Independent publisher · not clinic-owned Editorial policy Educational information only, not medical advice
SmilePro.ae Get a free shortlist
Menu Close
Get a free shortlist

Content is educational and is not a substitute for an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist.

Search SmilePro.ae

Start with a topic

Every guide, procedure, condition, question and location page on the site is indexed. Results show the section the match came from, not just the page.

Searching every page on the site / or ⌘K to open

Procedures

ICL: procedure guide

Independent Clinic verification in progress Medical review pending Updated

An implantable lens is placed inside the eye in front of the natural lens. Nothing is removed from the cornea, which is why it comes up where a prescription is outside what corneal procedures can treat.

By
SmilePro.ae editorial team
Medical review pending: what this means
Published
Last updated

Quick answer

An implantable lens is placed inside the eye in front of the natural lens. Nothing is removed from the cornea, which is why it comes up where a prescription is outside what corneal procedures can treat.

General educational information about a subject, not an assessment of your own eyes. Suitability and treatment decisions are made by a qualified ophthalmologist who has examined you.

ICL (both eyes)

Not enough verified prices yet (n = 0)

We publish a range only when at least 3 clinics have a price checked in the last 180 days. Two quotes are not a market, so until there are three, what moves the total is the more useful information.

What moves the price

Refractive surgery is priced per patient, not per procedure. These are the ten variables we see affecting quotes in Dubai and the wider UAE: expand any one to see what it changes and what to ask.

The clinic and its overheads

A hospital-based refractive service and a standalone day-case clinic have very different cost structures for the same procedure.

Why it changes the number Facility location, theatre time, staffing levels and whether the clinic is part of a larger hospital group all feed into what you are charged.

Ask this

  • Is the facility fee separate from the surgeon’s fee?
  • Is my treatment performed at this address, or at another facility?

On your quote: A separated facility fee and surgeon fee, if the clinic itemises them.

The surgeon

Individual surgeons set or are paid at different rates, and some clinics price by the named surgeon.

Why it changes the number Experience, sub-specialisation and demand all affect the fee. A higher fee is not evidence of a better outcome, and a lower fee is not evidence of a worse one.

Ask this

  • Will the surgeon named in my quote be the one operating?
  • Does the price change if my surgery is moved to a different surgeon?

On your quote: The name of the operating surgeon, in writing.

The laser platform

Newer platform generations carry higher capital and servicing costs, and some clinics price accordingly.

Why it changes the number Platform generation is one input into the price. It is not the only determinant of your result, and a premium for a device name should be met with a question about outcomes.

Ask this

  • Which platform will be used on my eye, and is it on site?
  • How do your outcomes on this platform compare with the previous generation?

On your quote: The specific platform to be used, by model.

Preoperative testing

Topography, pachymetry, refraction, tear film assessment and a dilated fundus examination are the core of the assessment.

Why it changes the number Some clinics include a full assessment in the surgical price; others charge for the consultation and tests separately, or offer a reduced assessment that omits components.

Ask this

  • Which specific tests are included, and which cost extra?
  • If I need to repeat a measurement, is that charged again?

On your quote: An itemised list of the preoperative tests covered.

The procedure itself, and per-eye pricing

Prices are frequently quoted per eye. A figure that looks competitive may be half the treatment.

Why it changes the number Per-eye quoting is the most common source of genuine misunderstanding about cost between patients and clinics.

Ask this

  • Is this price per eye or for both eyes?
  • What happens to the price if only one eye is treated?

On your quote: Explicit wording that states per eye or both eyes.

Postoperative medication

Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops, and lubricants, are needed afterwards for a period.

Why it changes the number These are often excluded, and patients discover the cost at the pharmacy. The amounts are not trivial over a full course.

Ask this

  • Which drops will I need, for how long, and are they included?
  • Can I see the prescription list in advance?

On your quote: Whether drops and medication are included or estimated.

Follow-up appointments

Postoperative checks are scheduled over the first months, with the exact number varying by clinic and by eye.

Why it changes the number Some packages include a defined schedule; others include the first appointment only. The follow-up period is where aftercare quality is decided.

Ask this

  • How many follow-up appointments are included, and over what period?
  • What is charged for any appointment beyond that, and how much?

On your quote: The number and timing of included follow-up visits, and the price of extra ones.

Enhancement policy

If a residual prescription needs treating, the clinic may include, discount or fully charge for a second procedure.

Why it changes the number This is the single most commonly overlooked item in a refractive surgery quote, and the one that can double the eventual cost.

Ask this

  • If I need an enhancement, is it included, discounted or charged in full?
  • Is there a time limit on the enhancement policy?
  • What happens if an enhancement is not possible for my cornea?

On your quote: The enhancement policy, in writing, with any time limits.

Additional treatment your eyes may need

Significant dry eye, blepharitis or another ocular surface problem may need treating before refractive surgery.

Why it changes the number That treatment is a separate clinical episode with its own cost, and it may delay surgery. It exists to improve your outcome, not to inflate the bill.

Ask this

  • Does anything need treating before surgery, and what does that cost?
  • Does the delay change the surgical price?

On your quote: A note of any prerequisite treatment and its cost, or confirmation that none is needed.

Travel, accommodation and time off

If you are visiting the UAE for treatment, or travelling within it, flights, hotels and unpaid time away are part of the real cost.

Why it changes the number These costs are usually excluded from a clinic quote entirely, and they can exceed the procedure price for an international patient.

Ask this

  • How many days should I stay before and after treatment?
  • Can my follow-up be coordinated with a clinic near my home?

On your quote: Nothing: this is your own budgeting, and clinics rarely itemise it at all.

Subject
Procedure
Questions on this subject
8
Related subjects
5

ICL

An implantable lens is placed inside the eye in front of the natural lens. Nothing is removed from the cornea, which is why it comes up where a prescription is outside what corneal procedures can treat.

Also known as implantable collamer lens, phakic intraocular lens, implantable lens

Questions about ICL

Each answer below is the short version; the question links to the page that carries it in full, with sources.

  • How does SMILE compare with an implantable lens (ICL)?

    SMILE reshapes the cornea and removes tissue; an implantable lens leaves the cornea intact and adds a lens inside the eye. They are used in different situations, most often at high prescriptions where too much corneal tissue would be needed.

  • What are the options for high short sightedness?

    The options for high short sightedness are laser procedures where the cornea can safely spare the tissue, and lens-based options such as an implantable lens where it cannot. Which applies to you depends on your measurements.

  • What prescription is too high for LASIK?

    There is no single cut-off figure, because the limiting factor is usually how much corneal tissue the correction would require rather than the prescription number on its own.

  • Which procedure is suitable for high short sightedness?

    The limiting factor is how much corneal tissue the correction requires, not the procedure name. Techniques that remove less tissue, and lens-based options, come into their own as prescriptions rise.

  • Which procedure is suitable for thin corneas?

    Where the cornea is thin, procedures that remove less tissue or need no flap are more likely to be considered, and a lens-based option may be raised where even those would take too much. The deciding measurement is the predicted remaining thickness.

  • What is high short sightedness?

    High short sightedness generally means a prescription beyond the moderate range, and there is no single boundary that every clinician uses. What matters practically is that higher prescriptions ask more of the cornea, which is why they are planned from thickness and shape measurements rather than from the prescription alone.

  • What is an implantable contact lens (ICL)?

    An implantable lens is a corrective lens placed inside the eye in front of your natural lens, without removing it. It is used most often for higher prescriptions where laser surgery would remove too much corneal tissue, and the natural lens remains in place.

  • Can PRK treat a high prescription?

    It can, within the limits the cornea allows, and surface treatment is sometimes chosen precisely because it conserves tissue compared with creating a flap. Higher prescriptions remove more tissue wherever the treatment is applied, so the measurement matters more than the technique.

Educational information only

This page describes what is generally true about icl. It is not a diagnosis, and it cannot say whether a treatment is suitable for you, because suitability depends on measurements taken during an examination.

Read the full medical disclaimer

Sources & further reading

We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.

  • European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Professional body ESCRS

    A European professional society for refractive and cataract surgery, publishing guidance and outcome registries.

    Used for Refractive surgery outcome measurement and reporting.

    Link checked 22 September 2026

  • The Royal College of Ophthalmologists Professional body The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (UK)

    The UK professional body for ophthalmologists, which publishes standards and commissioning guidance for refractive surgery services.

    Used for What good preoperative assessment and consent look like.

    Link checked 22 September 2026

  • EyeSmart: eye health information for the public Patient information American Academy of Ophthalmology

    Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.

    Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.

    Link checked 23 September 2026

  • Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) Clinical reference StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf

    The equivalent clinical reference chapter for LASIK, used so that comparisons describe both procedures symmetrically.

    Used for How LASIK creates and manages a corneal flap; LASIK complication categories.

    Link checked 22 September 2026

  • Cataracts in adults: management (NG77) Clinical reference National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK) · 2017

    Clinical guidance on when cataract surgery is indicated, what should be discussed before it, and what follow-up is expected.

    Used for When cataract surgery is considered appropriate rather than cosmetic timing; What patients should be told before cataract surgery.

    Link checked 23 September 2026

Measure how this site is used? Nothing loads until you accept. Settings