Move over LASIK, and make way for EVO ICL, an implantable lens designed to correct a wide range of vision issues.

Dr. Max Parikh at NVISION La Jolla at 3655 Nobel Drive, Suite 130, is promoting EVO ICL, which can correct myopia with and without astigmatism, through a minimally invasive procedure.

“The EVO ICL is a lens that goes inside a person’s eye, instead of wearing it on top of their cornea like a contact lens,” Parikh said pointing out one major difference between the two. “When a patient has contacts they have to put them on and take them off every day,” he said. “This lens goes inside your eye giving you good vision 24/7. The procedure is generating excitement in the refractive surgery space.”

Refractive surgery can correct errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, or presbyopia. Some of these surgeries reshape the cornea. Others implant a lens in your eye. Either way, the goal is the same: focusing light correctly on the retina so you can see more clearly.

Parikh has been a board-certified ophthalmologist since 2002. He was also the official team ophthalmologist of the San Diego Chargers for 14 years.

Having undergone LASIK surgery himself in 1999, Parikh has performed over 25,000 LASIK procedures. Those have included numerous high-profile patients such as athletes, NFL coaches, fellow eye doctors, and elected officials. He specializes in LASIK, PRK, cataracts and intraocular lenses, and collagen crosslinking for keratoconus.

The EVO ICL is also replaceable, noted Parikh. “It is a removable technology,” he said. “You put this lens in the eye. But if something else better comes up – you can always remove this lens and do what is better.”

The eye doctor said the EVO ICL procedure was approved for use in 2008, but has become increasingly popular because “it is an easier procedure to implant, a 15- or 20-minute procedure. And the patient sees better within hours.” He added that about 3 million eyes have had the procedure done on them, about one million in the last 18 to 24 months.

Since COVID, Parikh said there has been a “huge surge” in patients interested in not wearing glasses or contacts. “In the San Diego market, they want to be outdoors, active, not encumbered by glasses or contacts.”

Parikh noted both the LASIK and EVO ICL surgeries are elective and generally not covered by insurance. He noted that EVO ICL is more expensive than LASIK. “If LASIK costs $4,000 or $5,000 for both eyes, EVO ICL will cost in the $9,000 to $10,000 range,” he said.

The physician added some patients have problems with dry eyes or night vision with LASIK, which Parikh pointed out is “not reversible,” whereas IVO ICL can always be removed if desired. Both procedures are mostly done on people ages 21 to 45. “If they get to be in the 55-plus or 60-plus range, I typically do early cataract surgery,” he said.

NVISION LA JOLLA

Who: Dr. Max Parikh.

Where: 3655 Nobel Drive, Suite 130.

Contact: nvisioncenters.com, 858-283-5371.