I have been treating patients with Keratoconus since the 1980’s, and it’s because of my experience with this degenerative eye disease that I am often asked to teach other doctors how to effectively treat KC. One of the most effective treatments for Keratoconus — as well as several other eye conditions — is with Scleral Lenses.
I have not only prescribed and fitted thousands of Scleral Lenses, I wear them for my own Keratoconus. I couldn’t see well without them.
The good people at AccuLens asked me to lecture and demonstrate the proper prescription and fitting of Scleral Lenses at the Scleral Lens Academy at Western University this past August 18. It was a successful training event with over 40 doctors and students in attendance — a big crowd for a sunny Sunday in Southern California.
What We Covered
During the lecture portion of the Scleral Lens Academy, we discussed…
- What are Scleral Lenses
- What advantages to Scleral Lenses have over other kinds of specialty lenses
- What conditions are Scleral Lenses are best suited for
- How to determine, design and fit Scleral Lenses
- How to troubleshoot problems with Scleral Lenses
- Multifocal Scleral Lenses
- Billing issues for medical insurance vs vision insurance
Training With Live Patients at the Scleral Lens Academy
After the lecture portion, we moved to the live participation part of the day, where I was joined by AccuLens President Bill Masler, and Territory Manager Brett Cochran.
Several doctors brought patients and we had a total of 7 live patients with conditions ranging from Keratoconus to Ectasia and Dry Eye.
The participants rotated among the patients and did the diagnosis and fitting. We ran 7 exam lanes, and every station had three to four participants. We discussed the approach and recommendations of each participant with them and gave our perspectives about how they could improve the fit and satisfaction for the patient.
Scleral Lens fitting is complex, often requiring several visits and lens prescriptions. So our goal is always to increase the percentage of first fit success among the doctors I work with. The participants showed significant improvements throughout the course of the day.
How We Help Your Practice
We run clinics like the Scleral Lens Academy in order to help other Optometrists learn more about how Scleral Lenses can help their patients. If you are an Optometrist and didn’t have a chance to attend this Scleral Lens Academy, please write me and I will notify you about the next one.
In the meanwhile, you should know that I often work with other eye care professionals to serve their patients and collaborate on their care, and by providing Keratoconus resources for doctors like you. If you have patients with a condition for which Scleral Lenses would be appropriate, contact me so we can help your patients together.
Or, if you have questions about Scleral Lenses, when they are appropriate, how to design them, and how to fit them better, please call me at my office: 818-891-6711. I’d be happy to talk with you.
