Specialty Contact Lenses

Specialty contact lenses are an effective treatment for many ocular conditions. They can help to restore vision in severely sick or damaged eyes. We use the most advanced contact lens technology and instrumentation, and can fit patients for every type of contact lens from basic disposable soft lenses to the most specialized and complex of all types. These eye conditions include:

• Irregular or scarred corneas from trauma
• Keratoconus, corneal ectasia and Intacs® corneal implants
• Post-corneal transplantation and corneal cross-linking 
• Debilitating ocular conditions, such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), Sjögren’s syndrome, neurotrophic keratitis or Stevens-Johnson syndrome, cicatricial Ocular pemphigoid and many others
• Severe dry eye 

Emory Eye Center has specialty contact lenses for infants and children with certain eye conditions to help their vision develop normally. These conditions include:

• Aphakia (no natural lens) after congenital cataract surgery
• High or unequal eyeglasses prescription
• Trauma or corneal scarring

Types of specialty contact lenses

The Specialty Contact Lens Service at Emory Eye Center offers every type of contact lens. These include:

• Colored lenses and tinted lenses for light-sensitive eyes
• Disposable lenses and daily-wear soft lenses
• Extended-wear contact lenses for aphakia (a condition where you are missing your natural eye lens)
• Gas-permeable corneal and scleral lenses
• Lifestyle contact lenses (multifocal and bifocal)
• Specialized keratoconus lenses (custom soft, hybrid and scleral)

We can customize most lenses to meet your specific vision needs.

Scleral contact lenses provide clarity and comfort. They’re particularly helpful for people who haven’t found other contact lenses effective.

Conditions scleral contact lenses treat

Scleral lenses can improve vision and reduce pain and light sensitivity for people with specific disorders. These include:

• Corneal ectasia
• Dry eye
• Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
• Keratoconus
• Neurotrophic keratopathy/keratitis (anesthetic corneas)
• Sjögren’s syndrome

Scleral lenses also can help people who:

• Cannot close their eyes completely
• Have eye injuries from surgical complications, chemicals or burns
• Experience complications after surgery, including:
  • Corneal transplant
  • LASIK
  • Pellucid marginal degeneration
  • Photorefractive keratectomy
  • Radial keratotomy

How scleral contact lenses work

Curves in the lens design create a liquid layer between your eye and the lens. This layer continuously hydrates your eye. It also protects your eye from contact with wind, dust and allergens. We customize all scleral lenses to fit you.

Scleral cover shell lenses

Scleral cover shell lenses are prosthetic contact lenses. They can improve your vision if you are extremely visually impaired. Each lens is unique. Manufacturers design the lens to provide an exact match for the shape of an individual eye.

The lenses are oxygen permeable, so they allow oxygen to pass through. They have a special coating to reduce friction and protein and lipid deposits. This helps improve your comfort, eye health and vision.

Rigid gas-permeable contact lenses are made of durable plastic that transmits oxygen. They’re also called “hard contacts,” RGP lenses, GP lenses and oxygen permeable lenses.

Candidates for RGP lenses

RGP contacts can be a good option for people who have:

• Age-related changes in their ability to focus on things close by
• Astigmatism and haven’t had success with soft lenses
• Dry eye
• Had refractive surgery and need contacts
• Keratoconus

How RPG lenses work

RGP lenses provide sharper vision than most soft lenses. They are extremely durable and come in many bifocal and multifocal designs. With proper care, RGP lenses can last up to two years.

However, RGP lenses have a longer adjustment period than soft contact lenses. It can take a few weeks before you’re comfortable wearing them.

Hybrid contact lenses are a combination of RGP and soft lenses. Rigid gas permeable lens material is in the center. Soft lens material, such as silicone or hydrogel, makes up the outer area.

Hybrid lenses provide the sharpness of vision of RGP lenses and the comfort of a soft lens. They come in a variety of options, including progressive and multifocal. We can also design hybrid lenses to correct keratoconus and other corneal problems.

Some conditions can cause your eyes to look different. These include trauma to the eye, a disease or a congenital condition.

Prosthetic and soft tinted (or painted) contact lenses improve the appearance of scarred or disfigured eyes. They offer cosmetic, therapeutic and psychological benefits.

Contact lenses tinted in the center can help with light sensitivity. People with aniridia (partial or full absence of the iris) or achromatopsia (color blindness) can wear these to block light and reduce glare. Special lenses may reduce or eliminate double vision when regular eyeglasses or contacts aren’t effective.