Contact Lens
Multifocal, Toric, Rigid Gas Permeable, Hybrid and Scleral Lenses
Scleral Lenses – A specialty of Dr. Lampedecchio
Scleral lenses are contact lenses that are approximately the size of soft contact lenses. They fit on the conjunctiva, the white part of the eye, so they are very comfortable. A scleral lens is more rigid than a soft contact lens which allows it to give very clear vision by correcting for astigmatism and corneal irregularities from injury, disease or post surgical.
Scleral lenses used to only be for people with corneal disorders or diseases such as keratoconus, corneal ectasia, post refractive surgery such as LASIK or RK, post corneal transplant, corneal trauma and others. The ability of scleral contact lenses to cover the corneal irregularity and allow for clearer vision has expanded their use to patients with large amounts of astigmatism as well as those with severe dry eye.
Scleral Lens Insertion and Removal
This is video from the Scleral Lens Education Society that describes all the how to’s and don’ts for the care of your lenses. A great video we like to show at our offices.
Multifocal
Once we reach our mid-40s, presbyopia makes it difficult to focus on near objects. Reading glasses used to be the only option available to contact lens wearers who wanted to read a menu or do other everyday tasks that require good near vision.
But today, a number of multifocal contact lens options are available for you to consider. Multifocal contacts offer the best of both worlds: no glasses, along with good near and distance vision.
Rigid Gas Permeable
Gas permeable contact lenses are rigid lenses made of durable plastic that transmits oxygen. These lenses also are called GP lenses, rigid gas permeable lenses, RGP lenses and oxygen permeable lenses.
GP contact lenses are rigid, but they shouldn’t be confused with old-fashioned hard contact lenses, which are now essentially obsolete. Hard contact lenses were made of a type of plastic called poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA). Before 1971, when soft contact lenses were introduced, just about all contact lenses were made from PMMA, which is also called acrylic or acrylic glass, as well being referred to by the trade names Plexiglas, Lucite, Perspex and others.
Toric ( for Astigmatism )
The term “toric contact lenses” usually is used to describe specially designed soft contact lenses that correct astigmatism. Most toric contacts for astigmatism are indeed soft lenses — made either of a conventional hydrogel material or a highly breathable silicone hydrogel. But there are toric contact lenses made of rigid gas permeable (GP) contact lens materials, too.
Hybrid
If you have had trouble wearing contact lenses or have been told you’re not a good candidate for contacts, you simply may have eyes that are “hard to fit.”
But don’t worry — this doesn’t mean you can’t wear contact lenses. You just need to know your options and how to find an eye care practitioner (ECP) who has special expertise in contact lens fitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are our frequently asked questions we get regarding contact lenses.
"I have astigmatism. Can I wear contact lenses?"
Too often, people mistakenly believe they can’t wear contact lenses because they have astigmatism. The truth is, today there are plenty of excellent options for correcting astigmatism with contact lenses.
The term “toric contact lenses” usually is used to describe specially designed soft contact lenses that correct astigmatism. Most toric contacts for astigmatism are indeed soft lenses — made either of a conventional hydrogel material or a highly breathable silicone hydrogel. But there are toric contact lenses made of rigid gas permeable (GP) contact lens materials, too.
- Toric soft contact lenses for astigmatism differ from regular (“spherical”) soft contacts that correct only myopia or hyperopia in two important ways: Toric lenses have different powers in different meridians of the lens to correct the varying amount of nearsightedness or farsightedness in different meridians of the eye that characterizes astigmatism.
- Toric lenses have a design feature that enables the lens to rotate to the proper orientation on the cornea so the power meridians of the lens align with the appropriate meridians of the eye for clear vision.
Because every eye with astigmatism is unique, it can take more than one pair of soft toric contact lenses to find the brand and design that provides the best fit, comfort and visual acuity. Also, fitting toric contact lenses for astigmatism takes more expertise than fitting regular soft lenses..Our doctors have years of experience fitting all types of toric contact lenses and will be able to fit you in the best lens for your eyes and your prescription.
"I wear bifocal/progressive glasses. Can I wear contact lenses?"
Multifocal contact lenses are designed to provide clear vision at all distances for people who have refractive errors and also are experiencing the normal age-related decline in near vision called presbyopia.
The main sign that you’re developing presbyopia — which typically becomes noticeable sometime after age 40 — is that you need to hold your phone, magazines and other reading material farther from your eyes in order to see them clearly.
Multifocal contact lenses come in both soft materials and rigid gas permeable (GP) materials. They are also available as hybrid contact lenses. Most can be worn on a disposable basis. That means you have the convenience of throwing the lenses out at specified intervals (even daily, in some cases) and replacing them with fresh, new lenses.
Several lens manufacturers offer multifocal contact lenses made of silicone hydrogel material. These lenses allow significantly more oxygen to reach the cornea than conventional soft lenses for greater wearing comfort all day long.
Every multifocal lens design is different. The doctor will fit each patient in the best design for their eyes and visual needs. Sometimes, the lens will need adjusting to meet the patient’s individual visual demands and is considered a normal part of the contact lens fitting process.
"At What Age Can Children Start Wearing Contacts?"
Parents frequently ask eye doctors this question when kids first express an interest in wearing contacts. But a child’s maturity and ability to handle contact lenses responsibly is more important than age alone.
Four million American children under the age of 18 wear contact lenses. Physically, a child’s eyes can tolerate contact lenses at a very young age. Even some infants are fitted with contact lenses due to congenital cataracts or other eye conditions present at birth.
And in a recent study that involved fitting nearsighted children of ages 8-11 with one-day disposable contact lenses, 90 percent of the kids had no trouble applying or removing the contacts without assistance from their parents.
If you are considering contact lenses for your child, take a look at how your child handles other responsibilities. Does he have good personal grooming habits, keep his bedroom and bathroom clean, and follow through with schoolwork and household chores?
If children need frequent reminders to keep things clean and follow good hygiene practices, they may not be ready for the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses. But if they handle such duties well, they might be excellent candidates for contacts.
Children are naturally great contact lens wearers if they accept the responsibility for them. They typically are highly motivated to wear contacts and usually adapt well to them.
Kids also are less likely to have dry eyes — a condition that can cause contact lens-related problems for adults.
Plus, younger children sometimes follow instructions about contact lens wear better than teenagers and young adults, so they may have fewer problems with over-wearing their contacts or not using the correct contact lens solutions.
For children who are active in sports, contact lenses offer a number of advantages over glasses.
If your child wears eyeglasses for sports — even if they have impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses — you still must worry about the frames breaking during contact sports, possibly causing an eye injury. And the lenses of sport eyeglasses or safety glasses sometimes can fog up during competition, affecting vision and performance.
Sport contact lenses eliminate these problems and provide other benefits as well, including an unobstructed view of the playing field for better peripheral vision that enables your child to react faster to other players and objects such as a soccer ball or baseball approaching from the side.
Contact lenses also remain stable on your child’s eyes when he or she is running, for more accurate and stable vision.