Optometrists (ODs) who invest in providing specialty contact lenses can be rewarded in a number of ways.
First, the targeted care that patients receive tends to make them long-term repeat customers.This is because, in many cases, visions that were considered impossible become achievable.
Second, contact lens patients are more likely to develop long-term relationships with offices that prescribe their specialty lenses due to increased visits for exams and follow-up care.This translates into professional achievement for practitioners and offices.
Why Professional Lenses Are Different What makes professional contact lenses so unique is the niche community they create.Specifically designed for patients with eye problems, such as corneal conditions, professional contact lenses can fully support the desired treatment results where conventional contact lenses are insufficient.
Professional contact lenses are a great option when looking for tailored eyeglasses for patients with both regular and irregular corneas.They can improve visual comfort and visual function in patients who have difficulty finding the right contact lens.
There are countless specialty contact lenses that can help treat a variety of corneal conditions.These include progressive myopia, hyperopia, massive astigmatism, keratoconus, hyaline marginal degeneration, post corneal surgery such as corneal transplantation, laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) dilation, corneal scarring, dry eye, and general discomfort with contact lens wear people.Related: Try Toric Orthokeratology Lenses
Again, there are a variety of professional contact lenses to choose from.These include soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses (including orthokeratology), piggyback contact lenses, scleral contact lenses, corneal-scleral lenses, mini-scleral lenses, hybrid contact lenses and prosthetic contact lenses.
Scleral lenses, RGP lenses, hybrid lenses, soft prosthetic contact lenses, and corneal molds are the 5 most commonly used types.Their successful track record supports wider integration of all professional lenses.
The diameter of the scleral contact lens is larger than that of traditional contact lenses, making full use of its high oxygen permeability material and increasing comfort.
Furthermore, instead of being placed directly on the surface of the eye, scleral contact lenses are placed on the sclera and tend to arch over the cornea; this leaves a tear reservoir between the lens and the cornea.
The sagittal height, or central space, is created by a layer of tear fluid that is trapped under the lens and helps reduce corneal aberrations, providing patients with better vision outcomes.
Scleral lenses should be filled with a non-preserved saline solution to avoid any air bubbles forming in the lens bowl.They should then be inserted into the front surface of the eye.Related: Determination of Scleral Lens Space Using OCT
Saline solution (with the occasional addition of a drop of antiseptic artificial tears or autologous serum drops) acts as a continuous reservoir for the tear film, keeping the front surface of the eye hydrated and nourished for longer, improving dry eye symptoms and replacing irregular corneas with a smooth surface .This often corrects vision problems caused by corneal irregularities.
Scleral lenses are customized for each patient.As a result, wearing them requires more expertise, more chair time, and more frequent office visits than traditional soft or smaller RGP lenses.
Imaging equipment and automated measuring equipment are used with the scleral lens during initial fitting and subsequent follow-up visits to ensure proper fit.These devices are usually not needed when wearing soft contact lenses.
The size of the scleral lens depends on the complexity of the corneal condition.Typically with keratoconus, the lens tends to shift more frequently due to the dilation of the tip, and it moves excessively with the blink, causing eye discomfort.
More advanced and complex conditions, such as moderate-to-severe keratoconus and ocular surface disease, may require scleral lenses with a larger than average diameter to ensure complete coverage and smoothen the entire optical surface affected by the irregular cornea.Related: Scleral Lens Wear and Ocular Surface Diseases
Keratoconus tends to progress rapidly to severe stages and is often unresponsive to other treatments.For patients with this condition, maintaining eye health as well as optimal vision and comfort is a top priority.
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The benefit of scleral lenses is that they do not fall off with rapid eye movements, and as long as the patient practices proper eyelid hygiene and lens maintenance, particles such as dust and debris rarely get under the lens.
RGP lenses have been around for a long time and used to be the main choice before hybrid and scleral.RGP lenses provide sharper vision than soft and silicone hydrogel lenses due to superior optical performance, less lens bending and reduced deposit adhesion.
GP lenses are ideal for supporting patients with tortuous corneas or blurred glasses, as well as those with poor vision with soft lenses.
In addition to vision correction, RGP lenses provide orthokeratology correction, which reshapes the surface of the cornea to slow myopia progression.
They can temporarily correct vision without the need for daytime contact lenses or glasses, making them ideal for children and individuals who play sports or work that make it difficult to wear corrective lenses during the day.RELATED: A total of 30 contact lenses to launch in early 2022
Soft prosthetic contact lenses offer cosmetic, therapeutic, and psychological benefits to patients, especially those with scarred corneas, irregular irises, and misshapen eyes.These can be caused by trauma, glaucoma, infection, surgical complications, and congenital anomalies.
In addition to improving cosmetic appearance, lenses can help block light and reduce visual disturbances that can lead to pain, photophobia, diplopia, and discomfort.
Lenses are available in a variety of options such as clear tinting, standard opaque designs, and custom hand-painted designs, depending on treatment and cosmetic requirements.RELATED: How to Wear Scleral Lenses Confidently and Discreetly
Soft prosthetic contact lenses can help ease emotional trauma while providing therapeutic care for patients with multiple eye complications.
By fitting a custom soft prosthetic contact lens to the patient, OD can provide a solution for patient comfort.
Hybrid contact lenses offer the longevity, durability, and clear vision of RGP lenses with the comfortable, wearable design of soft lenses.They achieved these results with a GP center surrounded by a soft outer lens material.
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A soft skirt frame around the hybrid lens bridges the connection between the soft material and the GP material, allowing for a more efficient tear pump mechanism and oxygen delivery throughout the day.
Ideal patient profiles include those with regular corneal astigmatism and concerns about vision fluctuations in lens rotation or soft lenses and irregular corneal contours.
For those practices struggling to find grooves in other lens ways, Hybrid is a great option and value.RELATED: Podcast: Contact Lens Wear Is A Healthy Choice For Kids
When it comes to eyes with more nuances, ill-fitting contact lenses can increase the risk of complications such as corneal scarring.If diagnostic and empirical fitting fail in more complex situations, ophthalmic prostheses can create custom-fit scleral lenses.They do this by collecting impressions of the cornea, a process that takes no more than 2 minutes, and use these to design specialized lenses that match the precise contours of each eye.The lenses produced by this process provide the wearer with great stability and comfort.
The large area coverage and durability of the corneal mold improves comfort and vision, and is more stable than traditional, smaller GP or hybrid lenses.
These special scleral lenses can be designed to accommodate corneal steepness and irregularities found in ectatic conditions.RELATED: Multifocal lenses for presbyopia with previous corneal surgery
Conclusion Specialty contact lenses have had a huge impact on optometry.Knowing and sharing their benefits is a journey that many ODs have not fully explored.
However, when time is spent troubleshooting for optimal vision, fit and quality of care, patient satisfaction skyrockets.In fact, many professional contact lens wearers are so satisfied with their custom lenses that they are reluctant to return to alternatives.
As a result, the ODs serving them enjoy more loyal patients who are less likely to shop around elsewhere.View More Contact Lens Coverage
Post time: Feb-28-2022
