Kerasoft IC or ClearKone?

[Speedy]

Which one is better for dry eyes and gives me a better vision output? In my opinion Kerasoft IC for dry eyes and ClearKone for a better vision output. I am right?

[Andrew MacLean]

Speedy

I am afraid you ask a question that none of us can answer; I think it was one of the forum's Optometrist members who described keratoconus as a 'bespoke condition', by which she meant that we are all different. One lens may provide optimal fit, comfort and correction for one person but another may need a different lens.

For each of us the quest goes on.

Andrew

[GarethB]

Andrew is spot on regarding the bespoke condition.

Kerasoft IC in my case not only gives superb comfort because of the dry eyes, but actually out performs an RGP lens regarding vison, RGP's gave me 6/6 and on a good day 6/5 vision but only for upto 4 hours comfotably. Kerasoft IC gives 6/5 all the itme and on a good day 6/4 for all my waking hours which is anything from 16 to 20 hours.

So no one can say for certain one lens is going to give better vision over another unless you try them and then like most lenses you could well need a couple of fittings before knowing if the lens is going to perform as you wish.

I've leant that although it is nice to have perfect vison (and I do consider myself lucky in that i have this) but when coming out of RGP lenses to soft lenses I was surprised to find that with 6/12 (the driving standrd) that I could do just as much as I do now with 6/4 vision. So relatively early on I set my goal that comfort was priority and target vision was 6/9 and anything else was a bonus and fortunatly for me, I got the bonus to.

Totted up my wear time for Kerasoft IC, and in just under 2 years I have clocked up the equvelant wear time of 4 years of RGP lenses I used.

[Ali Akay]

Hi Speedy

Your presumption that KIC should be better for dry eyes and ClearKone give better vision stands to reason, but, as others have said, rules dont always apply to KC! If you can get good vision with KIC thats all very well, then you got the best of both worlds, but if your vision is unsatisfactory then a hybrid lens (or an alternative soft keratoconus lens like Acuity Soft K) might work better. Incidentally, with Synergeyes hybrid lenses, sometimes their earlier designs give better vision than ClearKone due to the different fitting characteristics. Unfortunately its a matter of trying to see which works better for you.

[Lynn White]

Hi Speedy

All the above are correct - and I was the one that spoke of bespoke conditions! Each eye with keratoconus or other irregular corneal condition is unique - sometimes the right and left eyes of the same person can behave very differently. It is impossible to say which lens type will give the best vision for anyone and "dry eye condition" covers many aspects. For instance, if your eyes are dry, you have "tight lids" and you have marked allergies, your response to various contact lens wear may differ from someone else who has looser lids and no allergies. Whether your eyes close properly when you blink or not - or even if your eyes don't close properly when you sleep - can influence dry eye.

As Ali says, the ClearKone can give worse visual results than other Synergeyes because it is designed to clear the cone (and the resultant tear pool under the lens can transmit distortions in some cases). KeraSoft IC is available in two materials, one of which is an SiH material that does not dehydrate on the eye, which I often choose for patients with dry eye but before we even get to that point, my main aim is to reduce dry eye as much as possible using eye drops, supplements and lifestyle changes. Improvements in the tear film can then often give a wider choice of lens types.

Decisions such as this cannot be made by the patient alone - it has to be in conjunction with advice from your eye care provider and their knowledge of your eye condition will direct the lens choice right for you.

Lynn