KERATOCONUS &

SCLERAL LENSES

RGPs and Other Specialized Contacts

We are so thankful we live in this day where we have some very good lens option solutions that can help patients who are having a hard time with contact lenses.

If you’ve been told in the past that you cannot wear contact lenses because of an irregular cornea or other problems, you may want to get a second opinion and call Dr. Ta at Specs Appeal in Decatur about scleral contact lenses.

SCLERAL LENSES

Scleral contacts are large-diameter gas permeable contact lenses specially designed to vault over the entire corneal surface and rest on the “white” of the eye (sclera). In doing so, scleral lenses functionally replace the irregular cornea with a perfectly smooth optical surface to correct vision problems caused by keratoconus and other corneal irregularities.

 

Also, the space between the cornea and the back surface of a scleral lens acts as a fluid reservoir to provide comfort for people with severe dry eyes who otherwise could not tolerate contact lens wear.

If you have been told you have keratoconus, irregular astigmatism, extremely dry eyes, corneal dystrophy or a history of corneal trauma these may be the right lenses for you.

KERATOCONUS

One type of eye condition is keratoconus, a corneal degeneration that causes a gradual bulging of the cornea into the shape of a cone. The cornea becomes irregular in shape due to progressive thinning.

In it’s earliest stages, some symptoms may be blurring or cloudiness of vision, along with some distortion and an increased sensitivity to light. In the early stages of keratoconus, it may be corrected with glasses and even soft lenses. However, as the condition progresses, it can prevent one from performing basic tasks like driving, working on a computer, or reading a book. Specialty contact lenses such as RGPs or scleral lenses may become medically-necessary to in order to correct the vision adequately. If the keratoconus progresses to late stages, surgery such as corneal transplant may be necessary.

We offer keratoconus care including decision making for contact lenses or surgery.

MEDICALLY NECESSARY CONTACT LENSES

If you have high astigmatism or your eyes have always been difficult to fit in contact lenses, you may require additional measurement techniques using a Corneal topographer. This ensures a comfortable fit and the best possible result, and we are proud that we have this advanced technology available at Specs Appeal.

There are some eye conditions that makes contact lenses medically-necessary in order to achieve optimal vision. This small group of patients need to be skillfully fit with medically necessary contact lenses.

The doctors at Specs Appeal use a combination of advanced digital corneal mapping and the latest in lens material and design to create the best visual outcome for each of these patients. If Dr. Ta & Dr. Truong determines you have a condition that would benefit from this specialty fitting, our staff will contact your insurance company to obtain prior authorization due to a medical condition. In a lot of the cases, the entire amount of the fitting and the contact lenses could be covered.

We encourage you to give our office a call at 678-846-2000 to help you with your visual needs.

RIGID GAS PERMEABLE (RGP)

RGP’s also known as hard contact lenses, are rigid, non-disposable contact lenses are a great choice for those who have been wearing them for years and do well with them. They are breathable, provide sharp vision and economical.

Although RGP wearers only make up only a smaller percentage of the population, they can be great to choice to correct a host of corneal irregularities, high astignmatism and aphakia. Dr. Ta will make the proper recommendations if these prove to be the best choice for you.

 

HYBRID LENSES

Hybrid lenses offers the best of both worlds, the sharpness of rigid gas permeable lens at the center and the comfort of a soft lens. They typically center better and are more comfortable than GP lenses, and have better optics than soft lenses. Hybrid lenses are available for both patients who simply need vision correction and in designs that treat irregular corneas.