Contact Lenses

At Charl Laäs Optometrists we have a special interest in fitting all forms of contact lenses. Not being content with fitting only the normal refractive error cases we also fit the more challenging cases. These include patients with high astigmatism, corneas with irregular shapes due to disease or trauma and people requiring vision enhancement after refractive surgery.

Modern day contact lenses have all become super specialised to allow for even the most discerning person’s visual and comfort needs to be met. Advancements in contact lens materials made form Silicone hydrogel and other high gas permeable polymers allow patients to sleep with their contact lenses for extended periods. Double aspheric design contact lenses provide superior comfort and clear aberration free vision. Speciality coatings and bio-friendly materials mean that even dry eye and allergy prone patients can enjoy contact lens wear. No matter what your requirements are, there is a contact lens on the market to meet your needs.

Contact lenses usually are divided into groups depending on their materials, replacement schedules or uses:

Disposable Contact Lenses

Daily Disposable Contact Lenses are lenses that are replaced on a daily basis.
Two weekly Disposable Contact lenses are disposable contact lenses that are replaced every two weeks. An example of this is the whole range of Acuvue soft contact lenses from Johnson & Johnson.
Monthly Disposable Contact Lenses are frequently replaceable lenses that are replaced every 30 days or once a month. Most soft disposable contact lenses fall within this range.
Continuous Wear Contact Lenses are a new generation of monthly disposable Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses available on the market. The new material allows maximum oxygen to reach the cornea to allow normal physiological function even when the lenses are worn on an extended or continuous wear basis.
Conventional Contact Lenses are normally replaced on a 3 month, 12 month or 24 month schedule. Conventional lenses are normally custom made for our patients and allows for a more individualised fit.

Astigmatic Contact Lenses

Astigmatic Contact Lenses or toric contact lenses are lenses for people with astigmatism. Toric lenses are available in daily, monthly or two yearly replaceable soft contact lenses or in Rigid Gas Permeable lenses. With all the new designs of toric contact lenses on the market virtually all forms of astigmatism (regular and irregular) can be successfully fitted with contact lenses.

Presbyopic Contact lenses

Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses are used to correct the sight of people who struggle to see near objects after the age of 40, a condition called presbyopia. They are available in daily or monthly disposable soft contact lenses or in RGP lenses.

Colored Contact lenses

Colour Contact Lenses enhance or change the colour of the eye and are available with or without a prescription.
Prosthetic Contact Lenses are custom rehabilitation contact lenses to restore the colour of the eye to its original colour.
Special-Effect Contact Lenses also known as crazy lenses are lenses with strange and interesting designs for parties and special occasions.

Rigid Gas Permeable Contact lenses

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses can be used to correct any form of refractive error. Although this lens type is more complex to fit and is initially more uncomfortable than soft contact lenses, the optical results are usually far more superior to soft contact lenses.
Keratoconus Contact Lenses are specially designed contact lenses for patients with Keratoconus. They can be made of soft or RGP material and some hybrid lenses exist that contain both soft and Rigid material in the same lens.
Post-Refractive Surgery Contact lenses are specially designed contact lenses to correct the vision of people on whom refractive surgery was not successful.
Penetrating Keratoplasty (Corneal graft) Contact Lenses are specially designed contact lenses to correct the vision of people who received donor corneas.

Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology Lenses are worn only at night, to improve vision through the reshaping of the cornea. This method can be used as an alternative to glasses, refractive surgery, or for those who prefer not to wear contact lenses during the day.

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