Kerasoft fitting update

[GarethB]

Thanks Sajeev,

I keep looking for alternatives but from the outset this was not a high priority, just wanted to be able to do the one thing KC prevents me doing!

With the list of optoms, I am sure it is only a matter of time before I will find someone that can help.

[John W]

Hi Gareth and all

This thread is really interesting as I am too a wearer of the kerasofts...and probably surprising to all here I have had them since I was 17....I am now 22 (almost 23)

Gareth the problems you talk about are extremly realistic representations of the problems I have. Ill state my benefits and disbenefits:

with the inside out element...that is horrible, you sure know when you put them in inside out as it is very painful. The problem I have is that its the last thing i THINK of when I put them in. Then when I get the pain and take them out, I always assume it is debris or something.

Bright lights are weird...sime days I cannot stand the sun, other days they are fine. My optom seems to think that the greater amount of protein on my eye will make them more sensitive to light. I like cloudy days and sunny summer days. Sunny winter days are a nightmare.

Night vision is in all honesty not too bad. I get a tiny streak to the top right of every light which I have learnt to cope with. I do find glare a bit of a problem but by no means unsafe.

Protein is a right pain in the backside. It seems the soft lens solution does not remove it, the hard lens solution is not good on my lenses. I therefore have to have prescribed some protein removal tablets which the pharmacy often has to order for me. They are available on the shelf but most places round here dont seem to stock them.

With lens fitting the right eye is fine. If it makes sense I have quite an evn distorted cone. It points straight out, rather than at an angle and my optom finds it very easy to fit. I get to the line above 6/6 corrected. The left eye is worseas the cone points slightly toward my left cheek. I guess if looking out my left eye it is at around 4 o clock.

My lenses tend to fog up due to lack of moisture so any drop, I use clens 100, seems to sort them.

As with length of wear I am a bit naughty, I do go for 14 hours on most weekdays but on that I will take them out at the first sign of irritation. I think oxygen transfer is a problem in some instances and I have been told that if vasularisation becomes a problem on soft lenses then rgp's may be the next step.

some other problems I have had with softs are corneal abrasion and iritis.

As to the development of the lens itself I cant say much. For the past 2-3 years they have come in glass bottles with kerasoft written on them. I do have to say though that some high street opticions have never heard of them. I regularly go solution buying in these places as they are a bit cheaper than the boots. They ask what lenses I wear and I have told them to be received by blank faces. I was even asked by one optom if she could look at my eye as she had never seen KC before. She also asked if id like to try a glasses fitting, I said there would be no point as they wont help get me to driving standard. she didnt agree, tried but to no avail.

Before I was 20 my lenses came in weird plastic containers that were incredibly long and thin. They did not say kerasoft on the label at that time, just the power axis and diameter was on them. The diameter over time for me has got a tiny bit bigger (.5) of a mm. Like your gareth they touch just outside my iris and you can see a thin blue ring on the outside of my incredibly dark brown eyes. I too cannot say if they are thicker on the outside or inside but they do look thicker slightly towards the edge.

Air bubbles i have the same problem with, the only way to remove them is gently push and massage your eye, blinking does not seem to do the trick.

Removing them, its the pinch method...the longer you have them in, the harder it gets, sometimes I have to wet my eye and move the lens around before a pinch is enough to remove it. Other times they are fine.

Lastly I must apologise for the typos that are probably rife throughout this post. Im off work this week and ive not put my lenses in yet. I may not find the need to either today as the snow is so bad i dont expect to venture anywhere!!!!

Any questions then please ask!

[Sweet]

John,

That was a really well written and educating post!! I have never tried kerasoft lenses but do piggy back with RGPs and it was really interesting to read it!!

Glad that you are doing ok at the minute! I am also having a day free from lenses hehe the snow is kinda a set back to being social anyway!!!

Take care.

[GarethB]

Thanks John,

I thought it was the lenses fogging up, but when things were still fogy with the lenses out the alarm bells started to ring. This is why we have given up on them because it was my cornea fogged and not the lens.

Good to know you are having a success with the Kerasoft. It was a subject we were lacking on the forum which was one of my other reasons for trying them so at least I could offer advice from a first hand perspective.

Personally I feel they have a place for mild KC, possibly moderate, but certainly not as a post graft lens.

Try getting solutions from Post Optics

They break things down for contact lenses between soft and rigid to help make sure you get the solutions specifically designed for your lenses.