Most patients see well within a day of ICL surgery, are back to ordinary activities within a few days, and are cleared for full exercise within a few weeks. Follow-up then continues annually for as long as the lens is in the eye.
The lens is designed to stay put indefinitely. No replacement interval, no maintenance, and it can be removed or exchanged surgically if that ever becomes necessary. For most people weighing up an implant inside the eye, that last point is the one that settles the nerves.
What follows is recovery, long-term results and the honest downsides, written for someone who has already chosen ICL surgery at Pure Sight or been told it suits their eyes. If you are still deciding between LASIK and ICL, start there instead.
ICL recovery at a glance
| When | What to expect | What you can do | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day of surgery | Blurry, watery, light sensitive. Eye pressure checked before you go home. | Rest. Arrange a lift. Start your drops. | Driving, rubbing the eye, screens for long stretches |
| Day 1 | Vision usually clear enough for most daily tasks. Early review. | Light activity, walking, gentle screen use | Driving until cleared, dust, makeup around the eye |
| Days 2 to 7 | Fluctuation, some haze and glare. Steady improvement. | Work for most desk-based jobs, walking | Swimming, heavy lifting, dusty or dirty environments |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Vision settling. Halos easing. | Running, cycling, gradual return to the gym | Contact sport, pools, spas and the ocean until cleared |
| Month 1 onwards | Stable vision for most patients. | Full exercise once cleared, including swimming | Nothing specific, beyond sensible eye protection |
| Annually | A check every year the lens is in. | Book it in even if you see fine | Skipping reviews because nothing feels wrong |
Key takeaways: sight comes back quickly. The healing underneath takes weeks longer, so the activity limits stay on after the blur has gone. Keep up the yearly check as well. The problems worth catching early are the ones you cannot feel.
Recovery varies between individuals, and your surgeon’s instructions override any general timeline, including this one.
A quick refresher: what an ICL is and where it sits
An implantable contact lens (ICL) is a thin, soft lens placed inside the eye, behind the iris and in front of your own natural lens. Nothing is removed. The cornea is not reshaped. Your natural lens stays exactly where it is and keeps doing its job.
That last detail separates ICL from refractive lens exchange and cataract surgery, where the natural lens is removed and replaced. People conflate the three constantly, and they are different operations with different recoveries.
The lens is made from collamer, a soft polymer containing a small amount of purified collagen, with a built-in ultraviolet filter. Toric ICLs correct astigmatism alongside short sightedness, so astigmatism on its own is not a barrier.
Does ICL surgery hurt?
Not usually. Anaesthetic drops numb the eye first. Most people describe pressure and bright light instead of pain. The operation itself takes about 15 to 30 minutes for both eyes.
The honest part is the day afterwards. Expect grittiness, watering and light sensitivity for a day or two, like something in your eye you cannot blink away. Sunglasses help. So does not rubbing, which is harder than it sounds.
Logistics: ICL surgery at Pure Sight is a day procedure with both eyes usually treated in the same session. You stay about two hours afterwards so your eye pressure can be checked, which is a genuine safety step rather than a waiting room formality. Arrange a lift home.
The first week: drops, checks and how quickly you will see
How quickly does vision improve?
Faster than most people expect. Many patients see functionally within hours and clearly by the next morning, because the lens is already in its final position rather than settling in the way a healing cornea does.
What takes a few days is the last of the haze. Vision can fluctuate through the first week, sometimes sharper in the morning than the evening. Normal, and it settles.
The early review schedule
You are seen within hours of surgery and again early on. Two things are being checked: the pressure inside the eye, which can rise temporarily in the first day, and the position of the lens. Both are easy to manage when found early and much less so when found late. Further reviews follow over the first month, then annually.
Light sensitivity, watering and dryness
All normal, all temporary. ICL does not cut the corneal nerves the way a laser flap does, so it avoids the medium-term dryness that follows corneal surgery. If you had dry eye before surgery, though, you still have it afterwards, and it needs managing rather than waiting out.
Drops
You go home with two sorts of drops, one to prevent infection and one to settle inflammation. Finish the whole course even after the eye feels fine. Inflammation is not something you can feel, so an eye that feels normal tells you nothing about whether it has gone. Use the written schedule you are given.
Exercise, swimming and the gym after ICL surgery
Walking and light activity are usually fine within a few days. Running, cycling and resistance training come back over the first two to four weeks. Swimming, spas and the ocean are held longer, and contact sport longer still.
There are reasons behind each of those. The small incision in the cornea has to seal, and until it does, pool, spa and sea water all carry an infection risk. Small, but not worth running. Heavy lifting and straining push the pressure inside the eye up while you want it steady. Contact sport puts a stray elbow near an eye that was operated on a fortnight ago.
So gym work resumes in stages, running and cycling before lifting, and martial arts, boxing, football and surfing wait until you are specifically cleared. Raise scuba diving and altitude with your surgeon individually, because the answer depends on your eye and your timeline.
Halos, starbursts and night driving: how long do they last?
Some halo or starburst around lights at night is common in the first few weeks. Most patients report it eases substantially over one to three months as the eye settles and the brain adapts. A small proportion keep noticing it, usually in specific conditions such as wet roads at night.
Two things drive it. Early on the eye is still slightly inflamed and the pupil behaves unpredictably, which scatters light. Later, any residual effect is optical, usually where a large pupil in the dark extends past the clear central zone of the lens. Pupil size and lens sizing are both measured beforehand for exactly this reason.
Expect it to improve week by week. Get it reviewed rather than wait it out if the glare is getting worse, if it comes with pain or a drop in vision, or if your night driving is still limited at three months. The driving rules do not change because you have had surgery. For a private licence the Austroads standard is at least 6/12 with both eyes together, and your surgeon should clear you before you drive again.
Can you wear contact lenses after ICL surgery?
Yes. Once the eye has fully healed, a soft contact lens can be worn over an eye with an ICL in it. The implanted lens sits behind the iris and does not interfere with a lens on the surface. Most patients never need one.
A few reasons it comes up. A small leftover prescription that is not worth a second operation. A sport or a job that needs sharper vision than the eye currently gives. The wait before a planned enhancement. None of those mean something has gone wrong.
How long does an ICL last? Lifespan, removability and reversibility
The lens is designed to stay indefinitely
No expiry date, no replacement interval, no maintenance. The manufacturer’s Australian patient information states plainly that these lenses are intended to remain in place without maintenance. Collamer is stable and biocompatible, and does not degrade the way a soft contact lens does.
What “removable” actually means
It means the lens can come out again, or be swapped for a different one, in a second operation. Corneal surgery cannot offer that, because the tissue it removes does not come back.
It is not an undo button. Taking the lens out means operating inside the eye again, with the same kinds of risk as the first time. Useful to have in reserve. Not a reason to treat the decision lightly.
What happens if your prescription changes later
Depends how far it has moved. A big shift, and the lens can be swapped for a different power. A small amount left over can sometimes be treated with laser vision correction on the cornea, where the cornea allows it. Or you just wear a light prescription for the handful of tasks that need one. For a small change that is usually what people end up doing.
What happens if you develop a cataract later in life
Everyone develops a cataract eventually. Having an ICL neither prevents it nor makes it harder to treat.
When the time comes, the ICL is removed during the same operation, the clouded natural lens is taken out, and an intraocular lens goes in its place. Because your cornea was never reshaped, the measurements used to select that lens are more reliable than in an eye that has had laser correction, which widens the range of lens options open to you. It is a long-term point worth knowing about.
Long-term monitoring: what your annual review checks
Four things, and here is what each one is for.
Vault. The gap between the ICL and your own lens. It is measured in microns, on a scan. Too small and the two sit too close together. Too large and the lens crowds the drainage angle. You would not feel either of them, which is exactly why somebody has to measure it, and a lens can be swapped for a different size if the gap matters clinically.
Eye pressure. The drainage angle can narrow after surgery, so pressure is measured at every review.
Corneal endothelial cell count. The endothelium is one layer of cells lining the back of the cornea. It pumps fluid out and keeps the cornea clear. Those cells never grow back, and they thin out slowly with age regardless. Intraocular surgery accelerates that a little, so the count is measured rather than assumed.
The retina. A high prescription raises the lifetime risk of retinal tears and detachment whether you have surgery or not, and correcting the prescription does not change that. Dr Adam Plant works in retinal disease and vitreoretinal surgery, so retinal monitoring and any treatment can be arranged through the practice. Know the warning signs. A sudden shower of floaters, flashing lights, or a shadow moving across your side vision all need assessing the same day.
None of this is a warning. It is what long-term care of an implant looks like.
The honest risks: disadvantages of ICL surgery
Every risk below is real, documented in the manufacturer’s Australian patient safety information, and either screened for or monitored. Read them properly.
Raised eye pressure. Pressure can rise in the first hours or days. It is checked before you leave on the day and again early, and it is usually treated with drops.
Lens sizing and vault. The lens comes in set sizes and is chosen from measurements of your eye. If the vault turns out too low or too high to be comfortable long term, the answer is an exchange. It is uncommon, but it is the single most likely reason an ICL is swapped.
Endothelial cell loss. Some endothelial cells are lost after any intraocular surgery, and a slow decline can continue. In most eyes this stays well within a safe reserve. It is measured at reviews so a faster decline is caught rather than discovered.
Cataract. A lens sitting too close to your own lens can bring a cataract on sooner. Current designs have a central port, which has lowered that risk, and it is part of what the vault measurement is looking for.
Halos and glare. Covered above. Common in the early weeks. It settles for most people and stays for a few.
Infection. As with any operation inside the eye, infection is possible. It is rare, and it is the reason for the sterile technique, the drops and the swimming restriction.
Needing a further operation. Exchange, repositioning or removal are all possible outcomes, as is an under-correction or over-correction that needs addressing. The second procedure carries the same categories of risk as the first.
One more honest point. Long-term data on these lenses runs to more than two decades, which is substantial, but it is not a lifetime in a 28 year old. Which is exactly why annual review continues indefinitely.
Does an ICL change your eye colour?
No. The lens is clear and sits behind the iris, which is the coloured part of your eye. It does not tint, cover or alter the iris in any way, and other people cannot see it.
The confusion comes from cosmetic iris implants. That is a different procedure, intended to change eye colour, and not one Pure Sight offers. An ICL is a refractive device. It changes what you see, not how your eyes look.
What ICL surgery costs in Sydney
ICL surgery to correct a refractive error is elective. It attracts no Medicare rebate, and hospital cover does not contribute, for the same reason it does not contribute to laser vision correction: correcting short sightedness is not treatment of a disease. Any benefit is more likely to sit under Extras, and most policies offer none.
The distinction works in reverse too. When an intraocular lens procedure treats a cataract, Medicare and hospital cover do contribute. Our article on how Medicare and health funds treat eye surgery explains those mechanics in full.
For ICL surgery in Sydney, ask for a written quote covering the surgeon, the anaesthetist, the day surgery facility, the lenses and what the follow-up schedule includes.
Why choose Pure Sight Eye Surgeons for ICL surgery in Sydney
An ICL is not a one-off appointment. The lens stays in your eye and the yearly reviews carry on for as long as it is there. So part of the decision is who you want doing those measurements in fifteen years.
Dr Alison Chiu, Specialist Eye Surgeon. FRANZCO, PhD, MBBS (Hons), BMedSc (Hons I), Grad Dip Refractive Surgery. Dr Chiu has a special interest in cataract surgery, including refractive and complex cases, and in refractive vision correction. She performs ICL, including the presbyopia-correcting ICL VIVA. Find her on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and TikTok.
Dr Adam Plant, Retinal and Cataract Surgeon. FRANZCO, PhD (Diabetic Retinopathy), BMed (Distinction). Works in retinal disease and vitreoretinal surgery. ICL patients are often highly short sighted and need their retina watched for life, and that can be arranged through the practice.
Dr Joanne Teong, Ophthalmologist. FRANZCO, MBBS, BA/LLB. Medical retina, glaucoma and cataract surgery. Glaucoma work involves the same pressure and drainage angle checks that ICL follow-up relies on.
Dr Jonathan Yip, Consulting Optometrist. BOptom (Hons), BVSci. A therapeutically endorsed optometrist leading refractive surgery screening and the dry eye clinic, where much of the pre-operative measurement and ocular surface assessment happens.
Pure Sight also performs LASIK, SMILE Pro, PRK, PRESBYOND and refractive lens exchange. If ICL was recommended for your eyes, it was chosen from among those options.
Consulting rooms are in Paddington and Richmond.
Paddington: 25 Norfolk Street, Paddington NSW 2021
Richmond: 135 Windsor Street, Richmond NSW 2753
Book a personalised vision assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Can you feel an ICL in your eye?
Once the eye has healed, people do not generally feel it. The lens sits behind the iris, away from the nerve-rich surface of the eye, and nothing rests on the front of the cornea where sensation is concentrated.
Can an ICL be removed?
Yes. The lens can be removed or exchanged surgically at any point, which is one of the things that distinguishes it from corneal laser surgery. Removal is a further operation inside the eye, so it is done for a reason rather than casually.
Can an ICL move or fall out?
It does not fall out. The lens sits behind the iris, held in place by the structures around it, and there is no path from there to the front of the eye. It can rotate slightly in the early weeks. That mostly matters for toric lenses correcting astigmatism, and the lens can be repositioned if it does.
Can you have an MRI with an ICL?
The lens contains no metal, and implanted intraocular lenses are not generally considered a barrier to MRI. Tell the radiographer anyway, and bring the patient implant card you are given after surgery, which identifies the exact model implanted.
Are both eyes done on the same day?
Usually, yes. At Pure Sight, ICL surgery is a day procedure with both eyes typically treated in the same session. Some patients prefer them staged, and that is discussed beforehand rather than decided on the day.
When can I fly after ICL surgery?
Cabin pressure has no effect on the lens. What limits you is the follow-up schedule and being near care if something comes up. Short domestic flights are usually fine within a few days. Longer trips are better planned around the early reviews. Check your own timing before you book.
Can I have an ICL if I have keratoconus?
Often, yes, and it is one of the situations ICL suits well. Because the cornea is left untouched, an ICL avoids the problem that rules out laser surgery in keratoconus. The cornea needs to be stable first, which may mean cross-linking beforehand.
How soon can I return to work?
Most people in desk-based work return within two to three days, some the next day. Physical work, dusty environments and anything needing eye protection take longer and should be cleared individually.
Disclaimer: This article is general information and is not a substitute for individual clinical advice. Your own recovery timeline and follow-up schedule will be set by your surgeon.
Further reading
- ICL surgery
- LASIK or ICL surgery: which is right for you?
- Cataract surgery
- Your first visit: what to expect
Medical references
- Healthdirect Australia. Short-sightedness (myopia)
- Healthdirect Australia. Keratoconus
- Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods: posterior-chamber phakic intraocular lens
- STAAR Surgical. Patient safety information for implantable collamer lenses, Australia
- Austroads. Assessing Fitness to Drive: vision and eye disorders
- MBS Online. Ophthalmology fact sheet
- Ahpra. Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service