LASIK told you no? ICL says yes. For prescriptions up to −20 D, thin corneas, and dry eye.
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Walk in with glasses. Fly home without them. Same Zeiss and Alcon laser platforms as leading UK clinics — one International Patient Centre team from your first enquiry to post-op check.
Implantable lens facts first — travel logistics come after biometry, vault measurement, and custom lens sizing are confirmed.
Results at our eye centre
60-second eligibility check · clinical team reviews prescription, age, and why laser may not suit.
Ultrasound biomicroscopy, anterior chamber depth, pupil size — EVO ICL variant and power selected here.
EVO ICL inserted behind the iris through a 2.8–3.2mm incision · 20–30 minutes per eye · both eyes often on consecutive days.
Post-op drops · 24-hour assessment including vault and intraocular pressure before travel clearance.
Reviews at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months with your International patient specialist.
Typically 48–72h after final eye · 4–5 nights in Istanbul when both eyes are treated.
Clinical facts sit in the summary above. Use these sections for suitability criteria, flap vs flapless choices, and the step-by-step procedure guide — confirmed only after Pentacam mapping.
Age, corneal thickness, dry eye, and when SMILE or ICL may suit better than LASIK.
Read criteria → AlternativesLASIK or No-Touch surface laser — how your surgeon chooses after topography.
Compare paths → ProcedureStep-by-step from anaesthetic drops to flap creation, laser ablation, and same-day recovery.
Clinical guide →Not sure yet? Start with the 60-second check — our clinical team reviews your answers before any recommendation.
Both are offered at our Istanbul eye centre. The right choice depends on corneal thickness, lifestyle, and occupation — not marketing. Your surgeon decides after mapping, not before.
Flap-based · fastest recovery
Trans-PRK · zero instrument contact
No-Touch Laser is a Trans-PRK technique. SMILE is another flapless option for suitable myopia — your patient care team will explain all three after your free check.
Find out which procedure fits you →Our Istanbul partner clinics use the same EVO ICL platform and biometry systems deployed at leading private eye hospitals across the UK and Europe. The clinical technology is equivalent; what differs is how your trip, aftercare, and patient care support are packaged.
Biocompatible collagen-copolymer · UV-filtering
The EVO ICL by STAAR Surgical is implanted at leading private eye hospitals across the UK and Europe. The Collamer material is biocompatible with the eye's natural tissues, filters UV light, and folds through a 2.8–3.2mm incision.
The central aquaport maintains natural aqueous humour circulation — eliminating pre-operative YAG laser iridotomy in most patients and reducing IOP risk compared with earlier designs.
London · Manchester · UK & Ireland private hospitals
Precise anterior chamber measurement
Critical for ICL safety. UBM measures anterior chamber depth, sulcus-to-sulcus distance, and crystalline lens position — determining the exact ICL size and vault for your eye before the lens is ordered.
Standard at all iSee Turkey partner clinics
Pre-op screening · long-term monitoring
Measures the health of the corneal endothelium — the inner cell layer that maintains corneal clarity. Patients with borderline endothelial counts are identified before surgery and counselled appropriately.
Essential safety screening for ICL candidates
Made to order · 5–10 working days
Each EVO ICL is manufactured to your specific prescription, axial length, and anterior chamber diameter. Your International Patient Centre team manages the ordering timeline — factoring lens manufacture into your travel schedule.
Included in all iSee Turkey ICL packages
Each EVO ICL is manufactured to order for your specific prescription and eye measurements. Lens ordering takes 5–10 working days after biometry. Your International Patient Centre team manages this timeline — we confirm your lens variant and sizing before you commit to travel dates.
Everything you need to know before booking ICL lens implant surgery in Istanbul — from how the procedure works to your travel itinerary, eligibility criteria, and expected outcomes.
ICL stands for Implantable Collamer Lens — a micro-thin corrective lens made from Collamer, a biocompatible collagen-copolymer developed by STAAR Surgical. Unlike LASIK, which reshapes the cornea by permanently removing tissue, ICL surgery places a tiny flexible lens inside the eye — between the iris and the natural crystalline lens. No corneal tissue is cut or removed. The natural lens is left completely intact.
The ICL acts like a permanently implanted contact lens that you never take out, never feel, and never need to maintain. Because the ICL sits inside the eye at exactly the right optical distance from the retina, many patients report vision that is sharper and more natural than anything they experienced with glasses or contact lenses. The current-generation EVO ICL has been implanted since 2004 with more than 2 million lenses placed worldwide — CE-marked in Europe and FDA-approved in the United States.
Antibiotic and dilating drops are applied over approximately 30 minutes. For EVO ICL, no pre-operative YAG laser iridotomy is required in most cases — the aquaport design handles aqueous flow.
Two tiny self-sealing incisions (2.8–3.2mm) are made at the corneal periphery. No stitches are needed — the incisions seal under the eye's internal pressure.
A clear gel maintains the eye's shape and protects the natural lens and corneal endothelium during lens insertion. Completely removed at the end of the procedure.
The custom ICL — folded inside a sterile injector — is guided into the posterior chamber behind the iris. The lens unfolds in under two seconds.
Your surgeon positions the ICL footplates beneath the iris. For toric ICL, the lens is rotated to align precisely with the marked astigmatic axis.
The viscoelastic gel is irrigated and aspirated. Incisions are confirmed self-sealing. Antibiotic drops are instilled and an eye shield placed.
You rest at the clinic for 30–45 minutes. Your surgeon confirms ICL position and intraocular pressure before you return to your hotel. Most patients notice significantly improved vision the same evening.
Most patients having ICL in both eyes spend 4–5 nights in Istanbul. The timeline below assumes both eyes are done on consecutive days — the most common approach.
Private transfer from Istanbul Airport — your patient care specialist meets you at arrivals. Check into your partner hotel. Rest and prepare for pre-operative assessment the next day.
Morning: Biometry, corneal topography, ultrasound biomicroscopy, endothelial cell count, and detailed refraction. Surgeon consultation on lens selection and expected outcomes. Your patient care specialist accompanies you throughout.
Morning: ICL surgery takes 20–30 minutes. Return to hotel by midday. Rest, prescribed drops, protective shield. Vision likely noticeably improved by evening.
Morning: Post-op check — IOP, slit-lamp, vault confirmed. Same day: Second eye surgery. Both eyes now have the ICL in place.
Morning: Final clinic visit confirms both eyes healing well, IOP normal, vault satisfactory. Private transfer to Istanbul Airport. Fly home with discharge summary, drop schedule, and coordinator contact details.
If LASIK isn't suitable for your eyes, the choice is typically between UK private ICL and travelling to Istanbul. Here is an honest comparison of what each route typically offers:
This comparison reflects typical UK pathways. Contact us for a personalised quote with no obligation — we do not publish fixed fees on this page.
ICL is suitable for a wide range of patients — including many who have been told they cannot have LASIK. The key eligibility factors assessed at your pre-operative consultation in Istanbul include:
If ICL is not appropriate, we will tell you clearly and recommend the most suitable alternative — whether that is LASIK or SMILE, lens replacement (RLE) for patients over 45, or cataract surgery with premium IOL.
achieve target vision at iSee Turkey partner clinics — matching UK and European benchmarks.
maximum myopia correctable — well beyond LASIK's typical range.
most patients see clearly within 1–2 days of surgery.
removable at any time — natural lens preserved for future cataract surgery.
ICL provides permanent day-to-day vision correction. The natural crystalline lens remains in place, so reading vision continues to follow normal age-related changes (presbyopia) rather than being affected by the ICL itself.
ICL has an excellent long-term safety record — the EVO design has addressed the main concerns associated with earlier phakic IOLs. The risks patients should understand are:
Many patients notice halos around lights at night in the first weeks. The vast majority find this diminishes as the brain adapts. The EVO+ large-optic version reduces this risk for patients with large pupils.
IOP can rise temporarily after surgery due to viscoelastic gel. Routinely checked at your 24-hour post-op appointment. The EVO ICL's aquaport design significantly reduces chronic pressure elevation risk.
If vault is too low, prolonged contact with the crystalline lens can cause localised opacity. Mitigated by precise UBM sizing. If it occurs, the ICL can be removed or cataract surgery performed.
The toric ICL must align with the astigmatic axis. Occasional rotation reduces astigmatic correction but the lens is repositionable under topical drops — a straightforward procedure.
Any intraocular surgery carries a small risk of endothelial cell reduction. ICL at experienced centres causes minimal trauma; borderline pre-operative counts are identified at assessment.
One of ICL's key advantages is removability — whether due to complication, prescription change, or eventual need for cataract surgery. The natural lens is unaffected by explantation.
ICL recovery is generally rapid. Most patients notice dramatically improved vision within hours of surgery and are surprised by how comfortable the post-operative period is.
Rest at hotel. Mild light sensitivity and watering is normal. Prescribed drops applied as instructed. Protective shield worn. Most patients notice significantly improved vision the same evening.
Post-operative clinic visit — IOP check, slit-lamp examination, ICL position and vault confirmed. Second eye surgery if scheduled. Sunglasses outdoors.
Vision continues to sharpen. Mild halos around lights in the evening are normal. Continue all prescribed drops. Gentle activity fine — many patients enjoy exploring Istanbul.
Return to desk work from day 2–3. Avoid swimming, contact sports, and dusty environments for 4 weeks. Continue drops. Night halos typically diminishing.
1-month video follow-up with your Istanbul surgeon via our International Patient Centre team. Vision stable. Halos and glare typically significantly reduced or absent.
Final scheduled video follow-up. Vision fully stable. Annual IOP checks recommended thereafter at your local optician — your patient care specialist provides a discharge letter for your UK optician.
We only refer to surgeons with extensive phakic IOL experience. Our clinical advisory board reviews outcome data from all partner clinics annually. If a clinic's results do not meet our standards, we end the partnership.
"I was −15 D and had been told by three UK clinics that LASIK wasn't possible for me. iSee Turkey arranged an ICL assessment within a week, and I had surgery 3 weeks later. I can now see 6/6 without glasses. The coordinator was professional throughout and the clinic was genuinely world-class."
★★★★★
"ICL surgery — my high prescription corrected completely. The quote matched the final bill exactly. Coordinator at the airport, at the hotel, at the clinic. Genuinely no surprises at any stage. Flying back to Berlin seeing better than I ever have."
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No commitment, no pressure. Our clinical team will review your ICL details and reply within 2 hours — Mon–Sat, 9am–6pm GMT. Even if you've been declined elsewhere — we'll tell you honestly whether ICL is the right answer.
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Eligibility assistant
General guidance only — not medical advice. A qualified ophthalmologist confirms eligibility after clinical assessment.
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