Removing softperms

[chrism]

After years of RGPs (standard size and intra-limbals) my OD decided to try softperms due to my increasing intolerance to RGPs. My wear time has definately improved (from 4-6 hours to all day) with the softperm.

That said... and having NO experience with soft lenses of any type, I have a heck of a time getting my softperm out of my eye at the end of the day. It usually takes 10-20 minutes and a good amount of saline.

Any hints or tips for when it comes to removing softperms safely? (of course, my big fingers and deep set eyes don't help either).

[Andrew MacLean]

chris

I wore a kerasoft for a very short time. I got it out by

1 irrigating my eye very thoroughly with saline .. I did this by filling an eyebath with sterile saline and literally flooding my eye.

2 Moving the lens off the centre of my eye

3 inching: the lower rim of the lens between my thumb and forefinger.

4 The lens then dragged off my eye.

I also came to soft lenses late in my ourney with KC, but I'm afraid that the lens quickly tightened onto my eye so that it became impossible to continue. Hence the need now to look at surgery.

I hope you get many years of comfortable use of your softperm.

Andrew

[jayuk]

Chris

Try the following

Master the art of touching the bottom of the eye with your index finger...this is quite important in getting the Soft Perm out in my opinion. The reason why I say this is because if you can touch the Skirt of the lens (the soft part) then you have got 99% off the removal process out the way!

a) Lubricate the eye

b) Either use an index finger, or use a pinching motion and looking straigh ahead feel for the skirt of the lens

c) Looking straight a head, make sure you can now feel the skirt

d) look SLIGHTLY down whilst the fingers are attemtping to pinch the skirt...as you look down your fingers should unsettle the lens and it will lift up wherby you then pinch it out

Job done!

Sounds easy lol!

But does take some practice!

J

[jayuk]

LOL - Andrew we posted the same time with the same solution more or less! lol...

[GarethB]

On the rigid part you could also use the lens plunger you can also use for the more traditional RGP lenses which literally sucks the lens gently away from your eye.

[chrism]

Thanks! I'll give it a go tonight

I have no problems touching my eye or lens.. so hopefully it'll work for me.

My current technique is to look up slightly, put my finger on the skirt (while holding my eyelids open) and drag the lens down towards the lower margins. I then 'push' the upper part of the skirt down until it wrinkles a bit and pulls away from my eye.

I'm assuming this can't be good for the longetivty of my lens.

[Andrew MacLean]

Where do you get these plungers, Gareth.

Jay ... yup. I got over any squemishness about touching my eye a long time before I started to wrestle with a soft lens. but it can be quite a hurdle to cross.

Andrew

[chrism]

I was going to ask for a plunger (as a last resort) from my OD.

You can also order them online from many websites that sell contact lenses.

[Sweet]

I just pinch mine and it comes off ok, it gets a little wrinkled though but some saline later and it is fine again! Plungers are very good although i've yet to try it on a soft!

Sweet X x X

[Asif]

The way I have always taken out lenses is to put a drop or two of aquify or saline in my eye, blink a few times and pinch the lens off with my index finger and thumb. With the softperms i pinch the lens from the soft part. I have tried plungers but i dont like the way it tugs on my eye when trying to take out the lens. Dont become reliant on plungers because if you lose it you will find it harder to remove your lens normally.