Many people search for “permanent contact lenses” seeking a solution that eliminates the need for daily maintenance. This term typically refers to two categories of vision correction. The first is a non-surgical, temporary option offering extended wear, and the second is a surgical procedure involving placing a corrective lens inside the eye. While extended-wear lenses offer convenience, the surgical option—the implantable collamer lens—represents the closest technology available to a permanent internal correction.
Understanding Extended-Wear Lenses
Extended-wear lenses are the non-surgical option that most closely resembles continuous vision correction. These soft contact lenses are made from highly breathable silicone hydrogel materials, allowing more oxygen to pass through to the cornea compared to older lens types. This enhanced oxygen permeability is necessary because the lenses are approved for continuous wear, meaning they can be worn overnight for a specified period.
These contacts are designed to be worn for up to seven days, or in some cases, up to 30 days, before removal, depending on the specific lens and practitioner’s recommendation. They must be replaced regularly to reduce the build-up of deposits like proteins and lipids. Wearing any contact lens continuously, especially while sleeping, significantly increases the risk of serious eye infections, such as microbial keratitis. Therefore, many eye care providers recommend a “flexible wear” schedule, requiring removal every night despite the extended-wear designation.
The Truly Permanent Option: Implantable Lenses
The closest medical technology to a “permanent contact lens” is the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL), a type of phakic intraocular lens. Unlike a traditional contact lens, which sits on the surface of the eye, the ICL is a thin, flexible lens surgically placed inside the eye indefinitely. This procedure corrects refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism without the need for external corrective devices.
The lens is constructed from a biocompatible material called Collamer, a copolymer that includes a small amount of purified collagen. This composition allows the lens to exist in harmony with the eye’s natural structures, minimizing the risk of rejection or inflammation. The ICL is positioned in the posterior chamber, resting behind the iris—the colored part of the eye—and directly in front of the eye’s natural lens. Because the natural lens is left in place, the eye’s ability to focus for close-up tasks, known as accommodation, is retained, making it a good option for younger patients.
How Implantable Lenses Are Placed and Removed
The placement of an Implantable Collamer Lens is a minimally invasive, outpatient surgical procedure completed in under 30 minutes per eye. The process begins after the eye is numbed with topical anesthetic eye drops. The surgeon creates a micro-incision, usually measuring between 3.0 and 3.2 millimeters, at the edge of the cornea.
The ICL is folded and inserted through this small opening using a specialized injector. Once inside the posterior chamber, the lens gently unfolds and is positioned behind the iris, correcting vision immediately. The small corneal incision often seals naturally without stitches, leading to rapid visual recovery, often within 24 to 48 hours. While the ICL is intended to be a long-term solution, it is considered reversible because the lens can be surgically removed or replaced if a patient’s prescription changes or complications arise.
Comparing Implantable Lenses to Laser Vision Correction
The Implantable Collamer Lens offers a distinct alternative to Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), the most common form of permanent vision correction. The fundamental difference lies in the mechanism of correction: LASIK uses a laser to permanently reshape the cornea, removing tissue to correct the refractive error. The ICL, conversely, is an additive procedure that leaves the cornea untouched, preserving its natural structure.
This tissue-preserving approach makes ICLs a suitable option for individuals who are not candidates for LASIK, particularly those with very thin corneas or extremely high degrees of nearsightedness. Since no corneal tissue is removed, the ICL procedure avoids the risk of inducing or worsening dry eye symptoms, a common side effect of laser correction. Furthermore, the ICL is entirely reversible, meaning the lens can be removed and the eye returned to its pre-surgical state, a flexibility that laser-based procedures do not offer.