Awareness Survey on Implantable Contact Lenses (Phakic Posterior Chamber Lenses) for Men and Women in their 20s-40s with Vision of 0.1 or Less

At-Working Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 1-4 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, WORK VILLA MYJ kanda 5F), which sells "IPCL®" (hereinafter IPCL) approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in April 2025 in Japan, conducted a survey on implantable contact lenses among men and women nationwide in their 20s to 40s.

IPCL is a treatment method called an "implantable contact lens" where a small lens is inserted into the eye to correct myopia and astigmatism. It uses an acrylic polymer material primarily composed of HEMA, which is widely used for intraocular lenses for cataracts and contact lenses. Unlike LASIK, it does not involve shaving the cornea, making it a highly reversible treatment that allows the lens to be removed in the future. In Japan, following multi-center collaborative clinical trials, it received pharmaceutical approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in April 2025 and was launched in September of the same year.

In recent years, options for vision correction have diversified, and interest in surgical corrections like LASIK and implantable contact lenses is growing. According to data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, contact lens users in Japan range from young to middle-aged, with a particularly high usage rate among those in their 20s to 40s. Against this backdrop, implantable contact lenses are gaining attention as an option that considers daily convenience, long-term costs, and future changes in vision. On the other hand, the importance of a correct understanding of safety and risks is also pointed out. This survey was conducted online to clarify the awareness and understanding of implantable contact lenses among men and women in their 20s to 40s with vision of 0.1 or less, based on these societal conditions.

Regarding the treatment method of implantable contact lenses, over 70% (72.8%) of respondents were aware of it, and about 70% (71.9%) were interested in it as a treatment. The results showed a particularly high interest among women in their 20s and 30s. The reasons for high interest were the "inconvenience of glasses and contacts" and the burden of "monthly contact lens expenses." The most cited concerns about the treatment were "fear of surgery" and "safety."

Q1. Awareness Survey

Q1. Did you know about the implantable contact lens treatment method?

When people in their 20s to 40s with vision of 0.1 or less were surveyed about the implantable contact lens treatment, 35.5% said they "knew about it," and 37.3% said they "had heard the name."

Combined, this means that 72.8% of the total have some form of awareness of implantable contact lenses, indicating that it has achieved a certain level of recognition as a vision correction option.

Q2. Awareness Survey by Gender and Age

Q2. Awareness of implantable contact lenses by gender and age

Men and women in their 20s with vision of 0.1 or less...