Research progress on postoperative higher-order aberrations after ICL implantation: patterns of change, influencing factors, and associated visual disturbances

Implantation of the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) has become an effective surgical option for correcting high and extreme myopia, particularly in patients with insufficient corneal thickness or contraindications to corneal refractive surgery. Although numerous studies have demonstrated that ICL implantation can achieve favorable visual outcomes, some patients still experience postoperative visual disturbances, such as halos, starbursts, and ring-shaped visual disturbances, which are often accompanied by mild increases in higher-order aberrations (HOAs). This review summarizes the patterns and influencing factors of HOA changes following ICL implantation and explores the relationship between HOAs and postoperative visual disturbances, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for clinical practice and to offer a reference for improving postoperative visual quality.