Disclosed is an apparatus for compacting an intraocular lens. The apparatus comprises a lens compactor having a first configuration for retaining the intraocular lens in an unstressed condition and a second configuration in which the compactor stresses the lens into an at least partially compacted condition without advancing the lens along an injection axis of the compactor. The compactor accomplishes this by applying a compacting force in a direction generally orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens. The compactor is responsive to a compactor actuator that is movable by a user to change the compactor from the first configuration to the second configuration. Additional apparatus and methods are disclosed as well.
