I'm considering ICL surgery but I'm a strict vegetarian and worried about the collamer lenses from STAAR Surgical. I read online that they might be derived from animal sources is that true? If not, where do they come from? And is it possible to get ICL lenses that are 100% plant-based?

Answered by 1 Apollo Doctors

Dr Kamran Mohammed

General Practitioner

MBBS
FIDM
5+ Yrs

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No, Collamer lenses used in STAAR Surgical's Visian ICL surgery are not derived from animal sources, and they are not 100% plant-based. They are a synthetic material that is specifically designed to be biocompatible with the eye and not derived from any animal products, though the lens does contain a small amount of purified collagen.

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Answered 14/08/2025

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