Wanting to try Kerasoft Lenses...

[adam]

hey,

i want to try using a kerasoft lens to see the differences between my current rgp lens...i am aware that clarity may not be as good as an rgp but it is something i'm willing to sacrifice for comfort...

i plan to call up gartnavel on monday and request a lens, would they be able toordered the lens by using my current prescription for my rgp or will i have to be re-checked? also, will the contact woman put up a fight and want me to continue using the rgp?

thanks
- adam

[GarethB]

Adam,

The rgp lens does put some presure on the cornea so slightly changing its shape. The soft lens drapes more to your eye so you need to go without a soft lens for at least 24 hours.

I can not go 24 hours without an RGP at the mo which is hindering some of the research I am doing with a contact lens manufacturer to come up with a new type of soft lens for KC.

That to one side, to get a degree of shape to the Kerasoft it is thicker than a normal soft lens and for me the comfort was less than an RGP because of the bulk. I found I really noticed the change in oxygen transfer as my eyes felt a lot drier.

When I asked my hospital about soft lenses they were willing to give it a go and we did manage to get 6/6, with RGP's I get 6/5 so very little difference between the two. I did have to pay the NHS cost for them because they were not replacing a lost or damaged lens.

That is my experience, kerasoft did not work for me, but how will you know if they are suitable for you unless you try?

Give the hospital a call and see what they have to say, I know they have experience of Kerasoft and I know people who get on really well with them.

What are the issues you have with your RGP's?

I used to have comfort and wear time issues which with the help of the hospital we overcame and I would rarely notice I was wearing RGP's. The experimental soft lenses are more comfortable and that is down to the experiemntal material being used rather than the material used in Kerasoft.

[Andrew MacLean]

I couldn't cope with kerasoft because my eye was not getting enough oxygen.

It may be that your present lens prescription has not changed, but the fitting of kerasoft needs some attention; you'll need to make an appointment.

Andrew

[GarethB]

From my involvment in providing an eye to test new soft lenses for KC I am told the oxygen transfer is higher than the Kerasoft lens and once made thicker to help us with KC, this new material should still have an oxygen permeability equivelent to an RGP to over come the existing oxygen transfer problems with the soft lenses designed for KC.

[Rich Moore]

I've been trying Kerasoft lenses for the last year with mixed success. The Kerasoft lens corrects my right eye (the worst effected by KC) just fine, whilst the left actually makes my vision worse. I've been through 3 different left lenses and have reached the end of possible sizings so I now just wear the single right lens, when the situation prevents me from wearing my glasses. Not exactly an ideal solution, but after 3 years of failed RGP fittings and a further 12 month of failed Kerasoft lenses I no longer have the inclination to keep revisiting the eye-hospital.

Overall the Kerasofts have been far more comfortable for me than RGPs, and I suspect that I haven't suffered from oxygen issues due to the fact I only wear the lens for short periods, normally no longer than 3-4 hours. The vision also seems to degrade as the lens slowly takes the form of the cornea, something RGPs do not suffer from.

Fingers-crossed you have a far more positive experience!