Dr. Todd Winkler is one of only a relatively few optometrists in the Cincinnati area who treats patients with keratoconus, a condition in which the cornea becomes thin and distorted.
Contact Lens Options for Keratoconus
There are both rigid gas permeable and hybrid lenses available for keratoconus. Since we have multiple fitting sets in-office, a higher success rate is achieved, and the fitting process is expedited. There is no one single type or brand of contact lens that can be used to successfully manage all keratoconus patients. Therefore, the greater the number of options, the higher the success rate.
Rigid Gas Permeable Contacts for Keratoconus
Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses have traditionally been the most common type of contact lens prescribed to manage keratoconus because of their ability to deliver improved vision due to their rigidity. Thus, hard lenses mask the irregular shape of the cornea induced by keratoconus. As a result of the oftentimes extreme shapes that affected corneas can assume, keratoconus RGP lenses are usually either much smaller or much larger than RGP lenses prescribed for normal corneas. However, the main disadvantage of RGP lenses is the lessened degree of comfort that is experienced by some wearers of by wearers of RGP lenses.
Hybrid Contact Lenses for Keratoconus
Hybrid lenses are comprised of a rigid (RGP) center surrounded by a peripheral soft (hydrogel) skirt. Therefore, these lenses can provide the improved clarity of a rigid lens with the enhanced comfort of a soft lens. Synergeyes® is the lone manufacturer of this unique category of lenses, and Dr. Winkler is one of only a few eye care professionals in Cincinnati who can prescribe them.