RGP Lenses

[Phantom]

Guys,

As some of you maybe aware I have been having a trial of RGP Lenses as the eye hospital I am with believe these are the best lenses to give me the best vision with less issues than trying something like Kerasoft Lenses which they still wont let me try (cost issues)

Anyhow I have been trying them for a week or so now and after a struggle seem to be able to get them in and get past the grit feeling, however i do seem to have a lot of water in my eyes and around the lenses which the hospital reckon is normal to begin with - my main question is, how long am I meant to start noticing my vision improve with these lenses? It seems at the minute my vision goes in and out of focus, and I cant see much improvement in my left eye (where is KC is worse)

When i tried them in the hospital I was able to read the chart and get down to the second from bottom line, and my left eye went from reading the 2nd line (3rd at a push) to the 4th part of 5th and my right eye which i could already see great in was improved to the 2nd from bottom - but my left eye again went in and out of focus for me to see the chart which was annoying. I was told lenses would improve my overall vision a lot, yet dont see it yet.

I want to know if this is common and will improve as I get used to the lenses.
I was told Kerasoft although would be more comfortable, wouldnt give me as much clarity in my vision as these lenses are meant too...

Cheers.

[Loopy-Lou]

I'm currently having a lot of difficulty with an RGP but my previous experience of when it's been less difficult is that it's taken 2-3 weeks to settle down. If you're not happy you must tell them, and you should still be able to try Kerasoft to see how they are irresepctive of cost

[GarethB]

Phantom,

As a Kerasoft IC wearer I strongly dispute the claim that the Kerasoft lenses fail to give the same clarity as an RGP lens. The only way you know for definite in my mind is by giving them a go. The best vision I got with an RGP was 6/6 but for only 4 hours comfortably and ata push 8 hours but I would be unable to wear the lenses at weekends and be seeing the optom every month and at leastt 3 times a year in eye casualty.

Kerasoft IC lenses give me 6/4 vision with a comfort level such that I have forgotten I've had the lenses in and I wear them all my waking hours, (often 19 hours) seven days a week and no only go to the hospital every 12 months. The lenses might cost more than an RGP, but my overall cost as a patient to the NHS is far less (1 visit and a set of lenses compared to a set of lenses and approximatly 15 visits) and my hospital has confirmed to me that fitting me with the soft lenses has been a definite finacial benefit to them.

Unfortunatly seems to me that many hospitals have littel or no consideration for the quality of patient life.

[Loopy-Lou]

which in turn means that if we are going to be disabled in the name of economics then that has to be recognised in registration!

[BurnTheAction]

gareths comment about quality of patient life rang a bell for me, its very hard to talk with the optoms at my hospital about just how much you struggle with kerataconus, they almost brush it off and you feel silly for mentioning it.

[sambacasual]

I wear an RGP lens,at first i couldn't get on with them even for 30 seconds due to their minute size but that was with the smaller ones that i think were 8mm,so i then tried the next diameter up which i think is 11mm and they were fine from the very second i tried them,the problem is that after nearly 3 years wearing the same lens my optom has so far not been able to get me a spare or replacement that both fits AND gives the same vision quality,for the second time in my KC experience i've found a lens with near 20/20 vision that some wally in the lab has been unable to reproduce,leaving me living everyday with the constant worry of losing my lens or of it simply wearing out and breaking!

One plus i find over soft lenses is that the vision strength is constant from the second you put the RGP in,hasn't had it's shape or integrity altered by the shape of my insanely freakish eye and hasn't worn out,split,got rough and picked up dirt or any of the other negatives i found a DAILY headache with soft lenses,plus my RGP's have NEVER fallen out or become dislodged.

By the way hello,i'm new!

[Lynn White]

Hi Phantom/Sambacasual

A couple of things about RGPs and keratoconus. Fitting a non regular corneal shape often means that although vision is good, sometimes the lens isn't stable and thus you get vision only for a short window of time. That's where the larger lenses can work better, as the optically clear area covers more of the pupil more of the time. However, one type of lens does not work for everyone, so there is no hard and fast rule for which RGP lens works best.

RGP lenses are sometimes fitted using an light local anaesthetic drop. This reduces any discomfort for a new user and is done to reduce the adaptation time (when the eye is watering a lot) in order to assess the fit properly. However, this has the disadvantage that, as a practitioner, you don't know if your patient is going to get used to the lens easily or not. If you are still watering a lot even weeks later, the fit and vision are not going to be the same as when you were fitted.

However, there is also the fact that any supplied contact lens may behave differently from a trial lens simply because it varies slightly in shape, thickness etc. Samba, this also applies to lenses you have had a while. Contact lenses are plastic and over time they mould slightly to your eye, so a new lens may not behave like the original ( a bit like getting a new pair of shoes!) Also, because there is a variability in lenses when they are manufactured anyway (all within British Standards tolerances), you may get the original lens being one side of the tolerance band and the new one at the other. The only way to look at this would be to send your precious lens off for checking - with all the attendant risks of it being lost, not to mention the fact you are not going to be able to cope in the meantime.

Fitting patients with keratoconus can take time and is not always straightforward which is indeed why the variable sight registration would be useful!

Lynn

[Lia Williams]

Fitting patients with keratoconus can take time

Lynn,

If only you could do something to shorten the time taken! It’s not only the chair time, but the time between appointments that makes the whole process of getting new lenses so trying.

I started a refit for a new pair of lenses April 2009 and I’m still not sorted. I'm lucky in so much I have a pair that I can wear; it's just knowing that they are not optimised is so frustrating!

Lia

[Lynn White]

Lia

Time between appointments is an NHS issue - not an issue with fitting lenses! I am entirely with you on that one, as would be most Optoms, they feel the frustration as much as you !

One reason why I would like to see shared care for keratoconus is that routine checks could be dealt with by teh HIgh Street leaving complex fittings in the hands of the hospitals. This would cut down waiting times considerably!

Lynn

[sambacasual]

Hi Phantom/Sambacasual

A couple of things about RGPs and keratoconus. Fitting a non regular corneal shape often means that although vision is good, sometimes the lens isn't stable and thus you get vision only for a short window of time. That's where the larger lenses can work better, as the optically clear area covers more of the pupil more of the time. However, one type of lens does not work for everyone, so there is no hard and fast rule for which RGP lens works best.

RGP lenses are sometimes fitted using an light local anaesthetic drop. This reduces any discomfort for a new user and is done to reduce the adaptation time (when the eye is watering a lot) in order to assess the fit properly. However, this has the disadvantage that, as a practitioner, you don't know if your patient is going to get used to the lens easily or not. If you are still watering a lot even weeks later, the fit and vision are not going to be the same as when you were fitted.

However, there is also the fact that any supplied contact lens may behave differently from a trial lens simply because it varies slightly in shape, thickness etc. Samba, this also applies to lenses you have had a while. Contact lenses are plastic and over time they mould slightly to your eye, so a new lens may not behave like the original ( a bit like getting a new pair of shoes!) Also, because there is a variability in lenses when they are manufactured anyway (all within British Standards tolerances), you may get the original lens being one side of the tolerance band and the new one at the other. The only way to look at this would be to send your precious lens off for checking - with all the attendant risks of it being lost, not to mention the fact you are not going to be able to cope in the meantime.

Fitting patients with keratoconus can take time and is not always straightforward which is indeed why the variable sight registration would be useful!

Lynn

i get what you're saying lynn,it took me SEVEN years and scores of sets of lenses before i got mine sorted and like i say,i've been wearing this hard lens in my left eye for 3 years now and despite his best efforts my optom simply cannot get anywhere near it with a replacement/spare,i don't blame him as i believe he's one of the very best in the business and appears as frustrated and disappointed as i am,i know the nature of the condition means every case is different but surely it's not that hard to make 2 lenses that are identical,tis has been going on since i was issued the lens,2 were ordered exctly the same,one fitted one didnt,and ever since i must have had 7 or 8 others to try,with drops,without drops,tried to wear them for a day at a time,or an hour,in varying climates,times of day etc and STILL no joy. the thought of losing or breaking this lens absolutely terrifies me and has done so for 3 years,what else can i do? nothing i imagine!

Thanks for the open reply though,much appreciated