Specialty Contact Lenses

What are specialty contact lenses?

Specialty contact lenses are designed using custom measurements for your eyes. Opposed to standard contacts that most people wear, specialty contact lenses require special instruments to gather the information and additional training by the doctor to fit a custom lens.

What are the types of specialty contact lenses?

There are 4 categories of specialty contact lenses:
1. Soft contacts:

• Comfortable to wear
• Designed for higher prescriptions with mild corneal conditions

2. Gas permeable contacts (hard or RGPs):

• Opposed to soft contacts, RGP contacts are harder, but are more durable and last longer
• Better optical quality than standard soft contact lenses
• Designed for more advanced astigmatic conditions
• Used for myopia treatment

3. Hybrid contacts:

• Combines the benefits of soft and hard contacts. They have the optics of a RGP lens but the comfortable edge of soft contact lenses

4. Scleral contacts:

• Large lenses that vault over your cornea and extend to the scleral, the white part of your eyes.
• Excellent option for irregular corneas and patients with dry eyes
• Learn more about the advantages of scleral lenses

How are specialty contacts better than standard contacts?

Specialty contacts do more than provide better vision. They can be used to treat certain ocular conditions, such as dry eye. In particular, Scleral lenses are filled with a liquid to provide all day relief to help heal damaged areas of the cornea.

Specialty contacts lenses provide benefits for patients with certain ocular conditions:

• Keratoconus and Pellucid marginal degeneration
  • Specialty lenses can create a smooth optical surface resulting in sharper vision
• Prior eye surgeries, such as LASIK or cataracts
  • Specialty lenses can create a smooth optical surface to improve fluctuating vision
• Scarring after an eye infection
  • Specialty contacts can create a focused optic zone to help sharpen the area that scarring has not affected
• Corneal ulcers & severe cases of dry eye
  • Specialty contacts can keep the cornea maintain hydration by keeping a reservoir of solution onto the eye.
• Pterygium and pinguecula
  • Specialty contacts can vault over elevations of the eye creating more stability
• Irregular Astigmatism
  • Specialty contacts can help patients see clearer than spectacles
• Myopia
  • Orthokeratology creates a particular image shell that is proven to to slow the acceleration of axial length elongation

Why Golden Eyes Optometry?

1. Highly-Trained Doctors
Our doctors are proficient in managing specialty contact lenses. They have received additional training and certifications to fit specific specialty contact lenses.

2. Advanced Technology specific for specialty contact lenses
Having a corneal topographer, an anterior segment OCT, and optical biometer are crucial to customizing specialty contact lenses. Using this equipment gives the doctor the information needed to map your eye and tailor a prescription just for you.

3. Attention-to-Detail
We are committed to providing our patients the highest level of service at every single visit.