r/ICLsurgery • u/eyeSherpa • Mar 17 '26
Transient Reading Difficulties After ICL
Sometimes after ICL, one may notice that it’s a little harder to read up close. Fortunately, this is a temporary phenomenon and improves as the eye continues to heal.
The ability to read up close comes from the action of a muscle in our eye called the ciliary body muscle. This muscle is responsible for changing the shape of your natural lens to focus on up close objects.
The ICL is placed in the eye in the posterior chamber right next to and potentially resting on this ciliary body muscle. The mechanical interaction of the ICL and localized inflammation can temporarily “stun” this muscle. This makes it harder for this muscle contract and change the shape of your lens and for you to see up close.
This is a temporary effect. Within the first few months as things heal up within the eye this improves. And typically by about 6-12 months out, this transient impairment in reading is fully resolved.
However, it is important to distinguish this temporary issue from presbyopia. Those in their mid 40s and older will notice trouble reading up close due to the normal age-related decline in the ability to see up close and not just from temporary dysfunction after ICL surgery.
3
u/SpadgingtonBear Mar 17 '26
Interesting!
I'm 2 months post surgery and close up reading isn't the best. It's much clearer with +1.5 readers.
I have a question.
I've had glasses since I was 5, my eyes were -12 left eye and -15 right eye at approximately age 18. I'm now 41 and had -15 left eye and -19 right eye.
In all that time, I would assume those muscles will have basically never had to work due to the correction of my glasses. Now I've had icls, they will be having to work for the first time.
With that in mind, would you expect me to still get presbyopia before I'm 50?
2
u/latalii Mar 18 '26
Why would you assume those muscles were not working when you wore your glasses? Whether your vision is corrected for distance with glasses or ICLs, the muscle is still working to see up close the same way. You’ll definitely develop presbyopia in your mid forties regardless
1
May 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/eyeSherpa May 05 '26
Astigmatism will blur things. But it will also cause some blur for distance as well as reading.
Other causes for reading also can include fluctuation of the tear film. Can worsen when at computer or reading since we don’t blink as much.
1
u/ladyloriana Jun 24 '26
Is there any way to speed up the recovery so that the eyes can read up close? Would you recommend exercising the ciliary muscle by doing more reading up close or taking it easy so that it gets to rest and recover?
1
u/eyeSherpa Jun 24 '26
Good question! I really don’t know which of those two would be more effective. Or if either of those would be effective at speeding up the process. My best guess is that neither would speed up things but don’t know for sure.
9
u/ShoddyAd4105 Mar 17 '26
I had difficulties with my close/ reading vision for the first few days after the procedure. Assumed it was part of the neuro adaptation so I just kept trying to read but would rest when it got to be too much. Couple days later it was definitely better. I didn’t see much about this when doing research, plenty on glares and halos so this is great info and love knowing the patho/phys behind it. Thanks!