UW Department of Ophthalmology: CONTACT LENS CLINIC

Contact Lens Clinic at the University of Washington

At the University of Washington Eye Center in Seattle, we have the ability to fit many kinds of contact lenses,

including lenses both for normal eyes and those that have sustained injuries or changes caused by disease, or following surgery. Contact lens fittings are done in the UW Eye Center Satellite (206-598-2096) at the UW Medical Center, under the direction of James Toop, OD, PhD.

Before being fitted for contacts, we require that everyone have a recent comprehensive eye examination, which is generally done at either the Satellite or the main Eye Center. After that, the length of time that it takes to complete the fitting part varies somewhat, depending on past history and how complicated the type of lens is. For example, for someone who is currently wearing 2-week disposable lenses and likes what they have, we probably will be able to give them a pair of lenses before they leave. But a person who has never worn contacts before will not only a fitting session to determine the appropriate kind of contact lenses, but those will then need to be ordered, and the individual return for a time of teaching about lens handling and care. All of these visits, as well as any required for followup, are included in the cost of the lens fitting.

Most of the contacts that we fit are to replace eyeglasses for full-time wear, and these may be of many different kinds. The most commonly used kind is still one of a variety of soft lenses, which may be clear or colored, conventional or disposable, daily- or extended-wear, and with or without correction for astigmatism (toric lenses).

In the last few years there has been rapid growth in the types of disposable lenses that are made; there are, for instance, two different brands that are designed to be worn one time only and then disposed of. More commonly, disposable lenses are planned to be changed every 2 weeks, and there are now many options not only for those who have 'normal' prescriptions, but a growing selection for those who need toric lenses for the correction of astigmatism. While these are more costly than nontoric (spherical) contacts, the recommended change-intervals (1-3 months) are longer than those suggested for the spherical lenses, which keeps the costs affordable. A number of the brands of spherical disposable lenses are available in different colors.

Conventional soft contact lenses are available in an even wider range of parameters than for the disposable, both in the number of different kinds of toric and spherical lenses that are made, and also in the number of colors, which may be used either to enhance or to change eye color. People who have a large degree of astigmatism and have been told that they could not wear soft contacts, now have a wide variety of options, sometimes even in colored toric lenses.

If you require bifocals to read, there are two other choices to consider in contact lenses. We fit many people using monovision, in which the correction in one eye is left for best distance vision, while the correction in the other eye is adjusted to allow comfortable reading vision. Bifocal soft contact lenses are also available, either in one of several conventional or two disposable options, and under the right circumstances, these lenses can work very effectively.

We also fit rigid gas-permeable contact lenses of many different kinds, either to replace glasses, either in spherical or a variety of toric designs.

An eye that has been injured can be fitted with either rigid or soft contact lenses, depending on what is needed. A rigid contact lens may restore much useful vision if there has been significant corneal damage, while in a disfigured eye, a custom-designed soft masking contact, with as close a color match to the uninjured eye as possible, can produce marked cosmetic.

We invite you phone us for an appointment, to determine which type of contact lens is most appropriate for you. Our telephone number in Seattle is (206) 598-2096.

				Patient Care UW Eye Center
	Contact Lens Clinic at the University of Washington At the University of Washington Eye Center in Seattle, we have the ability to fit many kinds of contact lenses, including lenses both for normal eyes and those that have sustained injuries or changes caused by disease, or following surgery. Contact lens fittings are done in the UW Eye Center Satellite (206-598-2096) at the UW Medical Center, under the direction of James Toop, OD, PhD. Before being fitted for contacts, we require that everyone have a recent comprehensive eye examination, which is generally done at either the Satellite or the main Eye Center. After that, the length of time that it takes to complete the fitting part varies somewhat, depending on past history and how complicated the type of lens is. For example, for someone who is currently wearing 2-week disposable lenses and likes what they have, we probably will be able to give them a pair of lenses before they leave. But a person who has never worn contacts before will not only a fitting session to determine the appropriate kind of contact lenses, but those will then need to be ordered, and the individual return for a time of teaching about lens handling and care. All of these visits, as well as any required for followup, are included in the cost of the lens fitting. Most of the contacts that we fit are to replace eyeglasses for full-time wear, and these may be of many different kinds. The most commonly used kind is still one of a variety of soft lenses, which may be clear or colored, conventional or disposable, daily- or extended-wear, and with or without correction for astigmatism (toric lenses). In the last few years there has been rapid growth in the types of disposable lenses that are made; there are, for instance, two different brands that are designed to be worn one time only and then disposed of. More commonly, disposable lenses are planned to be changed every 2 weeks, and there are now many options not only for those who have 'normal' prescriptions, but a growing selection for those who need toric lenses for the correction of astigmatism. While these are more costly than nontoric (spherical) contacts, the recommended change-intervals (1-3 months) are longer than those suggested for the spherical lenses, which keeps the costs affordable. A number of the brands of spherical disposable lenses are available in different colors. Conventional soft contact lenses are available in an even wider range of parameters than for the disposable, both in the number of different kinds of toric and spherical lenses that are made, and also in the number of colors, which may be used either to enhance or to change eye color. People who have a large degree of astigmatism and have been told that they could not wear soft contacts, now have a wide variety of options, sometimes even in colored toric lenses. If you require bifocals to read, there are two other choices to consider in contact lenses. We fit many people using monovision, in which the correction in one eye is left for best distance vision, while the correction in the other eye is adjusted to allow comfortable reading vision. Bifocal soft contact lenses are also available, either in one of several conventional or two disposable options, and under the right circumstances, these lenses can work very effectively. We also fit rigid gas-permeable contact lenses of many different kinds, either to replace glasses, either in spherical or a variety of toric designs. An eye that has been injured can be fitted with either rigid or soft contact lenses, depending on what is needed. A rigid contact lens may restore much useful vision if there has been significant corneal damage, while in a disfigured eye, a custom-designed soft masking contact, with as close a color match to the uninjured eye as possible, can produce marked cosmetic. We invite you phone us for an appointment, to determine which type of contact lens is most appropriate for you. Our telephone number in Seattle is (206) 598-2096.