UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi everyone.

Just a quick question about these lenses..

I had to give up wearing my RGP's because my eyes became intolerant (permanently bright red and painful).

I just wondered though how wearing the Synergeyes lenses would be any different?

If they are still hard in the middle would it not cause an irritation?

I'm just curious as these have been suggested as a possible next plan of action!

Even the soft lens i'm wearing over my intacs has started to turn my eye a little red. Nothing like the RGP's, but it's only early days so it may get worse.

Any opinions or advice on these lenses would be much appreciated.

Kirsten

Kirsten

I am sorry to hear that you have become intollerant of RGP lenses. When this happened to me I moved on to a scleral lens in my left eye, although my right eye had got to the point that only a graft would do.

The scleral (sometimes called a Haptic lens) fits right across the cornea, and rests on the white (or 'sclera') of the eye.

I did try a hybrid lens (not sure if it was the Synergeyes lens about which you ask), but it was not suitable for me. This is not to say it would be unsuitable for you. But whether or not hybrids are going to work for you, there is every possibility that another sustem will prove helpful and effective.

All the best

Andrew

Thanks for the reply Andrew.

I guess with anything to do with KC it's just a matter of trial and error.

Sclerals are definitely something i'll ask about. I imagine they are available in Australia, although i've not had an optometrist mention them to me yet.

Kirsten

Kirsten

There was a time when Sclerals were the only type of contact lens available. Then they went out of vogue, with the introduction of new small 'corneal' lenses.

I think that it was an English pioneer optometrist that first began to prescribe Sclerals that were made from RGP material to his patients. This extended the contact lens experience of several KC patients well beyond the time that they would have had to go for surgery.

If your optometrist wants to know more (it may be that s/he is not entirely au fait with lens types available for KV), suggest s/he visits this site.

All the best

Andrew

Synergeyes are very new, only been available in the US for about six months I think.

My understanding is they are stil RGP in the middle, but the way the soft edge is different to what we know as a soft-perm lens in the UK.

As I now understand that intacs cause a small raised area where they are inserted, if that is the point of irritation, I must admit that I fail to understand how something that will sit on that ridge will help reduce irritation. Scerals would be the way forward. However if Australia optoms are like the UK ones, the reason they have not been mentioned may be because they have no experience of their use or fitting.

Thanks for the reply Gareth.

As far as I understand the synergeyes would only be the next step if the intacs were to be removed.

There's no irritation being caused by the actual intacs - just general lens irritation (eye redness). It's nothing compared to how it was with RGPs though.

If they decide to leave the intacs in they might add the 2nd segment. If that's not an option i'm not sure what we'll do.

All will be revealed on Thursday though thank goodness!

Kirsten

Synergeyes is coming out with a post surgical (PS) line to their lenses which should be suitable for use with INTACS and post graft. Supposedly they will be out by the end of Q1 2007 here in the US. I am eagerly waiting to give these lenses a try in my INTACS eye (which I am currently using a piggyback system with a RGP lens on top of a soft lens). Softperm and the Synergeyes KC lenses apparently are not suitable for use with INTACS due to the edge of the RGP portion possibly rubbing just over the INTACS.

i can give u good info on synergeyes, i've had them for quite some time. they are better then RGP's but they still hurt. after I wear them for a few days...my eye gets very red and it hurts also...so no, they are not a solution, they have a hard lens in the middle and it still hurts. you wrote you had intacs, how did that go? i guess not so great if u still have to wear an RGP over it? cuz i am thinking of getting intacs

right now i am getting buy on a thick soft lens, not sure who the manufacturer is. it gives me blurry vision and makes my vision about 20/200 which i can get buy i have glasses for astigmatism that help a little...i only have advanced KC in my right eye so i am able to get by....it sucks tho everyday i wish my eye was normal

I wasn't expecting much (if any) improvement to my vision with the INTACS. The primary reason to get them was to hopefully slow or stop the progression of the KC.

I can wear my piggyback'd lenses and my Softperm (similar to Synergeyes) all day, so I have no doubts that I'll be able to wear the Synergeyes lenses.

Are your eyes getting dry? Do you use rewetting drops?

Serge,

On the days your wear the Synergeyes, how long are you wearing them for and after how many days of this are they going red?