front of the preserved crystalline lens, in the sulcus. It corrects vision without removing the crystalline lens and without touching the cornea.

ICL implant Path of the light

Illustrative diagram. The implant is positioned by the surgeon; it can be removed. Outcomes vary from patient to patient.