kerasoft3

[deadmoon]

Hi everybody

Simple question, after going over many topics in this forum (which I am new to by the way), I see
that soft lens options for KC are not mature enough yet, and I ll be left with my RGP for a while more?
Specifically, I am wondering the results if anyone has the time to share here, for the Kerasoft3 lenses
of Ultravision, since they seem to be the newest soft solution ?
Are they worth trying ?
I know that KC and the results are too much case-dependent, but I d greatly appreciate any input here..
Regards

[alice44]

Hi,

I'm afraid I can only be of little help as I have tried them twice at the hospital, but I'm waiting for a few adjustments to my prescription before I can take them home. My initial thoughts are quite positive though. I was unable to wear RGP lenses those many years ago when I tried them as they kept popping out and were really uncomfortable!

It's difficult to say until I can try the lenses properly, but what I would say is that they reduced the glare/multiple images I get from glasses and they were very comfortable.

I will let you know more when the final ones are ready!
p.s Have you tried sclerals? They also worked well for me.

[Andrew MacLean]

Hello deadmoon, and welcome to the forum!

I guess that you have noticed that with keratoconus, the experience of each of us is different. We have different eyes, different stages of KC, different responses to different lenses and lens materials!

It is for this reason that there is no 'standard' lens for KC, although by and large the best results for the greatest number of people seem to be provided by RGP corneal lenses. Yet there are people who are simply unable to wear RGP corneals, so the clever people who make lenses keep trying to come up with new materials and new lens designs that will provide a solution for the people who are not currently served by any of the range of available lenses.

Enter Kerasoft 3. The answer to your question is 'yes, this does look promising', but also, 'no it will not be the ideal lens for everybody'. I guess that the best advice you can be given here is to ask your optometrist.

Your optometrist sees your eyes, knows how advanced your KC has become and is aware of any difficulty you have had with 'fit' of other lenses. By all means ask about Kerasoft 3. If your optometrist is not familiar with this new development, be prepared to give her (him?) a note of the Ultravision WebSite. In the end, though, you have to be prepared to seek guidance of your eye-care professional. That said, you are the one who has to make decisions about your eyes; so keep asking questions until you are satisfied that you understand the answers and are in a position to make your decision about what happens next.

Every good wish.

Andrew

[Lynn White]

Hi Deadmoon,

Asking members if a lens is "worth trying" is very difficult as every person is different and what works for one person may not for another. As you don't give any details at all about your eyes, you are really asking an impossible question (as I think you understand, really)!! As a professional, I also have to say that you need to ask your contact lens fitter, as he/she is the only person who knows your eyes well enough to form an opinion. I think Andrew has covered this very well here.

But to talk more generally, soft lenses are definitely an option where comfort is involved. Either as stand alone lenses or as the "bottom" lens in a piggy back system. In more advanced cases, they sometimes do not give as good vision as rigid lenses but many people willingly trade some drop in vision in order to get a much longer, comfortable wearing time.

However, as far as vision goes, new optical "wavefront technology" is increasingly applied to soft lenses which improves the vision by reducing what we call HOAs (Higher Order Aberrations). This applies to the KeraSoft3, which is why Alice reported less glare and multiple images. The comfort is also very good in this lens due to the new Silicone Hydrogel material.

Also, if you are transferring directly to soft lenses of any type from an RGP lens, it will take a while for the vision to settle. This is because the RGP lenses, as they are very rigid, tend to mould the cornea to a greater or lesser extent and when you transfer to soft lenses, a certain amount of "unmoulding" takes place. The time this takes to settle down is very case dependent.

The point Andrew and I are making is that yes, advice is case dependent - VERY case dependent and there are lot of variables involved with keratoconus that really do not apply to the normal contact lens population, If you want information as to the success rate of the KeraSoft3 specifically, you are welcome to pm, email or phone me, as I am a consultant for the company that makes the lenses. Even then, this is no substitute for talking to your own practitioner!