Contact lens training

1. Fitting visit - appropriate lens parameters are determined with Dr. Chia
2. Dispense or order trial contact lens
3. Training - web training followed by optional in-office hands-on training
• Look over these videos after getting your trials and before your in-office training!
• Soft contact lenses - Acuvue Get Started Online Training
• Hard (RGP) lenses - RGP Web Training and/or Printable Brochure
• Paragon CRT lenses - Care Training
4. Practice application and removal at home
5. Medical visit for fit check - this visit is required to write a medical device prescription

Contact lens care guide by EyeSmart

Soft lenses

• Material
• Conventional hydrogel
• Silicone hydrogel lenses - allow 6-7 times more oxygen to the cornea than conventional hydrogel lenses
• Spherical
• Toric
• Tinted or tint enhancers
• Multifocal/Bifocal

Soft lens classification by wear schedule

• Daily wear
• Benefits - comfort and convenience
• Issues - more limited range of correction
• Minimal risk of infection, especially single-use daily disposable
• Worn for waking hours only
• Flexible/ extended wear
Benefits - no cleaning necessary since lenses are discarded when removed
Issues - may lead to increased risk of corneal stress
Minimal risk of infection
Flexible wear = occasional 24-hour wear for up to 3 days at a time
Extended wear = continuous 24-hour wear for up to 1 week
• Continuous wear
Benefits - convenience
Issues - increased risk of giant papillary conjunctivitis
Moderate risk of infection
Continuous wear = 24 hour wear for up to 1 month
• Planned Replacement
Benefits - minimal care involved
Issues - difficult to handle and require more intensive cleaning and disinfection after each period of wear
Moderate risk of infection
Wear: Variable

• Custom RGP designs for keratoconus or irregular corneas
• Paragon Corneal Refractive Therapy
 

All contact lenses are regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration as medical devices.  Candidates for contact lens use must possess a baseline acceptable threshold of maturity/age, hygiene, responsibility, intelligence and eye health.  This is to minimize the risk of infection and other contact lens complications.  The risk of infection varies somewhat depending on the type of contact lens. lens. Regardless of the type you decide on, proper care of the lenses is essential to eye health.  Proper training and care are essential to maintain a lifetime of healthy vision. This includes a regular replacement schedule as recommended by Drs. Chia. 

Did you know you can now reorder your soft contacts online?

Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) is a process that fits a patient with contact lenses to temporarily correct or greatly reduce nearsightednes (myopia) with or without astigmatism after contact lenses have been removed.  By temporary, it is meant that the contact lenses are worn while sleeping (overnight) and then removed upon awakening; whereupon the nearsightedness remains corrected or greatly reduced for all or most of your waking hours.  The exact time period over which the myopia remains corrected varies with the patient.  Usually the contact lenses for CRT must be worn each night to maintain the effect. 

Benefits: Benefits can include: Temporary reduction of myopia up to 6.00 diopters in eyes with astigmatism up to 1.75 diopters during the day.  The benefits of CRT cannot be guaranteed.  It is possible the procedure will be of no benefit and may be harmful.

Alternatives: Alternatives include: Living with my current condition, eyeglasses, contact lenses, or a refractive surgical procedure such as LASIK.

Complications and Risks: I understand that the patient's vision may be made worse by this procedure.  The two most common side effects, which occur in rigid contact lens wearers are corneal edema and corneal staining.  Other side effects, which sometimes occur in all rigid contact lens wearers are pain, redness, tearing, irritation, discharge, increased night glare, abrasion of the eye or distortion of vision.  These are usually temporary conditions if the contact lenses are removed promptly and professional care is obtained.  When overnight CRT lenses dislocate during sleep, transient distorted vision may occur the following morning after removal of the lenses.  This distortion may not be immediately corrected with spectacle lenses.  The duration of distorted vision would rarely be greater than the duration of the daily visual improvement normally achieved with the lenses.  In rare instances, there may occur permanent corneal scarring, decreased vision, infections of the eye, corneal ulcer, iritis, or neovascularization.  I understand that overnight wear of contact lenses is known to increase the risk of corneal infection several fold compared to daily wear of contact lenses.  The occurrence of the side effects should be minimized or completely eliminated if the proper schedule of care is followed.  You should remove your lenses if any abnormal signs are present.  I understand that I must be examined closely to assure proper fitting of the treated eyes.  These lenses may be disinfected using only a chemical disinfection system.