Specialty Contact Lenses - Are They What You Need?

New technologies in contact lenses are always changing! It is an exciting time to be an optometrist. I particularly enjoy this part of our practice. I am continuously learning new techniques and get to witness what a positive impact these lenses can have on our patients’ lives.

We can now create custom contact lenses to correct nearly any refractive error imaginable. Both soft and rigid gas permeable lenses can be custom-designed. Astigmatic and presbyopic corrections are now easier to obtain than previous options. Also, medical conditions - such as irregular corneas, dry eye, post-surgical eyes, post-traumatic eyes - can be better managed with certain types of lenses.

Larger diameter scleral contact lenses have been available for years; however, the reemergence of the newest fitting technologies and gas-permeable materials have been a real game-changer. Scleral lenses actually vault the cornea, resting on the white part of the eye (or scleral). Because these lenses fit under the eyelid with minimal movement, comfort is ideal. Patients who were told they could never wear contacts in the past are now often finding true success with these new scleral contact lenses.