hybrid hard soft contact lens

[bbuzz]

Has anyone had any experience with the new hard-soft contact lens?  My optometrist has asked me to try this lens.  The only thing I have heard about the lens is that they may be hard to remove.  Any info would be appreciated.  

[bbuzz]

I have an appointment with my MD eye doctor next month.  I will ask him about the hybrid lens and let you know what he says.  However, he is a glaucoma specialist so he may not know much about them.  Thanks for keeping this subject open.

[kathryn241]

Did you ever get the scleral lens?  

My cornea person said that they are the best
as they keep the cornea moist all day with artificial tears.

I am going to try that next.  

Hope all is well!

Kathryn241

[bbuzz]

I'm really glad you two wrote about the hybrid lenses.  I haven't thought of them for a long time.  In the meantime, I have had cataract surgery on both eyes.  The left eye lens probably didn't have the strength needed since that eye is 20/70 without a contact.  The other eye was more successful (by another doctor) and it is 20/30.  I'm going to start looking at more info on the hybrid because my left cornea has a bump on it from wearing hard lenses for over 50 years.  The bump is not serious, but my contact lens on that eye is not very comfortable and maybe the hybrid would solve that problem.  Thanks for your replies.  They brought up a subject that I had completely forgotten about.  

[berrywoo]

I've finally tried the Synergeyes hybrid lenses. They were comfortable (in comparison to regular RGP lenses) and easy to insert and remove. Unfortunately, I was not able to get good vision out of them. So maybe on to a semi-scleral lens...

Tips for inserting the lens:
Look straight down, tuck your chin and have your face parallel to the floor. Hold your eye lids apart with the index finger and thumb of the opposite hand that is holding the lenses.

Tips for removing:
Look slightly down, and with DRY fingers pinch lightly at the soft skirt close to the 6 o'clock position. Do NOT put any drops in your eyes before trying to remove them.

Use a a hydrogen-peroxide based cleaner as they work best for these hybrid lenses, just don't accidentally put the cleaner in your eye as it can cause serious corneal damage! Use a preservative free saline solution to rinse the lenses and insert them in your eyes.

[lona191]

I have been practising wearing hybrid lenses now for about 4 months. I have had a lot of trouble wearing them but I have not given up because my eye sight is so much better with them. I suffer from Reiss Buckler dystrophy and the lenses make my cornea smooth and round, therefore lets the light enter my eyes normally.

The problems I have had, have been:
!. a burning sensation in my eyes after a couple of hours of wearing the lenses.
2. not being able to take the lenses out. One evening I just couln't take one of them out and ended having to go to the A&E at 10.00pm! The nurse took it out using a surgical glove. After that I bought some golves for myself and they were a little bit of a help.
3 I had dry eyes which made it harder to take them out so my doctor inserted plugs into my tear ducts to keep my eyes a bit more moist, but taking the lenses was still difficult.

My doctor told me to put some drops in my eyes before trying to take the lenses out. It made sense because then my eyes wouldn't be as dry but it was still difficult  because there was fluid every where.

I was trying to follow the instructions of the manufactures too much I think, by trying to pinch the lenses at 6 o'clock but I had drops in my eyes so I couldn't grasp anything.

Although I haven't fully cracked everything, I have found out through painful experimenting that if I place my thumb and finger on the soft skirt near the hard part at 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock with very dry fingers and no drops I can now take the lense out almost at first go each time. Also I think my eyes don't burn as much and the lenses come out easier if the central heating is off.

I hope this will be of help to any one who is in the 'suffereing' stage.

[bbuzz]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll be sure to ask the doctor.  

[Joan M Pernoud, MD]

I would ask your eye surgeon ophthalmologist what is recommended. A "hybrid" lens could still cause problems with your pre-operative measurements. Best and cheapest is to wear your glasses for a month after comng out of your gas perms.

[bbuzz]

Thanks for your reply.  If I find out any more about these lenses, I'll report back.  My doctor said it would be a while before the lens would be delivered.  Since we didn't discuss price, if it is excessive, I won't be getting one because I'm sure when I have the cataract removed, the lens won't work anymore.  And aside from the price, if it is too time consuming, that would also be a negative factor.  The husband of a friend of mine is a contact lens research doctor.  I wrote an email to her about the lens and if I hear anything back from her (her husband), I'll let you know.  

[berrywoo]

If you are referring to the soft skirt rigid center contact lenses, there is one manufacturer out there called SynergEyes that makes a whole range of these specialty contacts. I've posted here a while back asking anyone to comment on these but w/no replies. The price of these vary depending on the type and do indeed get pretty costly. In addition you have to consider the lens fitting will take some extra time so it will cost you even more.

[bbuzz]

I'm talking about the specialty contact lens.  My doctor and I  were at first talking about a soft lens since I wear the gas permeable lens and in the near future will probably have to have cataract surgery. At that time (if like my first cataract operation) I'll have to switch to the soft lens so the measurements will be more accurate. She laughingly said I could be her guinea pig.  It didn't occur to me until after we had hung up what she was talking about.  I then remembered seeing something about these new lenses.  I had heard they were very expensive, but nothing was mentioned about the price and since I probably will have surgery next year, I'm not interested in them if the price is too high.  Until I hear the price, I would like to find out all I can about the lens.  I've searched on Google: hard soft lens and most of the articles just tell how they are made.  Do you know how successfull theses lens have been?  Thanks.

[Joan M Pernoud, MD]

I am not sure if you are referring to a "hard" contact lens that is softer than most
(eg rigid gas permeable) or a true hybrid where the center is rigid and the periphery is soft. The later is a specialty contact lens for specific purposes.

These later types tend to be expensive. I would ask your doctor why that particular lens is indicated for you rather than a more conventional lens.