If you are interested in Artisan / Artiflex lenses, please contact a clinic or hospital which employs an Artisan / Artiflex certified ophthalmologist. Our directory may help you to locate your nearest clinic or hospital. The procedure consists of a number of steps as described below.
- information meeting
- preliminary examination
- declaration of consent
- treatment
- regimen
- checkups
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Artisan and Artiflex lenses may only be implanted by OPHTEC-trained physicians. To this end, OPHTEC regularly organises worldwide training courses. |
Information meeting
It is vital that you are well informed before you decide on lens implantation. This is why most clinics/hospitals regularly organise informal information meetings.
These meetings generally consist of:
- a multimedia presentation on lens implantation
- a question and answer session with an ophthalmologist, an optometrist, and an Artisan/Artiflex lens wearer.
Preliminary examination
Lens implantation is not a treatment which is suitable for all eyes. A preliminary examination will take place to determine whether your eyes would benefit from this treatment.
During this preliminary examination:
- your health, your eyes and your reasons for having lens implantation surgery will be discussed
- the required visual correction will be determined for your eyes
- the eye axis length, pupil diameter, eye pressure, condition of the cornea, depth vision, and the field of vision will be examined
- the surface and inside of the eye will be examined for possible defects
Once all this information has been gathered, the ophthalmologist will decide whether or not the eye is suitable for lens implantation.
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It is crucial that you do not wear your: soft contact lenses 1 week prior to the examination hard contact lenses 2 weeks prior to the examination |
Declaration of consent
You will be given a declaration of consent form which states that you:
- were sufficiently informed about the nature of the treatment.
- were adequately informed about any potential risks of the treatment as well as the pros and cons of lens implantation.
- give your consent to have the treatment and that you have reached this decision of your own volition.
As soon as you have signed this declaration, an appointment for treatment can be scheduled.
The treatment
The treatment is performed under local anaesthetic. Usually one eye is treated first and only when this eye has healed completely will the other eye be treated.
- A nurse will welcome you at the clinic. He or she will apply eye drops to the eye to reduce the pupil size and will discuss the procedure with you. You will then be asked to put on your hospital gown and to take a seat in the surgery.
- First of all, you are given an injection to anaesthetize the eye. This may cause some brief discomfort and is comparable to an injection at the dentist. After about a quarter of an hour, the eye will be completely anaesthetized and this is when the doctor starts the lens implantation.
- First, a small incision is made in the cornea. The lens is inserted into the anterior chamber through this incision. Once the lens is situated precisely in front of the pupil, it is attached to the iris. A small fold of iris tissue is then placed between the tiny lens clips. This will hold the lens in place. The small incision is subsequently sutured (no sutures are required in the case of Artiflex lenses) and this completes the procedure.
- After this treatment which, depending on the type of lens, takes 20 to 30 minutes, the eye will be covered with a temporary eye patch. You will then be asked to spend some time in a recovery room, where you will be offered a cup of coffee or tea. A nurse will check whether everything is okay and will give you a few instructions regarding the postoperative treatment.
Regimen
It is important that the eye can heal quickly without any complications. This is why you are given a number of post-operative "instructions".
- Wear an eye patch when sleeping for a period of about a week after the treatment. This is to protect you from inadvertently rubbing your eyes in your sleep.
- Apply eye drops to your eye for a period of approximately 3 weeks after the treatment using the prescribed medication.
- Avoid any pressure on your eyes during the first few weeks after the treatment. So, no bending over, lifting, blowing etc.
- Do not take a shower for the first day after the treatment. Shower as usual after that providing no water gets into the eye.
- Do not apply any eye makeup for the first few weeks.
- No swimming for a few weeks.
Checkups
After the treatment, the eye will be regularly checked to make sure that the recovery is going according to plan and all is well. The first checkup is always scheduled for the day after the treatment. If you have any doubts or any questions in between checkups, please contact the surgeon who treated you.
