Glasses to Contacts

[Bluedog536]

My son is in Afghanistan and coming home for 2 weeks and would like to wear contact the time he is at home.  I have his military eye script.  I went to our regular eye doctor but they would not make the change over  I need help.

Sphere:  R -325  L -375
Cylinder:  R 400 L 375
Axis: R 178  L 177

Please help me with info needed to order him a pair of contacts.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Armydoc]

Hope the leave went fine.  Looking at the Rx the contacts would need to be fitted with the patient and more than likely would need to be special ordered.  Soldiers are not allowed to deploy with contacts.     And may risk an article 15 if they do wear them while deployed  So for right now glasses are best.  

You are a great mom!

When he redeploys tell him to schedule an appointment with an Optometrist.  They can explain if he meets the current parameters for Refractive eye srg for his MOS.   The Army or Navy or Air Force might pay for his procedure   if not a contact lens exam might be warranted.  Army OD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

First of all as a USAF veteran of the Viet Nam War I would like to thank your son and your family for their service to our country.

Second a glasses RX is not a contact lens RX and there is no way that a contact that fits can be fashioned from it. Moreover the eye has a lot of asphericity (astigmatism) and contact lens fitting will be more complicated requiring rigid gas permeable contacts or toric contacts.

Bottom line enjoy his time with family wearing glasses and when he gets home see an Eye MD ophthalmologist or a non physician non MD optometrist for contacts or see a refractive surgeon ophthalmologist to discuss refractive surgery.

JCH MD