An instrument (110) for rolling a thin ophthalmic lens and inserting the rolled lens into the eye comprises a body (112) in which a plunger (124) is slidable. A thin lens (156) is placed on a lens roller (130) which is slidable transversely of the instrument. The lens is rolled during the sliding movement into a tubular configuration. The rolled lens is then positioned in the instrument in a cylindrical cavity and ready for contact by a push-rod of the plunger (124) so that it is delivered from the instrument through a box in a tip portion (114) of the instrument.
