UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hey,

Quick question, got an appointment at the contact lens clinic 2moro...

If i walk in n say "I want Kerasoft Lenses instead of a piece of plastic in my eye." - will the eye person tell me to get on my bike or allow me to try them out?

Thanks
- Adam

Hehe, Adam.....

First things first, KeraSoft3 SiH IS a piece of plastic, albeit a hydrated soft one!!!

This is actually a really good question. I have had concerns expressed to me by a hospital optometrist that people come in asking for this lens. The problem as they see it is that any particular make/system of lens, be it Rose K, scleral, ALK, McGuire, Soft Perm, piggyback or whatever is not the be all and end all panacea for KC and it is their professional judgment what lens is best for you. They feel they cannot judge a new lens' performance until it has been on the market a while and lots of people have tried it out.

Thus there is a worry that if people come in asking for a certain lens, that it may well waste clinic time trying something just because a patient wants to try it when the practitioner has a really good idea it might not work. This is a very valid point.

The flip side of that is that, of course, no-one can tell if a lens works or not unless you try it - especially a new design. This is a real chicken and egg problem in hospital clinics when new products are launched.

What I would say is that if you have real concerns over what you are wearing now - i.e. comfort or wearing time issues and feel you would like to try a Silicone Hydrogel softlens, then you can at least ask! The practitioner could then discuss your particular case and make recommendations based on their knowledge of your eyes.

The KeraSoft 3 has not yet been officially launched (it will be very soon) so it is possible your clinic does not yet have a trial set anyway!

Adam

The advantages of Kerasoft 3 notwithstanding, it is possible that your eye care specialist thinks that there are other considerations that are relevant so be prepared to have a conversation about the best lens for your particular eye(s). Not all lenses will suit every case of keratoconus.

Lynn makes good sense.

Andrew