Dr. Gemoules and my first Scleral Lens

[tealeaf]

Hi Skazak,

Thanks for your reply. What is the size of lens? Can they fit into the standard clearcare case?

Do you still put eye drops while wearing the lens? How many hours do you wear the lens? and do you need to take the lens out and refill with saline?

Apologies for the many questions

[skazak]

Do you clean your lens with cleanser and put in weekly protein remover tablets? I am seeing Dr G next month, feeling nervous and excited. How I hope that the lens can help me.

As of now I use only ClearCare that I brought from the US. Dr.G did not recommend any rubbing the lens with cleaning solutions. He said that peroxide would do the job. Do not be nervous you'll be in good hands.

[tealeaf]

Skazak,
Many thanks for the information. Yes, Singapore sells AO Sept Plus!! I will go find out on NaCl 0,9% solution.

L8rgator,
Is you Clear care case 16mm diameter?

Dear all,
Do you clean your lens with cleanser and put in weekly protein remover tablets? I am seeing Dr G next month, feeling nervous and excited. How I hope that the lens can help me.

[skazak]

Thanks L8rgator for your replies, as always.
I don't think Singapore sells Clearcare disinfecting solution, but has similar type. As for the saline you are using at home, are they buffered saline? Don't think Singapore has Unisol too

tealeaf, you may want to check for any peroxide solution that is available in your country. For instance, Clear Care is marketed in my country under AO Sept Plus by CIBA Vision which is the same, as CIBA is owned by Alcon. Other similar solutions include One Step by Sauflon (UK Company) and Avizor Ever Clean (by Avizor, Spain). All these brand cases may carry the lens up to 16 mm of diameter. Fitters may have containers for bigger diameters as well so it is worth asking.
Unisol is a NaCl 0,9% solution and this was widely told on this site. You may find bottles or small 5ml or 10 ml capsules in a regular drug store in any country.
Here's a question though. My lens fitter told me not to rub sclerals just to put into the ClearCare or similar solutions as I may damage the coating whilst Alcon's instructions states that RGP material made lens should be rubbed before putting it into the case with solution. I'm kind of puzzled here.

[DCRdryeye]

L8rgator, are the new lenses you obtained asymmetrical or rotational?... how are they going for you compared to the first lens? Are you finding the extra width helpful? I certainly find 20mm provides better relief than an 18mm. But everything in dry eye is so individual, so I'm sure 18mm is fine for many people, it just wasn't for me.

[tealeaf]

The clearcare case fits the 18mm scleral for the most part. The case could stand to be just a couple mm bigger, but it works. I decided to try the PROSE style case for my 19.5mm (more on this later) because it was a worse fit in the clearcare case. Yeah I like the PROSE case far less. It's so big that the lenses just drop down to the bottom Did I say big? I meant GINORMOUS. The "scrubbing bubbles" don't have a chance to scrub the inside of the lens because it sits like a boat at the bottom. Plus it uses 3x as much solution - that seems wasteful. I'm back to the slightly too small clearcase case. I just need to bump the lens a bit lower before I close it, and then make sure the solution is covering the lens when I put the cap on. It works ok, just looks a little mismatched.

Thanks L8rgator for your replies, as always.
Good to hear that a normal contact lens solution case is good enough. I don't think Singapore sells Clearcare disinfecting solution, but has similar type. As for the saline you are using at home, are they buffered saline? Don't think Singapore has Unisol too

I have new lenses, and in my dry eye I do every 20 (windy or cool) -90 (hot and humid) minutes depending on the weather . I don't use drops over my right. I use just blink contacts nowadays.

You got new lenses from Dr G. Same dimension? Blink contacts drops better than normal saline?

[MGD666]

L8rgator: Anxiously awaiting details on your fitting with the new 19.5mm lens/es. When you have a chance, I'll be very interested to hear you "compare and contrast" the differences between the 18mm in terms of comfort level, etc...

[L8rgator]

The clearcare case fits the 18mm scleral for the most part. The case could stand to be just a couple mm bigger, but it works. I decided to try the PROSE style case for my 19.5mm (more on this later) because it was a worse fit in the clearcare case. Yeah I like the PROSE case far less. It's so big that the lenses just drop down to the bottom Did I say big? I meant GINORMOUS. The "scrubbing bubbles" don't have a chance to scrub the inside of the lens because it sits like a boat at the bottom. Plus it uses 3x as much solution - that seems wasteful. I'm back to the slightly too small clearcase case. I just need to bump the lens a bit lower before I close it, and then make sure the solution is covering the lens when I put the cap on. It works ok, just looks a little mismatched.

I have new lenses, and in my dry eye I do every 20 (windy or cool) -90 (hot and humid) minutes depending on the weather . I don't use drops over my right. I use just blink contacts nowadays.

[tealeaf]

Andre,
Any update on the sclera lens?

L8rgator,
Does the clearcare contact lens container big enough to fit sclera lens?

Dear all,
Do you still put eye drops in your eyes? How frequent? what drops do you use?

Thanks for your replies.

[L8rgator]

I use clearcare.

[tealeaf]

L8rgator,
Thanks for your prompt reply. Are you saying you used to apply night gel and yet no clouding with sclera lens?
Maybe I am thinking too much and worry too much

Can you share what solution do you use to disinfect the lens, wash the lens, etc? Many thanks.

[L8rgator]

My shirmers is 0, so pooling and toxic tears are not an issue with my cautery. Temp plugs laated less than 3 weeks for me. Permanent at most 6 months. After the last lower fell out i did have redness and swelling, bit it went away after a couple of days. Never happened before.

My flavor of the week this week forr nighttime is plain saline. Anything with oils has started to feel like i have dirt in my eye. But i seal my eye at night so that works for me. You may have no problems with residual clouding. I go through phases of using night gels and ointments without problems. You can wash and rinse with saline in the shower if you think it is becoming a problem.

[tealeaf]

DCRdryeye,
I asked the question as L8gator has cauterised both tear ducts in 1 eye. I have lower tear ducts cauterised for both eyes and plugs in upper tear ducts (1 eye has temporary one and 1 eye has umbrella plug). I am worried about infection building up in the eyes due to the pooling.

I have problem with temporary plug. Apparently, it dissolves too quickly. A 6-month plug usually takes 3-4 months to dissovle in my eye. The comfort is really marginal. A permanent umbrella plug helps but at times when the overflow is too much with the wrong tear composition, the eye still feels dry. But better than bone dry.

Do the use of sclera lens and cautery of lower punctums made your eyes feel comfortable?

Andre,
Sure, appreciate your update. I am keen to know since I am going in 2 months' time. I am feeling nervous too.

Dear all,
I am using eye gel to sleep. Understand that the use of eye gel at night will cause clouddiness in the sclera lens. What do you use in your eyes at night to sleep in (other than eye mask to cover the eyes)?

[André Pereira]

Thanks to everyone who wished me good luck.
I was very anxious.

The lenses have already been made. Are comfortable.
I prefer not to talk too much now because I'm out of my parameters.
When I return home, I can tell you my experience.

But I can tell that for sure they helped me relieve symptoms.
Tealeaf
Good luck on your trip.
Dr. G and his staff are excellent. You'll be in good hands.

Next week I will write more about the subject.

[DCRdryeye]

Tealeaf why are you having both upper and lower ducts cauterized in one eye? that's usually not recommended, it's always best to have the lower duct cauterized and if there's no relief, use a temporary 'upper' plug and if it helps then cautery maybe advised. That's the usual course of action. I've had both my lower ducts cauterized late last year and for the first time experienced 'seasonal conjunctivitis'. Apparently, histamines in the environment was building in the corners of my eye due to the pooling. I see it as "short term pain for long term gain" and Zaditen quickly cleared it up.

The cautery didn't help me very much at all unfortunately. I will try temporary plugs in the upper punctae and see if it helps.