Custom Contact Lenses for Personalized Vision Correction

Scleral lenses are large diameter gas permeable lenses that vault over the entire cornea and rest on the white part of your eye called the sclera. These lenses create a fluid-filled space between the lens and your cornea, providing excellent comfort and vision for irregular corneal surfaces. They are particularly effective for keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, and eyes with scarring or irregularity. Your provider selects high oxygen permeability materials and monitors for hypoxia-related changes during follow-up.

Because scleral lenses do not touch the sensitive cornea, many patients find them comfortable for extended daily wear when properly fitted and cared for. The fluid reservoir beneath the lens also helps keep the eye surface hydrated, making scleral lenses an excellent option for people with severe dry eye. We customize the vault depth, diameter, and landing zone of each scleral lens to match your unique eye anatomy.

Custom soft contact lenses can be manufactured in prescription powers far beyond what standard soft lenses offer. If you have high myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism that exceeds typical lens parameters, custom soft lenses may provide the correction you need. These lenses combine the comfort of soft materials with the precision of custom design.

• Available in extended power ranges for extreme prescriptions
• Can be made in unique base curves for better fit on steep or flat corneas
• Offer custom toric designs for high regular astigmatism; for irregular astigmatism, GP, scleral, hybrid, or specialty soft designs for irregular corneas are often preferred
• May include specialized edge designs to improve comfort and stability

Custom gas permeable lenses, also called GP or RGP lenses, are rigid lenses that allow oxygen to reach your cornea while providing crisp, stable vision. We can design these lenses with unique back surface curves to match irregular corneal shapes or with special optical zones to correct complex refractive errors. GP lenses maintain their shape on the eye, making them ideal for correcting moderate to high astigmatism.

Modern custom GP designs can incorporate multiple curves, reverse geometry for orthokeratology applications, or specialized peripheral zones for better comfort. While GP lenses require an adaptation period, many patients appreciate the sharp vision and long-term eye health benefits they provide. Orthokeratology is an overnight modality that requires strict hygiene, adherence to follow-up, and prompt reporting of symptoms because overnight lens wear carries a higher infection risk.

Hybrid contact lenses feature a rigid gas permeable center surrounded by a soft lens skirt. This design combines the optical clarity of a GP lens with the comfort and stability of a soft lens. Hybrid lenses are custom designed to vault over irregular corneas while the soft skirt helps center and stabilize the lens on your eye. Some hybrid designs are intended for regular corneas, while others are built to vault irregular corneas.

We may recommend hybrid lenses if you need the crisp vision that rigid lenses provide but have struggled with GP lens comfort. The custom fitting process ensures the rigid center properly aligns with your visual axis while the soft periphery conforms to your eye shape. These lenses work well for keratoconus, high astigmatism, and other conditions requiring precise optical correction.

Custom toric lenses correct astigmatism with precision that standard toric contacts cannot match. We can design lenses with specific axis orientations, multiple cylinder powers, or unique stabilization features to keep the lens properly aligned. For patients over 40 experiencing presbyopia, custom multifocal or bifocal lenses can be tailored to your specific near and distance vision requirements.

• Custom toric designs for high, irregular, or oblique astigmatism
• Personalized multifocal zones based on your pupil size and visual demands
• Translating bifocal designs that move with your gaze
• Combination lenses addressing both astigmatism and presbyopia

Prosthetic contact lenses are custom designed to improve the appearance of eyes affected by injury, disease, or congenital conditions. These lenses can be painted to match your other eye, cover disfiguring scars, or reduce light sensitivity from iris defects. While they serve a cosmetic purpose, prosthetic lenses can also improve vision by creating an artificial pupil or reducing glare from iris damage.

We create prosthetic lenses by carefully matching the color and pattern of your healthy eye or designing an appearance that meets your goals. Some prosthetic lenses are purely cosmetic, while others combine cosmetic enhancement with vision correction. Custom cosmetic lenses can also change eye color for patients with specific aesthetic preferences, though we ensure any cosmetic lens maintains eye health and oxygen transmission. Because prosthetic lenses can be thicker and reduce oxygen transmission, wear time may be limited based on your eye health.

All contact lenses are medical devices and require a valid prescription and professional fitting. Avoid purchasing cosmetic or decorative lenses from unregulated sources.

After you receive your final custom contact lenses, we schedule regular follow-up appointments to monitor your eye health and lens performance. Your first check-up typically occurs within one to two weeks of starting full-time wear. During these visits, we examine your corneas for any signs of stress, ensure adequate oxygen is reaching your eye tissues, and verify that your lenses remain properly fitted.

Ongoing monitoring is essential for long-term success with custom lenses. We recommend progress evaluations at intervals appropriate for your lens type and eye condition, often every three to six months initially, then annually once your wear is stable. These visits allow us to detect problems early and make adjustments before they affect your vision or comfort.

Some variation in comfort is normal as you adapt to custom contact lenses, but persistent or increasing discomfort requires evaluation. If your lenses feel uncomfortable after the initial adaptation period, they may need adjustment. Vision changes can indicate that your prescription has shifted, your lenses have deposited or warped, or your eye condition has progressed.

• Contact our office if discomfort persists beyond the expected adaptation period
• Report any redness, pain, light sensitivity, or discharge promptly
• Note if your vision becomes blurry or fluctuates throughout the day
• Keep track of when symptoms occur and what activities make them better or worse

• If you experience midday fogging with scleral lenses, consider a midday reservoir refresh, verify fill solution, and discuss ocular surface treatment with your provider
• Use only lubricating drops that are approved for use with your lens type
• Bring your lenses, case, and solutions to follow-up visits to review your care routine

Your eyes and vision can change over time, sometimes requiring lens modifications or complete refitting. Conditions like keratoconus may progress, prescriptions can shift, and corneal shape can evolve after surgery or with age. When changes occur, we reassess your eyes and determine whether minor parameter adjustments will suffice or if you need entirely new custom lenses.

Refitting follows a similar process to your initial fitting, with updated measurements and trial lenses. We compare current findings to your baseline data to understand how your eyes have changed. Most adjustments are straightforward, but significant changes may require exploring different lens designs or materials to maintain optimal vision and eye health.

Achieving lasting success with custom contact lenses depends on consistent wear and care habits, regular professional monitoring, and open communication with our eye care team. Most patients who follow recommended practices enjoy years of clear, comfortable vision with their custom lenses. Your commitment to proper lens hygiene, wearing schedules, and routine check-ups directly influences your long-term outcomes.

We partner with you throughout your custom lens journey, adjusting our recommendations as your needs evolve. Maintaining realistic expectations helps as well, understanding that custom lenses require more initial investment of time and effort than standard contacts but deliver vision that may not be achievable any other way. Many patients find that custom lenses dramatically improve their quality of life.

Certain symptoms indicate potential serious problems that require urgent evaluation. Remove your contact lenses immediately and contact our office if you experience sudden vision loss, severe eye pain, intense light sensitivity, or significant redness. Discharge, especially if green or yellow, may signal an infection requiring prompt treatment.

• Sudden decrease in vision that does not improve after removing your lenses
• Severe pain or feeling like something is stuck in your eye
• Intense redness or bloodshot appearance that worsens over hours
• Thick discharge, crusting, or mattering of your eyelids
• Flashes of light, new floaters, or shadows in your peripheral vision
• A new white or gray spot on the clear surface of your eye
• Severe pain out of proportion to exam findings or inability to open the eye