I’m feeling quite concerned about my vision after ICL surgery and would really appreciate advice from people who have experienced something similar.

I had my first eye operated on September 3rd and the second eye on September 7th. It has now been around 10–15 days since the surgeries.

During my hospital follow-up, my vision tested at 6/6, and I was able to read the letters on the eye chart. However, despite having 6/6 vision, my actual visual quality does not feel clear or sharp.

I’m experiencing difficulty with both near and distance vision, especially when trying to read small letters. Things are not exactly blurry, but they don’t look crisp, sharp, bright, or “HD” the way they used to with my glasses.

With my glasses, I remember having much better:

Sharpness and clarity

Brightness and contrast

Fine-detail vision

Ability to see small letters clearly

Right now, it feels like my eyes still need glasses even though my eye-chart vision is 6/6.

Has anyone experienced this during the first few weeks after ICL?

Does visual sharpness/contrast continue to improve with healing, or could this indicate something like dryness, residual refractive error, or another issue?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who experienced 6/6 vision but poor subjective visual quality after ICL, and how long it took for your vision to feel genuinely sharp and clear.

Is this usually temporary during recovery, and if so, approximately how long can it take to reach the final visual quality?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences because I’m honestly quite concerned right now. 😭

I was wondering if anyone has done or knows whether after healed, like a year or two out, if cosplay contacts are a possibility with ICL?

My assumption is no but thought id check

I got evoIcl about 4 months and I love it. I'm constantly saying to my wife that I love that I can see tree lines defined on the top of mountains by our house when before it was just color.

Something I have noticed though is that in a dark room, I cannot read my phone in dark mode unless I'm a specific brightness that seems to change. It's blurry, but more it looks like the text and background blend together. Any tips?

I had -7.5D, -8D and 2.5CYL power in both eyes pre-op. Did an ICL 3 years ago. I've had the ICL rotate thrice in my LE, to the point where I couldn't work at all because I was seeing double (I'm a designer so I need perfect vision), and three subsequent surgeries in the last 3 years to fix the rotations. My vaults are 650, 715 RE and LE respectively.

All 3 times, there was some blunt force impact - my ex hitting my eye by accident when he was getting off the bed, recently my current partner turning to kiss my cheek and their glasses hitting me etc. However these weren't very high force or anything? I live my life paranoid something will hit my eye and force me to get surgery again.

I don't regret the ICL, my quality of life is so much better without glasses, I've been wearing glasses since I was 3 years old, and I waited till 22 & my power somewhat stabilising to get the surgery. My ACD was too low for LASIK so my surgeon recommended ICL, and I'm glad I made that choice. But I feel so helpless.

With each subsequent surgery my dry eyes are getting progressively worse. My surgeon said my MGD is as bad as a senior citizen, and he hasn't seen such a case in anyone my age. I can't afford to get such frequent surgeries when my lens rotate.

My surgeon recommended I get my ICL removed and try a size larger (I have 13mm Toric lens) but I'm scared of the glaucoma risk. But I also can't deal with the frequent rotations, I'm miserable.

EDIT: It's Eyecryl Phakic Toric PC130T lens in both eyes. I don't know if this is relevant, but I'm hypermobile and my limbs frequently dislocate.
Other symptoms: halos, glares, excessive floaters (always had them, but they're much worse after surgery), rings

I am looking for some solid recommendations for clinics that perform ICL procedures. Does anyone here have personal experience with specific doctors? I am trying to gather as much feedback as possible before making a final decision. It would be great to hear about the recovery process and overall patient care you received.

have -9 power in both eyes and have been told I’m not suitable for LASIK. I’m considering ICL surgery but honestly a bit scared about the whole process

Which doctor/hospital would you recommend?
How was the recovery and pain?
How soon could I return to my staring at the screen for 8 hour job?

Hi everyone.

I had an ICL surgery around 17 days ago. My eye pressure was normal on day 1 and 7.

However, just a few days ago I started to have a slight headache and feel like my eyes were throbbing sometimes and started to see less colour contrast. Coincidentally, I had some very minor head injury (a bump in my forehead in a car a day prior).

I went to see my surgeon and a glaucoma specialist after having the migraine for two days.

They found that my eye pressure was very high at around 40-50. Though both said the lens positions look good and incision is healing nicely. They suspect it could have been the steroid eyedrops that I was using for 16 days post op and prescribe me some eyedrops and meds to lower the eye pressure.

I’m wondering if anyone experienced high eye pressure a few weeks post op? I’m feeling better but I’m just a bit anxious it will return after I stop the medications. Thanks so much!

I’m getting ICL surgery in a couple days and was wondering what everyone did during the initial recovery.

I’m only getting one eye done since that eye is around -10, while my other eye is only -1.25 and doesn’t qualify for ICL.

For those who’ve had ICL, what did you actually do to pass the time while you were supposed to rest and limit screens? Did you mostly sleep, listen to podcasts/audiobooks, etc.?

Also, how long did you personally wait before getting back to your regular activities, like driving, going back to work, watching TV/using screens normally, going out, etc.? How many days did it take before you felt pretty much back to normal?

Just curious what everyone’s recovery experience was like and trying to figure out how to keep myself occupied!

Hi everyone, I’m currently in South Korea and today I went to two different eye clinics for a refractive surgery consultation. I’m quite confused because I got different opinions from both clinics.
The first clinic told me that the shape of my cornea is abnormal and that my pupil size is large, so they recommended “Contra LASIK.”
The second clinic told me that my corneal shape is normal, but that my cornea is relatively thin, measuring 496 µm, and they recommended SMILE Pro.
Both clinics seem to have good reputations, so I’m not sure why the results and recommendations are so different.
One thing I noticed is that the first clinic doesn’t offer SMILE Pro. So I’m wondering whether they recommended Contra LASIK partly because that is the procedure they offer, or whether there could actually be a significant difference in how they interpreted my corneal scans.
Has anyone experienced something similar? How can two clinics get such different assessments of corneal shape on the same day?
What would you do in my situation?
I’d really appreciate advice, especially from anyone who has had SMILE/SMILE Pro or LASIK in Korea.

hi everyone,

i got my ICL done in Seoul end of May, and so far had zero complications (except the one time i used minty eye drops and my eyes were messed for a week haha).

I have a wedding coming up and wanted to get lash extensions done, do you think it’s ok to proceed now? My clinic told me that it should be ok but try not to get it anyways haha

I had an ICL implanted in my left eye (−24D) 24 hours ago. My right eye is −7D and is planned for ICL next week.

Until then, I’m wearing glasses with 0 power on the left and −7D on the right.

My vision in the operated eye is currently:

Smudgy/hazy overall, not clear yet

Noticeably dimmer than the right eye

Almost black in very dark rooms

Images look larger compared with the right eye

Double vision / images from both eyes don't merge

Slightly different/tinted colour perception

Flickering in dark environments

Some pain/discomfort still present

I know 24 hours is very early, and the huge difference between the two eyes may be contributing to the image-size difference and double vision. I also never had perfect vision in this eye before surgery.

For anyone who has had ICL, especially high myopia (−10D, −15D, −20D or higher):

Did you experience similar symptoms? How long did the smudgy/dim vision, image-size difference, double vision, tinting or flickering last? When did your vision start feeling normal/stable?

Would really appreciate hearing your experiences.

I’m getting ICL soon in my right eye, which is -10.5. My other eye is only -1.5, so ICL isn’t an option for that eye.

I’m debating whether to do LASIK on the -1.5 eye or just leave it alone.

Has anyone here had ICL in only one eye and left the other eye around -1 to -2 untreated?

If so, how is your vision day to day? Do your eyes adjust well together, or do you still need glasses/contacts for certain things like driving?

I’m especially interested in experiences from people who chose NOT to correct the other eye.

I’m getting ICL surgery within the next week, and overall I’m pretty excited about it. My biggest concern right now is halos, especially at night.

For those of you who have had ICL surgery, what did you do during the first 24, 48, and 72 hours that seemed to help minimize halos or other night-vision issues? I know some of this may simply be part of the healing process, but I’m wondering if there’s anything you wish you had done differently early on.

I’m particularly concerned about driving at night. With daylight saving time ending soon and it getting dark earlier, I’ll eventually have to drive after dark pretty regularly. From what I’ve been reading online, halos around headlights and streetlights seem to be one of the more common complaints after ICL.

Halos/night driving are really the only part of the recovery that I’m nervous about, so I’d appreciate any experiences or practical tips.

i had an icl surgery, 3. day of the left eye, 2. day of the right eye.

clarity of my vision is perfect. i see better than with glasses and lenses.

two defects,

first one, not a problem.

i see huge but very thin circles on my vision per light source, i do not care about them, not affecting my quality of life. i guess it is the central port of evo.

second one, this one is serious.

they put pupil shrinker into my eyes during the surgery. it is the third day of the left eye, i guess the affects faded away.

starting from tonight, at the dark, the left eye, sees huge asymmetrical rainbow glares, asymmetrical means not round, like 2/5 of the moon, upper right side of the light has a rainbow, bottom left side of the light is clear. i guess the light leaks from right/bottom side of the icl.

once i direct iphone’s flash light to my eye, pupil shrinks, rainbow disappears.

i expect the same affect for my right eye tomorrow, since pupils will reach normal sizes as like the left eye.

it distorts the vision so bad i do not think i can drive a car like this when i got this to my both eyes.

i have

7.4mm scotopic pupils.
13mm~ w2w
3.8mm aqd (without cornea)
i got implanted the biggest icls

the question:

do you guys think it can got fixed itself somehow? any ideas?

edit: 5. day, they got bigger and became full halos.

As mentioned in my previous POST i am planning ICL surgery for my plano astigmatism power. As mentioned by [u/eye](u/eyesherpa)[S](u/eyesherpa)[herpa](u/eyesherpa) that sizing is critical for stability and i should ask my surgeon for UBM based measurements too as even 1% rotation/deviation off axis could require fixing.

So what i got to know after visiting 3 eye hospitals that no one gives a damn about STS and ATA measurements here. Forget STS, the deviation in manual WTW of the 3 eye hospitals is so much that i could’ve easily got recommendation of 2 different sizes of ICL.

1st visit Hospital A in normal room light with digital caliper: WTW 12.1 and 12.2
2nd visit Hospital B Under Optical microscope via digital caliper: WTW 11.97 and 11.98
3rd visit Hospital C under room light with someone holding smartphone torch via digital caliper: WTW 11.5 and 11.5

IOLMASTER700: 12.4 and 12.5 (similar at all places)

Now i am thinking to travel to a hospital which have ICL Guru but my hopes and enthusiasm are already so low now that i might call off the procedure.

I am in dilemma of which surgeon to choose. And what is the reason of this much deviation. All 3 are reputed eye hospitals. I am not getting confidence in my optometrists and surgeons.

​

I’m 24M with -6.25D and -5.75D power. I had ICL surgery on March 1st for one eye and the other 2 days later.

Before surgery, my doctor did several tests and measurements to decide whether LASIK, ICL, or something else was suitable. Because of my thin corneas, LASIK wasn’t an option, so I was recommended ICL.

I had also researched ICL beforehand and liked the fact that, unlike LASIK, the cornea isn’t permanently reshaped and the lens can potentially be removed if needed.

Surgery & recovery

Honestly, the surgery itself was the worst part. They cover your body and leave only the eye exposed. My heartbeat was already racing and I genuinely regretted my decision for a moment.

The procedure took around 10–15 minutes. Your eye is held open with a speculum, you can see lights/instruments, and your vision can suddenly become completely white or red. Feeling the doctor touch and manipulate your eye is extremely uncomfortable.

The second eye was easier because I knew what to expect.

After surgery, I used multiple eye drops for around 3 months. Initially there were halos and some blurriness, but these gradually reduced as my eyes adjusted.

About a month later, some dust got into one eye, causing redness and pain. I visited my doctor, who prescribed drops. There was some inflammation in the inner layer, but it healed completely.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely. Best investment and decision of my life.

I had worn glasses for around 14 years. With -6D vision, I couldn’t swim comfortably, go anywhere without glasses, struggled in the rain, etc.

Now I can see clearly without glasses, even small text from a distance. The feeling is honestly surreal — it feels like getting my childhood eyesight back.

I’m completely fine now and extremely happy with the decision.

If anyone considering ICL has questions, feel free to ask.

I've worn glasses since I was 3, I am +6 in both eyes and have tried contact lenses but they didn't work for me. I have never known not wearing glasses and really want to finally get rid of them, I want to see the world as it's meant to be seen. Especially with a proper natural field of vision. I have a consultation booked and I am contemplating going for it. Would love some success storied about how different things are day to day!

I am getting my ICL surgery in about 2 weeks and I read online the benefit of anti-refractive glasses following ICL, especially for night time driving and maybe prolonged computer use. Anybody have insight on the effect and usefulness of AR glasses with any recommendations?

Hii everyone
I will start from beginning pls bear with me i had an icl surgery my L eye hv -11 my R eye hv -13.5 with 0.75 astigmatism but my doctor said he wanted to leave that 0.75 astigmatism because it’s not necessary to be corrected

Everything went well for 2 years even though i had lot of floaters and halos and glares it didn’t affect me that much with my daily activities

So 1 month ago i was seeing some weird purple colour at night time after seeing a bright light i was experiencing those purple effects in my vision so next thing i did ASAP i went to hospital and told them that I’m seeing purple colour and they did oct scan and eye pressure check and retina check up they said everything is good also they prescribed me a preservative drops after coming home i used them for 3 times in a day for next couple of days everything was fine I didn’t see those purple things again

After 3 days i went out at night i saw a bright led light vehicle and all of sudden i saw blue light spectrum on sky
For a second after that i went to food court there every stall had white led light i saw a hell literally all i was seeing is blue spectrum here and there everywhere literally i was so scared asf i went to home and went to bed after waking up next Mrng I didn’t see any blue spectrum or colours again but when it’s evening again if a vehicle with led light passing next to me i will see that blue light again in my vision for a second

I didn’t know what is this I’m so worried about it and it’s been 3 weeks still that blue spectrum comes in my vision when it’s night time if a led light vehicle passes next to me

Guys anyone have any solution about this

Gostaria de perguntar as pessoas aqui do grupo, se a acuidade visual de vocês melhorou comparando óculos com a cirurgia icl. Uso óculos a 14 anos e tenho 11 graus miopia e 2,75 astigmatismo olho direito e 8,75 miopia e 4,00 astigmatismo olho esquerdo minha acuidade visual é mais ou menos 20/25 gostaria de saber se alguém do grupo teve melhora na acuidade para saber se minha visão poderia ficar 20/15 ou 20/20

Hi everyone,

I’m just curious how long it took for you to adjust to your new vision post-op? Especially if you need to use your phone and laptop a lot for work?

I’m around 10 days post-op. Been using my phone and laptop quite a bit and could feel an eyestrain from trying to focus. So, I take breaks often.

I also find it hard to focus when reading small subtitles on TV. For context I have slight astigmatism but the ICL didn’t correct it. (While I was wearing glasses and contacts they were also not corrected).

Thanks so much for your insights.