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Family Eye Exam Source LLC

Joel T. Getty O.D. Independent Optometrist

Inside Vision Max in the Loyal Plaza

1879 East 3rd St. Williamsport, PA 17701

(570)329-0188

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Becoming Glasses Free

A General Discussion for the Curious

by Joel T. Getty OD

There are many options out there for people to become glasses free. These include contact lenses, refractive surgeries, and vision exercises. Since vision exercises are somewhat controversial in their effectiveness even in people with smaller prescriptions I will not write about it here. For the rest of the vision corrected population out there, I will discuss the many options in contact lenses and refractive surgeries. When talking about being glasses free I mean being free from spectacles 100% of the time so patients will fall into two categories: Those under 40 who currently rely on glasses, and those over 40 who need reading glasses or use bifocals.

For the under 40 group the options are many, but start to decline after middle age. The most obvious and oldest option for becoming glasses free is contact lenses, and the newer somewhat more risky option being Refractive Laser Surgeries (from here referred to as RLS)(aka. LASIK, PRK, LASEK). Both contacts and RLS can successfully correct for a myriad of refractive conditions like myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. While RLS is fairly straight forward in its completion, (walk in, get surgery, walk out), contact lenses as a category open up a whole new world of options for the refractively challenged.

Contact Lenses:

The first contacts to be used commercially were hard lenses made of a special plastic that when inserted in the eye was very uncomfortable at first, but the clear vision outweighed the temporary discomfort. Updates to the plastic material and lens designs has made hard lenses, now called Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses, much more comfortable, but still intolerable to many wearers. While RGPs account for less of the market share today, they provide the most clear vision possible, even better that glasses or soft lenses, and some old-school doctors and patients prefer them. Some conditions, like Keratoconus (thinning of the cornea) require a RPG to get any decent vision at all. As technology developed, people's interests in contact lenses grew and now Soft Contact Lenses are the norm. Most notably disposable contacts, which can be warn anywhere from one day, up to 30, and disposed of after one day or up to two months. Generally, contacts that are kept for a year or more are called conventional soft contacts, and I rarely prescribe them because of cost, health risk to the eyes, and poor comfort. Disposable lenses are more healthy for the eye, require less cleaning, can cost less, and are the most comfortable. If you use contact lenses, you must always replace them on a schedule that was prescribed by your doctor and not by your pocket book. If you can't afford new lenses, use your glasses, don't wear old lenses beyond their prescribed replacement schedule, or you could possible damage the health of your eye. Remember, even if your eyes are comfortable and your vision is clear, old contact lenses can pose a serious, possibly blinding, risk to your eye health.

New Technology Allows Overnight Wear:

In the past, soft contact lenses were made with a flexible plastic polymer called hydrogel, which was very comfortable but allowed very little oxygen to the eye and needed to be removed at night for the wearer to maintain a healthy eye while sleeping. Recently however, a new class of Soft Contact Lenses has emerged called Silicon Hydrogel. By adding silicon molecules to the hydrogel materials researchers were able to create contact lenses that were so breathable and comfortable, that the FDA has approved many different lenses, called Extended Wear Lenses, for overnight wear from six continuous nights up to 30 days of continuous wear. Imagine waking up every morning without reaching for your glasses or struggling with contacts. I prefer the Purevision Silicon Hydrogel Contacts, because they are FDA approved for up to 30 days of overnight wear, provide clear, comfortable vision for people with or without astigmatism, are priced affordably, and even come with multi-focal options for people who use bifocal glasses or readers. Nobody pays me to use Purevision, and I will always pick the right lens for you and your eyes. If the Purevision lens is not right for you I also will use Focus Night and Day, Acuvue Advance, Acuvue Oasys, and also O2Optix. On your next visit ask me how an Extended Wear Silicon Hydrogel Lens can help you become Glasses Free!

Refractive Laser Surgeries (RLS):

In the 1980s the FDA approved a surgery that could be performed on the eye to help people with refractive error see without glasses. Basically, this new surgery used Lasers to reshape the cornea (front surface of the eye) and mimic the light focusing properties of glasses or contacts, thereby allowing patients to become Glasses Free. The original procedure called PRK is still in use today and is considered the Gold Standard of RLS. Though many people were satisfied with there new vision, PRK has a long, uncomfortable recovery period (a week to six weeks) because the superficial layers of the cornea must heal and regrow before the reshaping can take hold. That's why LASIK was invented and became available in the US in the 1990s. With LASIK, the surgeon uses a blade to make a flap on the front of the cornea, then the laser is applied to the deep layers of the cornea. All this takes place in about 30 seconds, then the flap is sealed back down and the eyes are kept closed for five hours. Many people just go to sleep and when they wake up they have good vision Glasses Free! Some people can even return to work the next day. This is why many people prefer LASIK to PRK, but with LASIK the flap that is created by the blade can cause more possible risks, so it is important that you talk with your doctor and surgeon to find out which procedure you are elligble for. Remember, with any refractive surgery there are risks to you and your eyes, and there are no guarantees to the quality of vision after the procedure, so choose wisely.

Glasses Free Over 40:

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