Piggy back lenses - bandage contact under schleral vaulted lenses to prevent fogging

[Max]

I have switched from a optician to an optometrist at a University setting; he's a professor and practicing optometrist and I feel so relieved.

He's very open and answers questions. He's not insulted if you do your own research - my optometrist saw this as offensive to her and proof I didn't trust her. In fact she didn't know up from down.

I am now seeing:

Bruce Baldwin, OD, PhD, FAAO
University of North Carolina Kitner Eye Ophthalmology Center

Dr. Balwin has upped me to 18 mm lenses (right away - no questions asked) and I'm wearing a no prescription bandage contact lens (very thin) under the Jupiter scleral vaulted lenses from Visionary Optics this time.

He did a corneal topography imaging which my optician kept claiming she'd done, but would not show me. If she'd done this I would have remembered. It showed just how the lens was sitting on the eye and where the problem was - a slight lift - in the right. God love him. I could cry.

Has anyone else tried piggybacking lenses? I have no malbomian glad production in the left eye so he doesn't want me sleeping in these but I have to admit they are a pain to remove. I can't see them and neither can my husband. Removing them can end up irritating the eye.

My left eye which was the one that could not be fitted by the optician is now perfectly fit. I don't even feel it.

The right is little wiggly and ends up with bubbles constantly so I have to go back but he wanted me to try them. He thinks the lens needs to be just a little smaller for that eye based on the corneal topography images.

[Tanner]

I have not heard of this. Interesting

[Max]

He has several patients using the method successfully and said he really should write a paper on the subject.

The bandage lenses feel so good but I don't get the small correct the sclerals give me.

I had a real problem not only with bubbles and 16mm lenses that moved all over eye and my optician just would not order the 18 mm lenses and when she agreed to do it she said I would only have one single try at a fitting and then she would not do any more fittings - I'd had three I think - and she would not refund my money.

I also had problems with epithelial cells or material building up inside the lenses despite the fact they are plasma treated. I think the bandage 0 prescription lenses were to solve that issue. They were never used after my cataract surgery or my Lasik surgery to help heal the cornea and I've had some painful long term issues. I'm hoping this is it.

[Tanner]

Maybe use the little suction device to that gets the vaulted lens off to also get the piggy back lens off.

[Max]

Maybe use the little suction device to that gets the vaulted lens off to also get the piggy back lens off.

Dr.Balwin's nurse/assistant told me this could happen, and if it does, I'd be very lucky.... but so far it hasn't worked that way. This may not be tested enough, I need to have the right Jupiter updated and I haven't really tested this as much as I could have with two working lenses. But during the times I've worn the lenses piggyback, they haven't come off together once.

I noticed yesterday that suddenly the bandage lenses (no sclerals on top) began to really irritate my eyes when watching TV. I think it's a light sensitivity but it got so bad I had to remove them. I was surprised since people without extreme dry eye syndrome can sleep in these for up to 7 days and wear them day and night. But they were killing me.

Bandage lenses are used post surgically and to sooth corneal abrasions so this surprised me.