Keratoconus Contact Lens Specialist
Sclerals and Soft Keratoconus Lenses
Keratoconus Contact Lens Specialist
Scleral Lenses and Soft Keratoconus Lenses.
Dr. Robert Mandelkorn, M.D., and Dan Acosta, L.D.O., BC Opt. bring years of experience in specialty contact lens care. With a combined experience of over 40 years in fitting keratoconus contact lenses, they are dedicated to providing personalized care in a private and comfortable environment. Trust in their knowledge and advanced technology to ensure the best possible care for your keratoconus needs. Your vision is their priority; one-on-one attention is essential to your journey.
Corneal Disease- Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a condition that affects both eyes, often undiagnosed because it starts with low amounts of astigmatism that can often be corrected with regular eyeglasses and contact lenses. A routine eye examination will usually miss the very early signs of Keratoconus unless a special scan is performed. Previous studies have shown that 5 in 10000 (1 in 2000) people have Keratoconus. A new study by the American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests that this prevalence is much higher, at 1.38 per 1000 people.
The earlier the diagnosis, the more important it is because the condition leads to irregular astigmatism and thinning of the cornea. As the condition worsens, regular eyeglasses or contact lenses may no longer be effective, leading to very poor vision.
As Keratoconus progresses, the cornea can bulge forward and, in the process, thin. This bulge may not coincide with the normal corneal apex and is usually in the lower or to the side of the center of the cornea. In such cases, the astigmatism is known as irregular because it does not have a pattern. Special contact lenses will correct the irregular astigmatism. Eyeglasses tend not to correct such astigmatism.
Today, most contact lens specialists will fit you in RGP Scleral lenses. These lenses are large and never touch the cornea but only the sclera. When inserting these lenses, the reservoir is filled with saline solution, which in essence corrects the irregular astigmatism by masking it with fluid and the back surface of the scleral lens.
Revolutionary Contact Lens Designs
Scleral lenses represent a massive leap forward in vision correction technology. They are exceptionally stable and highly effective for complex eye conditions
How Scleral Lenses Work
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Large Diameter: These lenses are much larger than traditional contact lenses.
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Corneal Vaulting: The lens arches completely over the sensitive cornea.
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Scleral Resting: The edges rest entirely on the white part of the eye (sclera).
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Fluid Reservoir: A sterile saline solution fills the gap between the lens and cornea.
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Astigmatism Correction: This fluid layer fills in corneal irregularities, creating a smooth new optical surface
Corneal Topography
Florida Optical Services has modern equipment for evaluating and managing Keratoconus and Irregular corneas. Our Keratoconus Contact Lens Doctor is experienced and has worked at various prestigious Ophthalmology centers in USA.
Specialty Fits for Keratoconus
Once we determine that you have a large amount of astigmatism, we look at your cornea with a biomicroscope to determine if we can view an anomaly or bulging of your eye.
Our Keratoconus Contact Lens Doctor will then measure your corneal diameter and the usual pupil size in regular lighting. Then a scleral lens will be put on your eye. These lenses are large in diameter, vaulted, and always rest on the white of your eyes (Sclera) outside the corneal area. The lens is filled with an unpreserved saline solution; the vaulted section will remain with that fluid while wearing the lens. This solution is routinely replaced daily to avoid contamination—best Keratoconus Contact Lens Doctor.
Regular RGP keratoconus lenses are still fitted, and many successful patients wear them. These lenses come in many designs and are routinely fitted at our practice. They provide crisp, clear vision at almost all levels, from initial keratoconus to the most advanced. Best Keratoconus Doctor.
In patients who have failed in sclerals due to large diameter and insertion process, we can fit you in regular RGP conus lenses, which are interpalpebral and smaller. These lenses do touch the cornea, and with that there is a risk of abrasion that sclerals do not present.
Other options exist, such as piggybagging with a soft lens or a hybrid lens with a hard center and soft skirt.
Another option which is slightly more complex involves fitting soft keratoconus lenses. These soft lenses are conoidal and are larger and somewhat thicker. Their fitting is more complex than regular torics, but they are comfortable and as easy to insert as a soft contact lens and have a lower chance of abrasion than cone RGP lenses. We give you options. Best Keratoconus Doctor.
Cross Linking to Stabilize The Cornea
If we deem that your irregular astigmatism is increasing, we may opt to do a procedure called cross-linking. The goal is to try to stop the increase of irregular corneal astigmatism. Cross-linking is not a refractive correction. It makes the corneal tissue stronger. Cross-linking is a relatively new procedure in which the cornea is exposed to UV light after slightly removing the corneal epithelium. Then Riboflavin (Vitamin B) is instilled into the eye for about 20-30 minutes. The eye is then exposed to UV light for 30 minutes. This process makes the cornea (stiffer) by binding collagen fibers together. The Physician will prescribe an antibiotic that usually has a cortisone. Safety is about 95%. and final results are encouraging as the astigmatism remains constant, allowing you to continue wearing your contact lenses and avoiding corneal transplantation. Best Keratoconus Eye Doctor.