Contact lenses are typically overlooked as a treatment option in chronic dry eye patients, because they never worked well or patients have been told they were not a candidate for contact lenses in the past. In chronic disease conditions this is usually the case, but these may also be the patients that need them the most.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a disease that can be devastating to the mucous membranes leaving severe scarring and keratinization to the lid mucosa. The other issue is severe trichiasis, the lashes are fine and impossible to epilate and can be a cause of daily discomfort. When the dryness and foreign body tracking is so bad that neovascularization takes hold, it can be particularly challenging to treat. These patients are at high risk for erosions, scarring and infection.
Utilizing a scleral lens to protect the ocular surface provides a physical barrier, minimizes dessication and allows the cornea to heal.
This patient presented in 6/20/2018 with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. The photos below show the neovascularization from chronic dessication.
6/20/2018 - Pre-SynergEyes VS scleral wear
The patient has been wearing SynergEyes VS lenses for one and a half years. Look at the remarkable differences in lid and conjunctival injection and the decrease in active neovascularized corneal vessels.
12/4/2019 - After one and a half years of SynergEyes VS scleral wear.
This patient is also -5.00 diopter myope with fluctuating vision of 20/30-20/40 in glasses. Now she enjoys the bonus of 20/20 vision with the SynergEyes VS scleral lenses!
This study was performed by Crystal Remington, OD, FAAO, of the Tauber Eye Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Remington specializes in cornea and contact lenses. She completed her Doctor of Optometry at The New England College of Optometry (NECO) with honors.
SynergEyes is an advanced-technology contact lens company, providing a complete continuum of innovative products for contact lens specialists and their patients. Brands include Duette® hybrid lenses for astigmatism and presbyopia, UltraHealth® hybrid and SynergEyes VSTM scleral lenses for irregular corneas and SimplifEyes 1Day daily disposable soft contact lenses. The SynergEyes portfolio also includes ClearKone®, and SynergEyes® A, MF, KC, and PS hybrid lenses.