Subjects needed for new lens training workshops!

[garnet]

Hi,

I live in London and although I would rather do the Central London fitting, I think you said you already have enough people for that?

I would be happy to come to Stevenage if you still need someone?

I currently wear Scleral lenses, though am recovering from a hydrops in my right eye (I think it is almost completely healed now).

My email is garnet.r@gmail.com let me know if you still need someone as I'm always interested in new developments.

Thanks,
Garnet

[rosemary johnson]

Just Browsing asked why someone might prefer RGP to soft lenses:
Can't speak for all people but: for me, because the cleaning, maintaining, storing, etc regime is so much simpler. I've done piggybacking with soft lenses under RGP sclerals, using daily disposable unpowered soft lenses. The DDs are easy enough because you get them out of their case, use them, then take them out and throw them away. I don't think I've have lasted long if I'd had a soft lens I'd have had to cleana nd soak and de-protein and....... when my RGP scleral is so much easier.
And if you skimp on the regime, you're vulnerable to more infections.
Welcome to the forums, by the way.
Rosemary

[GarethB]

Rosemary,

I find the softs are easier to maintain because it is just a single solution to worry about. Never found an all on one RGP solution that I wasn't sensitive to and its never nice if you pick up the wrong bottle and get the cleaner in your eye! Since going to soft never had to use protein cleaner either.

As with any contact lens, follow good basic hygiene and all should be OK.

[Lynn White]

Hi Sophie!

Good to see you on here and hope you hang around also to chat to everyone... Although we tried a professional forum, this really hasn't worked but one or two professionals are now posting directly here as you have.

The KC community really benefit from full and frank discussion of all lens types, so its great to see you posting about Soclear. I hope you will also post about your experiences with the lens and I also hope other professionals jump in and contribute/ask questions.

Welcome to the forum! ( I Know you have been on before but this is a belated welcome!)

Lynn

[rosemary johnson]

Glad to know you've not had any problems or find soft lenses a haddle, Gareth.
Gotta admit my main experience of soft lenses, before I started piggybacking with DDs, with my one-time landlord, who changed to softs from thesclerals we both did (and I still do) wear, which we both used to take out, dry on a tissue and put away dry. His system of keeping the new soft lenses wet, and treating them with little bottles of this and that looked far ore complicated than what I did and he got a lot of infections too, or at least, "a lot" by comparison with my none!
He did have a lot more problems with comfort and toleracne withthe sclerals than me, though, so thought the soft lens regime worthwhile. I might add, he didn't have KC (he had "Ordinary" short sightedness, but extreme - about -22 IIRR).
Rosemary

[matt28]

I would be interested if your ever in the southwest area

[sophietw]

Eek! Emergency! My KC guinea pig for the Central London worksop TONIGHT has pulled out and I need a replacement! If anyone had bilateral KC (no grafts, got one of those, thanks Anne!) and is free tonight between 7-8pm, and wants to try some new lenses please get in touch asap! You can email me at sophietaylor-west@nfburnetthodd.com.

Many thanks!
Sophie

[Anne Klepacz]

Belated report back on my 'guinea pig' session with So2Clear lenses. These were first manufactured in the States, but are now being made in the UK too. Basically, they are very similar to a mini scleral lens (I think Sophie said they were slightly smaller, but I'm not sure what other differences there are, if any). Unlike standard sclerals, they don't cover the whole of the eye, but DO extend onto the white of the eye. So they are quite a bit bigger (14mm) than corneal RGPs which means you don't get the 'eyelid' sensation as the lid moves over the edge of the lens. It also means that getting any bits of dust etc under the lens is much less likely. They certainly felt comfortable once they were in (even though my post-graft eyes apparently weren't the easiest to fit!) And the clarity of vision with the right prescription was as good as I get with my corneal rgps. I only had them in for about 10 mins - the purpose of the session was to train other optoms in fitting the lenses - so of course the real test is whether they would continue to be comfortable for 12 hours or more. But it's great that the range of lenses for KC continues to grow and give us all more options. Hopefully more of our members will get a chance to try them at future demonstrations around the country.
Anne

[Lizb]

Interesting post thanks Anne.
As you have seen on my other post, if i continue to have problems with my current lenses and dry eye i will be trying these with my CL fitter. She has currently fitted two other KC patients within the area and she has openly admited to having some problems in the fitting, though she is hopeful that what she has learnt from the first couple of people she will be able to put into practice with the next person she fits. From what she says the other two patients have had a positive experience with these lenses, having both been fitted with the Synergise lenses previously.

[Sam P]

If you're ever in or around the Leeds area........I would be more than happy to be your guinea pig....I have good vision with glasses, and also own a pair of Kerasoft lenses, but these dont give the clarity of vision I get with specs. Also tried RGP's, but found not very good comfort wise. Therefore would like to try something different......[/color]
Sam.

Hello All,

I hope it's OK to post this on here! I'm an Optometrist and I have been fitting a new type of lens for a year now, which is suitable for keratoconics and post graft patients (as well as for healthy eyes), called 'SoClears'. They are RGP's but much larger than usual, around 14mm- they give good vision and good comfort, usually along the lines of a soft lens.

In association with No.7 Contact Lens Laboratory I am holding a series of workshops around the country to teach other contact lens fitters how to fit them on their patients. These have been going really well so far, but I'm running out of new patients to fit them on! The next workshop is in Stevenage on 9th of April, then in Central London on 16th April. If there is anyone who would like to be 'guinea pig' and come and be fitted with the lenses in front of a room full of people for free (and you get a free pair of lenses if they work out OK), please let me know! (Either KC or post-graft patients). It would be in the evening at around 7pm.

I only need 1 or 2 patients for each session...

Many thanks!

Sophie Taylor-West
(Optometrist Consultant for No.7 Contact Lens Laboratory)