Piggybacking
Posted: Mon 11 Nov 2013 1:48 pm
Like most KC sufferers when I searched for information on KC the option of piggybacking was frequently mentioned. I mistakenly thought I understood how they worked and believed they consisted of some type of hybrid two-layer but-effectively-one-lens solution. Having been unexpectedly** fitted with piggybacks last week the following might be helpful for others.
Firstly, it's two completely separate lens, not a close-coupled hybrid as I'd assumed. The soft lens is incredibly thin and very prone to folding and curling when being handled. They're also very easy to turn inside out and it's not all that obvious when it is inside out. Putting them in seems more fiddly than either kerasofts or RGPs, the flimsy nature seems to make them end up rolled up on your eyelashes rather than in the eye. Also, given they have minimal strength (mine are -0.25) it's more difficult to tell if they're in or not - it was obvious if the kerasofts or RGPs were in because either I could see or I couldn't.
Once in, the normal RGPs are put on top of the soft lens just as if you were putting them in on their own. Comfort is obviously subjective but I would say they are more comfortable than just RGPs and only slightly less comfortable than just softs.
They were fitted on Thursday and it was only when I arrived home from the hospital that I realised that we hadn't discussed removal techniques - oops. Do they come out together, do you have to do something different? Turns out the RGP comes out just like normal and then the soft comes out using the normal soft removal method. The things you learn when calling the clinic in a mild panic.....
4 days in and I'm pretty happy with them. It's taking 10 minutes longer in the morning to faff about getting them in but comfort is excellent and I'm getting 6/5 in one eye and 6/8 in the other (hopefully getting that to 6/6 with a new lens on order)
Hopefully this will be useful to someone, if you have any questions please ask away.
** I was fitted with RGPs for the first time about four weeks ago and they were causing corneal abrasions so on the follow up visit the hospital suggested piggybacks and fitted them then and there.
Firstly, it's two completely separate lens, not a close-coupled hybrid as I'd assumed. The soft lens is incredibly thin and very prone to folding and curling when being handled. They're also very easy to turn inside out and it's not all that obvious when it is inside out. Putting them in seems more fiddly than either kerasofts or RGPs, the flimsy nature seems to make them end up rolled up on your eyelashes rather than in the eye. Also, given they have minimal strength (mine are -0.25) it's more difficult to tell if they're in or not - it was obvious if the kerasofts or RGPs were in because either I could see or I couldn't.
Once in, the normal RGPs are put on top of the soft lens just as if you were putting them in on their own. Comfort is obviously subjective but I would say they are more comfortable than just RGPs and only slightly less comfortable than just softs.
They were fitted on Thursday and it was only when I arrived home from the hospital that I realised that we hadn't discussed removal techniques - oops. Do they come out together, do you have to do something different? Turns out the RGP comes out just like normal and then the soft comes out using the normal soft removal method. The things you learn when calling the clinic in a mild panic.....
4 days in and I'm pretty happy with them. It's taking 10 minutes longer in the morning to faff about getting them in but comfort is excellent and I'm getting 6/5 in one eye and 6/8 in the other (hopefully getting that to 6/6 with a new lens on order)
Hopefully this will be useful to someone, if you have any questions please ask away.
** I was fitted with RGPs for the first time about four weeks ago and they were causing corneal abrasions so on the follow up visit the hospital suggested piggybacks and fitted them then and there.