are soft perms good?

[Joe Bloggs]

i was told by my opto i could try the lenses that are hard in the middle and soft around the edge so i can get better comfortability. Are these any good? how are they for people with KC?
Also whats the best eyedrops and the cheapest place to get them?

[Eddie S]

Hi Joe,

I think that softperm lenses are fabtastic. However, they do have their drawbacks.

Before (and since) I was first fitted with SoftPerm lenses I'd tried more or less every lens available to me, from just standard RGPs to RGPs with holes in them, piggy backs, sclerals, different materials, new lenses from america, you name it, I'd tried it.

However I was always in discomfort with whatever I tried and was often asked "are your eyes usually that red/angry/bloodshot?"

Then came along softperm lenses with the warning from my optometrist "these are our last resort"

WOW! I was fitted with them and started thinking maybe she should reconsider her last resort. Comfy with a capital C!

Now comes the rub (no pun intended) and the reason they are last resort is that the oxygen permiability of SPs is very low, causing problems from your eyes if you overwear them or dont get regular check ups.

The low oxygen can also (i've been told) lead to encourage blood vessels to enter the cornea making grafts should they be needed difficult.

I've now been wearing SoftPerms for some years and can honestly say that I wouldn't change them despite the worries. I also have fun when I tell a new optometrist that I wear them and they breath in deeply and look concerned!

My recommendation would be to go for it, i've been really happy with mine and regular check ups have ensured my eyes are healthy.

Make sure you use the correct solutions too - you have to clean them as if they 100% soft - and treat them with more care than RGPs as being made of two materials "glued" together they can sometimes split.

As for wetting solutions I think Blink for when lenses are in and Systane for when they're not but both are a personal preference.

Hope this helps. Good luck

[GarethB]

Joe,

Answering such a question is really hard.

Simply what works for one person may not work for another so all we can do is share experiences.

I would say before giving it a go, ask your self; What do I have to loose in trying?