Specialty Contact Lens

Specialty contact lenses can be life-changing for patients with certain ocular conditions.  At Northside Vision, Dr. Stiling fits contact lenses that are specifically designed to improve vision for patients with corneal disorders such as keratoconus, corneal deformity secondary to surgical procedures, and high astigmatism, among others.


Keratoconus

Keratoconus occurs when the cornea (the front tissue of the eye) thins, resulting in a bulging “cone” and very poor vision, even with corrective glasses.  Most often (but not always) this is diagnosed in adolescence. 

Keratoconus

Symptoms include:

  • blurred or distorted vision
  • increased sensitivity to bright light and glare which leads to difficulty with night driving
  • needing to change your glasses prescription frequently.

A true diagnosis is made by a test called corneal topography which maps the curvatures of the corneal tissue.  After diagnosis, it is essential to monitor for changes in the cornea. 

Management of the vision is also important.  Rather than prescribing spectacle lenses or rigid gas permeable contact lenses (which tend to be unstable in both comfort and vision), Dr. Stiling fits Synergeyes ClearKone hybrid contact lenses.  These lenses have the potential to dramatically improve a patient’s vision!  They have a rigid center that vaults over the “cone” which provides superior vision, along with a soft skirt that allows for stable, comfortable vision.

ClearKone



Corneal Deformity

After certain surgical procedures (for example LASIK, PRK, RK or DSEK), there could exist the need for a specialty contact lens due to the changes that occurred in the topography (curvatures) of the cornea.  These hybrid lenses, called Synergeyes UltraHealth, provide superior clarity and comfort than the vision or comfort that can be provided with spectacles or soft contact lenses.

UltraHealth



High Astigmatism

High astigmatism occurs when a patient has two largely different curvatures of the cornea.  Symptoms in a patient with high astigmatism include (particularly without their glasses or contact lenses):

  • blurred vision
  • possibly double vision
  • trouble with glare at night from oncoming headlights

Astigmatism


Many patients are visually successful with typical spectacles or soft contact lenses.  However, through the use of Duette hybrid contact lenses, the patient can receive clearer, more comfortable and more stable vision than what is typically achieved through the “typical” means of correction!

 

The Fitting Process

For each of the above solutions, a comprehensive eye examination followed by corneal topography is essential to prescribing lenses that will be successful at meeting your vision needs.  After the examination and topography are performed, the fitting process begins.  Each lens is slightly different, but the process always involves ordering a CUSTOM contact lens for YOUR EYES.  When your custom lens arrives, a special appointment is scheduled for you to be trained on how to insert, remove, and care for your custom contact lenses.

If you have questions about these lenses or want to schedule an appointment to get yourself on your way to superb vision, call or text us today!!  Don’t wait!

Locations

Hours of Operation

Monday

8:30am

5:00pm

Tuesday

9:00am

7:00pm

Wednesday

8:30am

5:00pm

Thursday

8:30am

5:00pm

Friday

8:30am

5:00pm

Saturday

Closed

Closed

Sunday

Closed

Closed

Monday
8:30am 5:00pm
Tuesday
9:00am 7:00pm
Wednesday
8:30am 5:00pm
Thursday
8:30am 5:00pm
Friday
8:30am 5:00pm
Saturday
Closed Closed
Sunday
Closed Closed