Specialty Contacts are custom designed lenses and fitting techniques used for patients who are unable to wear standard soft and rigid lenses. These lenses can be soft, rigid, or a hybrid type which incorporates both rigid and soft lens materials in the design. Those who may benefit from these specialty lenses are patients who:
- have corneal conditions such as Keratoconus
- have had eye surgery that has altered the shape of their cornea (e.g. post LASIK or RK patients, post corneal transplant)
- have prescriptions that are outside the range of standard contact lenses
- have dry eyes and discomfort with standard lenses
- have poor vision with standard contact lenses
- need contact lenses for therapeutic purposes
TYPES OF SPECIALTY LENSES
1) Custom Soft and Custom Rigid lenses: These lenses are custom designed to fit patients with unusually shaped corneas. Almost every parameter on these lenses can be changed (diameter, cuvature, thickness, optical zones etc). Often, there is a wider choice of materials. Bifocal and Multifocal options are also available.
2) Hybrid lenses and Piggyback Lenses: Hybrid lenses are designed with a rigid lens in the center surrounded by a soft lens "skirt." Piggybacking is a fitting technique where a rigid lens is worn over a soft (usually disposable) lens. These lens options are often used for patients whose vision is best corrected with a rigid lens but need the comfort of a soft lens.
3) Scleral Lenses: These are very large diameter rigid gas permeable lenses that rest on the sclera which is the white part of the eye. Standard rigid lenses (RGPs)are smaller in diameter and fitted to rest on the cornea with a thin layer of tears in between. Scleral lenses do not touch the cornea at all. The layer of tears underneath is quite a bit thicker and functions to mask any irregularities on the cornea which helps to improve vision.
Scleral lenses are often used for patients whose corneas are very irregular in shape due to conditions such as Keratoconus or as a result of corneal surgery (post LASIK, post graft etc). The goal in fitting these patients is to protect the cornea while optimizing vision. These lenses do not rest on the cornea and the thick layer of tears that forms under the lens helps to nourish the cornea and keep it from drying out. As a result, scleral lenses can also be used to treat patients who are severly impaired by dry eyes.
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