What Are Specialty Contact Lenses?
Not every contact lens fits every eye. In fact, many complications can occur rendering some of the most popular contact lenses useless. For instance, certain eye conditions such as Keratoconus, Dry Eye Syndrome and Corneal Scarring often fail in traditional contact lenses. Additionally, patients who have had refractive surgery such as LASIK or RK that need corrective lenses often struggle to see clearly with glasses or traditional contacts. While these exceptional products often help patients regain their clear sight again, they also can help those with normal eye health who seek optimum vision. Often, those with astigmatism or those who wish to have bifocal contact lenses make great candidates for specialty contact lenses.
Not every contact lens fits every eye. In fact, many complications can occur rendering some of the most popular contact lenses useless. For instance, certain eye conditions such as Keratoconus, Dry Eye Syndrome and Corneal Scarring often fail in traditional contact lenses. Additionally, patients who have had refractive surgery such as LASIK or RK that need corrective lenses often struggle to see clearly with glasses or traditional contacts. While these exceptional products often help patients regain their clear sight again, they also can help those with normal eye health who seek optimum vision. Often, those with astigmatism or those who wish to have bifocal contact lenses make great candidates for specialty contact lenses.
|
At Seattle Vision Care Center, we pride ourselves in offering the latest and greatest contact lens options. Specialty contact lenses include scleral contact lenses, rigid gas permeable (GP) and custom soft lenses. Dr. Williams is a Certified Wave Lens Designer. Wave lenses are unique and customized lenses designed for your specific eye using corneal topography data. The topographer captures over 80,000 data points describing the shape and size of your cornea. The information is imported into lens designing software thereby creating one-of-a-kind lenses. In fact, no two lenses are alike, though the lenses are reproducible once designed. Dr.Williams uses Wave to design GP, Scleral and Orthokeratology lenses
Scleral Lenses
The BIGGEST thing in contact lenses, literally. Scleral lenses rest on the sclera, also known as the white of the eye. They are made from hyper oxygen permeable materials so they are safe, and because they “vault” the cornea are extremely comfortable. The cornea which is the clear dome at the front of the eye is very sensitive. Scleral lenses maintain a reservoir of saline solution which cushions and bathes the cornea while the lenses are on. They are often the best choice for diseased corneas, but because they offer pristine optics and comfort, they are gaining great popularity with normal cornea patients as well. Scleral lenses can correct virtually any prescription including near or farsightedness and astigmatism. |
Rigid Gas Permeable
Don’t let the name fool you. Though GP lenses are indeed rigid, they are not hard. In fact, GP lenses replaced hard lenses because they are healthier, much more oxygen permeable and more comfortable than their predecessors. GP lenses offer ideal optics and can be made in any power imaginable. Like scleral lenses, GP lenses correct near and farsightedness and astigmatism. They too are an excellent option for bifocal prescriptions. The lenses are smaller than scleral and soft lenses and therefore have improved handling for certain individuals. These lenses are completely customizable. Keratoconus creates an abnormal corneal shape that many times cannot be compensated with glasses or typical contact lenses. Due to the visual problems that these patients encounter as Keratoconus progresses, it can become a debilitating vision disorder. Dr. Williams utilizes advanced technology including topography and specular microscopy to obtain images and information about the curvature and health of the cornea. A custom contact lens is designed in order to simulate an ideal corneal curvature. Through this specialty contact lens fitting process, these patients not only have improved vision but have improved quality of life and activities of daily living. When contact lenses are fit correctly, most patients never have to undergo any type of surgical procedure. |