Contact Lens Spectrum recently published an article by Koch that discussed the benefits of silicone hydrogels and the growing interest in soft specialty lens designs. Eye care practitioners are increasingly choosing silicone hydrogel lenses as their modality of first choice. But the lens options for unique prescriptions and specialty lens designs with this material have had limited availability. The article focuses not only on the challenging cornea, but it also stresses the potential of custom made soft lenses for multifocal lens corrections, for instance. But perhaps the biggest potential of all, possibly involving millions of lens wearers, is the theoretical option to inhibit myopia progression with soft lenses, according to the article. Read the full article in Contact Lens Spectrum - September 2010

Rigid gas permeable contact lenses have always been the gold standard for managing keratoconus, and still are. Fitting these lenses can be quite challenging at times though, and comfort is not always optimal. Custom wavefront-guided soft contact lenses have demonstrated an ability to provide equivalent photopic high contract visual acuity in some cases to that achieved with habitual rigid gas permeable correction, as described in Optometry & Vision Science (full article available) by Marsack, Parker and Applegate from the Visual Optics Institute, College of Optometry at the University of Houston (USA).

During the recent decade, all major contact lens manufacturers have changed their portofolio from unplanned replacement soft contact lenses to frequent replacement and disposables lenses. Whereas conventional lenses were often available in many different diameters and radii of curvature, disposable lenses mostly have the "one size fits all" philosophy. For some patients this does not work, and for them some good alternatives are available, also in silicone hydrogel materials. See this link for two cases of very steep 'normal' corneas illustrating this fact.

Case Report by Vincent Molkenboer

The effect of the horizontal visible iris diameter and keratometry (K) value relationship is most magnified at the extremes (like large, steep corneas and small, flat corneas). A large, steep cornea, for instance, will have a sagittal height that is much deeper than a more average eye and will require a much larger and deeper soft contact lens. The patients at the extremes make ideal candidates for custom soft contact lenses as the inventory or "off the rack" lens is intended and designed for the more normal or average eye. Click here for more