Correcting Keratoconus With Contact Lenses

Contact lenses can provide instant vision correction for those suffering with keratoconus

In its simplest definition; Keratoconus is a thinning of the cornea, causing “cone like” protrusion.

Keratoconus leaves the surface of the cornea non-symmetrical, and in turn all light that passes through a keratoconic cornea will be irregularly dispersed. This is why, in most cases, eye glasses alone will not work to correct vision on an irregularly shaped cornea.

A Visual Display Of Keratoconus
Curvature maps displaying the surface of an eye. Hotter colors, such as red, depict steeper curves.
Keratocunus cornea, notice extreme assymetrical and inferior steepening	non-Keratoconus cornea, notice general symmetry overall, with no exsessive steepening

The best options for improving vision immediately when Keratoconus is present are contact lenses. The specialists at Obrig take all factors into account to find the best lens system for all patients, including those affected by Keratoconus.

In most cases, soft lenses alone will not work. Simply stated putting a soft lens on top of an irregular surface will cause the soft lens to rest asymmetrical, resulting in no meaningful vision correction.

Specially designed gas permeable contact lenses are usually used and can provide superb vision for many people dealing with Keratoconus. As you can see from the images, each eye is incredibly different, especially those that have Keratoconus. There is not one lens style that will work for every eye, and in these situations, there are no hard set “fitting rules”. A well fit lens is fit by an experienced contact lens specialist, such as those at Obrig.

Some Contact Lens Styles Indicated for Keratoconus

• Specialty designed KC gas permeable lenses:
  Gas permeable lenses can be designed with the interior curves set to vault a protruding area of the cornea. Some well known designs are the RoseK and HorizenCone contact lenses. There are many different cone designs in this category, the practitioners at Obrig can decide if one of these lenses might be best for you.



• Large diameter gas permeable lenses:
  On certain cones, larger diameter and intralimbal lenses can work very well providing improved comfort and better vision.



• Semi Scleral contact lenses:
  Semi-scleral lenses are about the size of a soft contact lens, only they are manufactured of hyper oxygen permeable gp materials. The lenses fit beyond the cornea and extend to the white of the eye. In many cases, semi-scleral contact lenses are very comfortable while providing superior vision.



• Synergeyes Hybrid Contact Lenses:
  A gas permeable center contact lens with a soft lens skirt attached to the outside. This combination lens can provide the best of both worlds; the comfort of a soft lens and the optics of a gas permeable lens.



• Piggyback Contact Lens System:
  A carefully selected soft lens is placed on the eye, then a specially fit gas permeable lens rests on top of the soft lens. This combination provides excellent comfort, vision, and health.



• Wave Custom Designed Contact Lenses:
  A topography based designed contact lens. The corneal map is loaded into a CAD lens designing software. The specialists at Obrig then use the software to design a lens specifically for that cornea.

These are just a few of the styles of contact lenses that can be used to improve the vision of those with Keratoconus and other irregular corneas; such as post-transplant and pellucid marginal degeneration.

It is extremely important to let the specialists at Obrig decide which form of lens would be best suited for your eyes.

To Schedule An Appointment Call (212) 758-0973 Today

We look forward to seeing you soon.

 

 

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