Specialty Contact Lenses in Santa Monica

Specialty contact lenses are custom designed for eyes that standard soft lenses cannot fit or correct well. They are made to precise measurements of your cornea and ocular surface, often in rigid gas permeable materials that let oxygen reach the eye while holding a smooth, stable optical surface in front of it.

Because every irregular eye is different, these lenses are fit with care over several visits. The reward is often vision that glasses and ordinary contacts simply cannot deliver.

At Sunny Optometry, our doctors bring training in specialty contact lens fitting and corneal disease to every case. We take the time to understand your history, your frustrations with past lenses, and what clear vision would mean for your work and daily life.

You may be a candidate for specialty contact lenses if you have experienced any of the following:

• Keratoconus or other corneal thinning and bulging
• Irregular corneas after LASIK, PRK, RK, corneal transplant or injury
• High astigmatism or high prescriptions that soft lenses cannot correct
• Severe dry eye or ocular surface disease that makes ordinary lenses uncomfortable
• Discomfort, blur or instability with every contact lens you have tried
• A child with progressing myopia, where parents want an alternative to daytime lenses

Scleral lenses are large diameter rigid lenses that vault completely over the cornea and rest gently on the white of the eye, the sclera. The space between the lens and the cornea is filled with sterile saline before the lens goes in, creating a smooth, fluid-filled optical surface.

That design does two things well. It masks corneal irregularities, which can dramatically sharpen vision for patients with keratoconus or post-surgical corneas. And it bathes the cornea in moisture all day, which is why scleral lenses are also a valued option in our dry eye center for patients with severe ocular surface disease.

Because they rest on the less sensitive sclera rather than the cornea, many patients find scleral lenses more comfortable than smaller rigid lenses, and they are very stable during activity.

Keratoconus causes the cornea to thin and bulge into a cone shape, producing distorted, blurry vision that glasses often cannot fully correct. The right contact lens creates a new, regular front surface for the eye, so light focuses clearly again.

Depending on the shape of your cornea and your comfort, your doctor may recommend scleral lenses, hybrid lenses, or custom rigid gas permeable lenses. We also monitor keratoconus over time and coordinate with corneal specialists when treatments such as corneal cross-linking are appropriate.

Hybrid lenses combine a rigid gas permeable center with a soft outer skirt. The rigid center provides the crisp optics of a hard lens, while the soft skirt offers the comfort and easy adaptation many people associate with soft lenses.

Hybrids can be an excellent choice for keratoconus, irregular astigmatism, and patients who want sharper vision than soft lenses provide but have not been comfortable in traditional rigid lenses.

Orthokeratology uses specially designed rigid lenses worn overnight to gently and temporarily reshape the cornea. Remove them in the morning and you can see clearly through the day without glasses or daytime contacts.

Ortho-k is popular with active adults, swimmers and surfers, and people who work in dusty or dry environments. It is also used as part of myopia management for children, as a way to address progressing nearsightedness. The effect is reversible: stop wearing the lenses and the cornea gradually returns to its original shape.

Specialty lens fitting is a process, not a single appointment. It usually begins with a comprehensive exam and detailed corneal mapping so your doctor understands the exact shape of your eye.

From there, we select or design trial lenses, evaluate how they fit and how you see, and refine the parameters. Custom lenses are then ordered to your eye. Follow-up visits let us fine-tune comfort and vision and teach you how to insert, remove and care for your lenses with confidence.

Once your lenses are settled, we see you regularly to check the health of your cornea and the condition of your lenses, and to update your fit as your eyes change over time.

• Consultation and comprehensive eye health evaluation
• Corneal mapping and ocular surface measurements
• Diagnostic trial lens fitting
• Custom lens order made to your measurements
• Dispensing visit with insertion, removal and care training
• Follow-up visits to refine fit and monitor eye health