Conditions Treated
KERATOCONUS
Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease in which the front of the eye (the cornea) becomes thinner and steeper in shape. Over time, the cornea continues to change shape, resulting in distorted vision. As the disease advances, other complications can occur such as scarring or hydrops. Extreme cases may result in the need of a corneal transplant. Due to this irregular corneal shape, traditional glasses & soft contacts may not effectively provide high quality vision. Specialty contact lenses such as gas permeable lenses, hybrid lenses & scleral lenses can be used to help achieve functional vision. We are experts in this condition & can recommend treatment options specific to your case.
CORNEAL TRANSPLANT
There are many types of corneal transplant procedures performed. The type of transplant required is based on the patient’s ocular condition and current disease state. After certain corneal transplants, the front surface of the eye becomes irregular in shape. The irregularity can also change if there are stitches left within the cornea. The result of this irregular cornea can cause distorted vision, even with the best eyeglasses. Specialty contact lenses such as custom soft lenses, hybrid lenses, gas permeable lenses, or scleral lenses can significantly improve vision. We are experts in contact lenses fittings for corneal transplant patients.
REFRACTIVE SURGERY
Patients who have undergone refractive surgery such as Radial Keratotomy (RK), LASIK, PRK and other forms of vision correction can also be good candidates for specialty contact lenses. Often times, these procedures can develop into different forms of irregular astigmatism. If you have had refractive surgery and suffer from blurred vision with traditional glasses, fluctuating vision throughout the day, double vision, or overall distorted vision, you may be a great candidate for specialty contact lenses. Our equipment will evaluate your specific ocular shape, and recommendations will be tailored to your exact condition.
DRY EYES
Dry eyes are becoming one of the most challenging ocular diseases to manage. Innovative treatment options such as prescription eye drops, amniotic membranes, gels, ointments, systemic medications, lasers, and other management systems may not provide complete relief of dryness signs and symptoms. Some medical conditions causing dry eye can include Sjogren’s, Steven’s Johnson, and graft versus host disease. Scleral lenses provide an artificial tear environment, where the ocular surface is bathed with a liquid environment for multiple hours per day. This can often result in significant relief of eye pain, discomfort, redness, and foreign body sensation. We can evaluate the status of your dry eye to determine if scleral lenses are right for you. If you have tried everything else, scleral lenses may be the answer!
CORNEAL SCARRING
Scars on the cornea can be due to a variety of conditions. Corneal ulcers, ocular trauma, herpes, and other issues can cause permanent scar tissue to develop on the front surface of the eye. Depending on the depth, size, and location of the scar, it can cause significant visual debilitation. If a scar causes irregularity on the corneal surface, the vision may not be acceptable with traditional glasses or soft contact lenses. Specialty contact lenses such as custom soft lenses, gas permeable, hybrid, and scleral lenses can help achieve high quality vision. We can design a lens unique to your corneal shape.
OCULAR TRAUMA OR ANIRIDIA
Trauma to the eye can occur at any time in your life. Whether from an explosive event, such as a firecracker to the eye, or problems during routine eye surgery, the damaging effects can be similar. Ocular trauma can affect multiple parts of the eye including the cornea, conjunctiva, iris, lens, and retina. If the trauma to your eye has left scar tissue on the front surface of the cornea or resulted in an irregular shape, specialty contact lenses may help you see better and achieve a desirable cosmetic appearance. Aniridia, or an irregular iris, can also be a result of trauma or surgery. Cosmetic contact lenses can also assist to control the amount of light entering the eye, as well as achieving a more normal looking eye. At your visit, we will be able to evaluate the entire ocular structure to determine if you are a candidate for cosmetic contact lenses.
MYOPIA MANAGEMENT
Myopia, commonly called near-sightedness, does not just mean a patient needs glasses or contacts to see better. Patients with high amounts of myopia are at a much higher risk of eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and retinal detachments. It is projected that by 2050, 50% of the world’s population will be myopic. If treated early enough, there is a chance to reduce a child’s amount of near-sightedness. Treatment options include soft multifocal contacts, orthokeratology lenses, and low dose atropine drops. These treatment options have the ability to drastically reduce the amount of myopia progression over time. Schedule a consultation with us to see if your child is a good candidate for myopia control.
IRREGULAR ASTGMATISM
Irregular astigmatism is a catch-all phrase indicating the need for special forms of vision correction. Patients with irregular astigmatism will likely not see well with conventional treatment options such as glasses or regular contact lenses. Irregular astigmatism can be a result of many different conditions such as keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, corneal ectasia, post-refractive surgery, corneal scarring, and ocular trauma. Often the best solution for patients suffering from irregular astigmatism include specialty contact lenses such as gas permeable lenses, scleral lenses, and hybrid lenses. If your eye doctor has diagnosed you with irregular astigmatism, you could be a great candidate for custom contacts!
PEDIATRIC CONDITIONS
Infants, babies, and children may require specialty contact lenses at a young age. A common condition is called congenital cataracts, a condition which will result in improper eye development, and permanently decreased vision. The only option for these patients is cataract removal. After cataract removal, the patient is left without a crystalline lens, called aphakia. Babies and children with aphakia must wear high powered spectacles, custom soft lenses, or gas permeable lenses in order to achieve appropriate vision to stimulate proper eye development. Another reason young children require contact lenses is amblyopia. When one eye has a much higher prescription that the other eye, the end result can be permanent decreased vision. If treated early enough with proper glasses or contact lenses (and usually combined with vision therapy), the child’s eye can develop properly, yielding normal vision.
GLAUCOMA
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for older aged individuals. It represents a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve head (the nerve in the back of the eye that is responsible for good clear vision). Although the true mechanism of action of glaucoma is not entirely understood, a high intraocular pressure (IOP) coupled with a weak lamina cribrosa (a supportive collagen structure surrounding the optic nerve) contributes to damage to the optic nerve head.
SJOGRENS
Sjogren's is an autoimmune disease that most commonly affects women over the age of 40. Sjogren’s can possibly be inherited from their parents but studies have shown that there is also an environmental component that activates the condition such as a bacterial or viral infection. Sjogren's can be further divided into two categories, primary or secondary Sjogren's.
GRAFT VS HOST DISEASE
Graft vs host disease (GVHD) of the eye occurs after transplants when donor cells attack the tissues and glands of the eye. GVHD can occur after a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. GVHD is an autoimmune disease which means the body overreacts to its own healthy tissue. It can affect different parts of the body including the eyes, skin, and intestines. The main targets of the donor cells in cases of ocular GVHD are the conjunctiva and lacrimal gland.
STEVENS JOHNSON SYNDROME
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a rare skin and mucous membrane disorder. It occurs in response to medication most often but can also occur in response to infections. In children, infections are the most common cause. In adults, medications are the most common cause. It happens more often in females than males. Most patients are between the ages of 10-30 years old but can occur in children even a few months old.
OCULAR CICATRICIAL PEMPHIGOID
Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid or OCP is a chronic rare idiopathic autoimmune disease that targets the mucous membranes of the eyes and skin. An autoimmune disease is characterized by an overactive immune system that incorrectly targets its own natural cells, promoting inflammation in the body within healthy tissues. Because OCP is idiopathic, there is nothing that one can do to prevent the condition as it is not caused by anything the patient has done.
PROSTHETIC CONTACT LENSES
A prosthetic contact lens is a soft cosmetic contact lens that consists of an opaque material that is used to conceal the eye once it is placed on its surface. This can be useful in patient populations where there are disfigurements to the eye that may cause cosmetic or functional daily disability. The contact lens is created in various designs and colors in order to properly mask the underlying ocular defects.
LENS TYPES
SPECIALTY CONTACT LENSES
Specialty contact lenses can help treat and manage a wide variety of eye conditions and vision problems. We work closely with contact lens manufacturers to further the science and add our applied learning to taking on some of the most challenge problems that specialty contact lenses treat.
GAS PERMEABLE LENSES
Our office is dedicated to all gas permeable lens options including:
- Spherical gas permeable
- Bitoric gas permeable
- Gas permeable multifocal
- Intralimbal gas permeable
- Keratoconus designs
- Corneal transplant designs
- Irregular astigmatism designs
- Pediatric designs
EYEPRINT PROSTHETIC
Our office is the only office in the state of Nevada certified to fit and manage the EyePrintProsthetic. The EyePrint first involves obtaining an impression of the entire ocular surface, similar to taking a dental mold. The process is safe, painless, and only takes 80 seconds. Next, the impression is sent to the laboratory where a 3-D scanner is used to evaluate over 3 million points. Then, a prosthetic lens is fabricated unique to the patient’s eye. No two EyePrint devices are the same! This revolutionary technology allows for complete customization of the ocular surface. Some patients choose this design because they want the perfect fit when it comes to their contact lens needs; with other patients, the EyePrint is the only option for their ocular condition. EyePrint is hope.
sMap
The Contact Lens Institute of Nevada is the only office in Nevada offering sMap technology. The sMap instrument offers the highest level of technological precision for mapping the shape of the eye. The sMap corneal-scleral topographer captures data points on the entire ocular surface, creating highly detailed maps with ability to design totally customizable scleral lenses. The system allows for in depth consultation with the manufacturer of the lenses, resulting in an excellent product. The sMap can be used to fabricate the Latitude lens, which is a completely customized scleral lens.
HYBRID LENSES
Hybrid contact lenses combine the benefits of vision within a gas permeable lens with the comfort of a soft lens. The center of the lens is created by integrating information about the shape of the eye with the prescription, yielding great vision. The skirt of the lens is made of a high oxygen soft contact lens material, allowing for more comfort compared to a traditional gas permeable lens. Hybrid lenses are great for patients with astigmatism, as well as presbyopia. There are also hybrid lens designs for keratoconus patients, as well as irregular corneas.
CUSTOM SOFT LENSES
When standard soft lenses do not meet your comfort or vision expectations, custom soft lenses are an obvious next choice. Standard contact lenses are only available with certain lens parameters. If your prescription falls outside of these parameters, custom lenses may be your only option. Another great feature about custom lenses is they can be manufactured with different shapes, sizes, and prescriptions. Since the lens is customizable to your exact prescription, the success rate is very high. Custom soft lenses may also be an option for patients suffering from keratoconus or corneal transplants. When gas permeable or scleral options do not work, custom soft lenses could be the answer.
PROSTHETIC CONTACT LENSES
Patients suffering from ocular trauma or disfigured eyes may be good candidates for prosthetic contact lenses. Special contact lenses are color matched to the opposite eye, resulting in a more normal appearing eye structure. They can also be used to control the amount of light entering the eye, which is helpful for patients with aniridia or ocular albinism. Our clinic offers tinted contact lenses, computer-generated colored lenses, and hand painted contact lenses.
ORTHOKERATOLOGY
Orthokeratology or corneal reshaping involves a special type of gas permeable lens used to reshape the front surface of the eye. A lens is designed based on eye shape and prescription, which is then fabricated and sent to our clinic. The patient wears the lens at night, which causes a shift in the front surface of the corneal cells. This is similar to wearing a dental retainer at night to keep teeth straight. In the morning, the lens is removed, and patients enjoy clear vision all day and night. Most patients must wear these contact lenses each night to achieve this effect, but some patients maybe only have to wear them a few times per week. A benefit to orthokeratology is that it can help slow down the progression of myopia. Orthokeratology is safe and completely reversible.
PEDIATRIC CONTACT LENSES
We offer the gold standard options when it comes to pediatric designs. Soft contact lenses and gas permeable options for aphakia are both available at the Contact Lens Institute. Custom soft lenses are available for children with extremely high prescriptions or amblyopia. Soft multifocal lenses and orthokeratology lenses are offered for myopia management.
SCLERAL CONTACT LENSES
Scleral lenses are special contact lenses made from a high oxygen permeable material. Scleral lenses are very comfortable for the patient, due to decreased eyelid interaction and lens movement. Another benefit is that they do not dislodge or pop out of the eye, which is a common problem with corneal gas permeable lenses. There is also decreased foreign body entrapment, another common issue with hard lenses or gas permeable lenses in which a piece of dust or dirt gets behind the lens and causing intense pain. The fluid layer created by the scleral lens creates a comfortable ocular environment throughout lens wear. Scleral lenses are fit by a practitioner trained in this technology, and our office is proud to offer the latest technology in scleral lens options.
TECHNOLOGIES
OVITZ HIGHER ORDER ABBERATION TECHNOLOGY
A state-of-the-art patented technology system to enable patients to see unlike ever before. The OVITZ™ xwave system captures over 28 complex visual aberrations and provides individualized vision correction not possible with other readily available methods today. By eliminating higher-order aberrations of the entire visual system, patients can see optimally with vivid, ultra-sharp vision. Ideal candidates include any patient with irregular corneas and also normal patients seeking vision beyond 20/20.
EYEPRINT PROSTHETIC
Our office is the only office in the state of Nevada certified to fit and manage the EyePrintProsthetic. The EyePrint first involves obtaining an impression of the entire ocular surface, similar to taking a dental mold. The process is safe, painless, and only takes 80 seconds. Next, the impression is sent to the laboratory where a 3-D scanner is used to evaluate over 3 million points. Then, a prosthetic lens is fabricated unique to the patient’s eye. No two EyePrint devices are the same! This revolutionary technology allows for complete customization of the ocular surface. Some patients choose this design because they want the perfect fit when it comes to their contact lens needs; with other patients, the EyePrint is the only option for their ocular condition. EyePrint is hope.
