1. UNIVERSITY OF GONDAR
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCE
COMPREHENSIVE SPECIALISED HOSPITAL
DEPARTMENT OF OPTOMETRY
Presentation on soft contact lens fitting procedure and assessment
Prepared by; Getenet Shumet (BSc, MSc student)
Moderator; Haile woretaw (MSc,F-LVPEI,Ass’t prof)
Gondar, Ethiopia
July, 2021
3. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this presentation we will able to;
Define soft contact lens
Describe the types of soft contact lens fitting
List factors affecting soft contact lens fitting
List and describe each steps of soft contact lens fitting
Describe the soft contact lens fitting assessment
List steps of soft contact lens insertion and removal
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4. Introduction
Soft contact lens is a type of contact lens made of soft, flexible
plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea
Are made of a flexible hydrophilic or modern silicone- hydrogel
material
Easier to adjust and are more comfortable than RGP lenses
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5. Cont…
Have a wide spherical and toric power range
Soft contact lenses continue to dominate most contact lens
markets
The first lens is fit empirically
Fitting procedure and assessment is depend on the lens type
There are different ways of fitting assessment of soft contact
lens
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6. Soft contact lens fitting
Contact lens fitting can be:
Empirical fitting: without use of any trial lens
Diagnostic fitting: use of trial lens
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7. Factors which affect lens fit
Manufacturing method
Water content
K- readings
Modulus of elasticity
Lid tonus
Tear film
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8. Fitting steps
Complete process of SCL fitting can be divided in to three
segments:
A. Baseline measurement
B. Trial lens parameter
C. Fitting assessment
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10. A. Baseline measurement
Initial eye examination-SLE and history
To identify any pathology in the eye
Mainly anterior segment structures
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11. Horizontal visible iris diameter (HVID)
Important to identify the total diameter of SCL
Normal value: range:10-14mm
average: 11.6mm
Available methods are:
normal mm scale
Slit lamp
Corneal topography
Vernier scale
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12. Palpebral fissure height(PFH)
Higher PFH patients are suggested for large diameter contact
lens and vice versa
Available methods are:
normal mm scale
Slit lamp
Corneal topography
Vernier scale
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13. Pupil size
Important to identify optical zone of SCL
In contact lens practice it is measured in dim light condition
Optical zone= pupil size + 2mm
Available methods are:
normal mm scale
Corneal topography
Vernier scale
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15. B. Trial lens parameter
Base curve
Total diameter
Power
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16. Base curve
It is the radius of curvature of back surface of the contact lens
Should be 0.6 to 1.0 mm flatter than average K reading
Formula: B.C = 337.5/D
D= dioptric power of average K
BC for SCL’s are specified as:
-Steep (8.0mm to 8.3mm)
-Medium (8.4mm to 8.6mm)
-Flat (8.7mm to 9.0mm)
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17. Total diameter (TD)
Is the width of the contact lens from edge to edge
Should be 2mm greater than HVID
Total diameter (TD) =HVID + 2mm
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18. Contact lens power
Obtained from refraction
vertex distance for more than ±4D
Formula : BVPcl =Fsp/1-(dFsp)
where : BVPcl =back vertex power of contact lens in diopter
Fsp = spectacle power in diopter
d =vertex distance in meter
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19. C. Fitting assessment
Contact lens fitting can be :
optimal fit/ normal fit
steep fit/ tight fit
flat fit/ loose fit
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20. Evaluation of Fit
Patients comfort response
Fairly comfortable -probably good fit
Uncomfortable -predicts loose fit(excess movement)
Very comfortable -May be steep or tight (immobile)
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21. Corneal coverage
Slit lamp, diffuse illumination
Eye in primary position, lens should show full corneal
coverage about 1 to 2mm beyond limbus
Recording: complete or partial
Full coverage (1 -2mm) – Ideal
Greater than 2 mm – lens too large
Corneal exposure – lens too small
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22. Lens centration
Is the superimposition of center of cornea and center of
contact lens
Equally centered in all distance beyond limbus in all directions
Centered in all position – ideal
Centered – steep fit
decentered with corneal exposure in any position of gaze-
flat/ loose fit
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23. Movement
Movement is required due to :
Removes and disperses ocular debris
Promotes tear exchange
Patient asked to look straight in primary gaze and asked to
blink normally
Estimated in diffuse light and moderate to high magnification
with blink
0.2mm – 0.4 mm ---- ideal
Less than 0.2 mm …..steep fit
Greater than 1.0 mm …flat fit
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24. Push up test
Patients looks straight and examiner pushes the lens up
vertically through the pressure of lid
Easy displacement- smooth recovery – ideal fit
Resistance to displacement – may not re center – tight fit
Easy displacement- quick recovery – Loose fit
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25. Lens Lag
Is the resistance of the lens to move with the eye to any gaze
from its primary position
Patient asked to look up and lens move down slightly –Lag
1mm to 1.5 mm – Ideal
Little or no – steep fit
Greater than 2 mm-flat fit
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26. Edge Alignment
Edge of the lens is observed with reference to the conjunctiva
If the edge is sliding smoothly and aligning with conjunctiva
is the ideal
If indent on cornea- tight or steep
If it stands off - loose
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27. Other responses
Vision before and After blink
If vision will remain same and clear- ideal fit
If vision clears with blink – steep fit
If vision gets blur with blink- flat fit
Keratometry: Clarity of mires is observed
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29. Soft toric lenses Fitting assessment
Is same as soft spherical contact lenses except lens rotation
Reference marks:
Different reference laser marks imprinted on the toric lenses
But it does not indicate the axis/meridian of astigmatism
Location of laser marks varies from company to company
Based on laser marks, rotation of lens is assessed
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31. Rotation :
When we insert a lens in the eye there may be the following
situations
Same position during the blink and after the blink
Displace during the blink but may retain its location after the
blink
It may not be in the same position it moves because of blink
effect
If it rotates, the axis may rotate
so we add or subtract the amount of rotation to the axis of the
prescription
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32. Cont...
LARS Rule:
This is used to assess the rotation of lens and prescribe correct
axis with markings at 6 o'clock position
First, estimate the degree of lens rotation
If the lens moves towards left add the degree of mislocation to
the Rx axis
If the lens moves towards right subtract the degree of
mislocation to the Rx axis
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33. Cont…
The CAAS mnemonic is useful for lenses with markings at
3 & 9 o’clock:
Rotation CLOCKWISE = ADD, Rotation ANTICLOCKWISE
= SUBTRACT
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36. Modifications for fittings
Alter the lens if ideal fit is not achieved by changing;
Base curve
Diameter
Thickness
Rule of thumb- 0.3mm change in the base curve = 0.5 mm
change in Diameter.
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37. Cont…
Correcting a Flat fit
Tighten/decrease the base
curve, but keep the diameter
the same
Increase the diameter and
keep the base curve the
same
• Always recheck the
modification with a trial lens
Correcting a Steep fit
Loosen/increase the base
curve, but keep the diameter
the same
Decrease the diameter and
keep the base curve the
same
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38. Over refraction
Refraction over trial lens
Algebraically add power
Note- additional power needed should be less than 4D
If cyl required –fit toric
It the VA is not as clear as expected do over refraction
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39. Signs and symptoms of steep fit
Fluctuating VA, clears after each blink (Little or no movement
up on each blink)
Comfortable at first, then not
Circumcorneal injection ,and indentation
Conjunctival drag
Keratometry mires distorted, then clear after each blink
Air bubbles centrally, over pupil
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40. Signs and symptoms of flat fit
VA unstable with each blink
Patient awareness of the lens
Too much movement with each blink
Lens may be falls out
Air bubble under the lens, especially on the periphery of the
lens
“K” mires are blurred after each blink
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43. SUMMARY
Proper fitting of the contact lens is important
Consider the base curve, diameter and lens power for fitting
Make modifications of fitting if necessary
An ideally fitting:
Comfort
Crisp, clear and stable vision
Full corneal coverage in all gaze positions
Regular edge alignment to conjunctiva
Smooth recovery from push-up
Adequate movement for tear exchange 0.2 – 0.4mm
Explain insertion and removal, care and handling and cleaning
to the patient!!!
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44. REFERENCES
Young G. Evaluation of soft contact lens fitting characteristics. Optometry
and vision science. 1996;73(4):247-54.
Morgan PB, et al. International contact lens prescribing in 2019. Contact
Lens Spectrum
The ABCs of Fitting Soft Contact Lenses
Juniper publisher
Essential Contact Lens Practice
Fitting assessment of various contact lenses: Optometry Zone
Smart optometry videos on soft contact lens fitting
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The first lens is fit empirically; often the lens chosen is one that the manufacturer reports "will fit 80% of patients
Soft contact lenses continue to dominate most contact lens markets, accounting for about 90 percent of all fits worldwide
Rotation : When we insert a lens in the eye there may be two situations, It may be in the same position during the blink and after the the blink. It may displace during the blink but may retain its location after the blink. It may not be in the same position it moves because of blink effect. If it rotates, the axis may rotate, So to avoid this cylinder in unwanted axis we add or subtract the amount of rotation to the axis of the prescription so that the axis of the cylinder coincides with the axis of the eye.