Like, has anyone had the optometrist try multiple lenses and work to get a fit? In my experience they put you in something and then maybe if it is unpleasant they'll try something else, but it's dependent on you being proactive, much as it would be if you were in Hubble.
Long answer: I have Keratoconus, which means my cornea has uneven thickness across its surface, which causes bubbles in my cornea, creating a very uneven prescription across my eye. The contacts I use are called “scleral” lenses, which use a liquid-filled void to nullify my actual cornea shape, creating a new cornea. They are expensive, require specialized training to adjust, and nailing down a prescription involves doing adjustments with them in, and working backwards to figure out the proper prescription.
My optometrist worked on my prescription for around 6 months solid, going through around 12 pairs of $250 (per lens) contacts on their dime.
So, yeah. A good optometrist is fantastic, and does a ton for you.
Did you end up doing CXL? Are you considering it, or any of the other procedures.
I'm in Montana, and a vast majority of the costs were covered as medical expenses, so my health insurance covered the optometrist costs. I only end up paying the cost of the lenses themselves. The optometrist office themselves build the cost of the followup fittings into their normal billing prices; there were no costs for any of the followup meetings.
Most of the iteration time was the shipping, since I'm not near any contact lens manufacturers.
You're not likely going to find a great one if you're going to a Costco or Wal-Mart to get your prescriptions. One needs to go to a proper clinic.
My current one did my ICL surgery (a corrective surgery similar to cataract surgery, but a permanent contact lens instead of a lens replacement) several years ago.
I have sympathy for more complicated cases, but they're the 20% approaching 0.01%. They necessarily can't be used to justify the 80% case which is as the GP described.
It's just that his logic sounds rather compelling - Keratoconus patients already have thinner corneas then normal, and PRK will disrupt the structure even further, making them even thinner in places. If CXL done at the same time is effective to strengthen the cornea, great - but if it doesn't (and CXL often needs to be repeated) you are now in a much more precarious position.
I am not a surgeon, nor a professional of any sort in ophthalmology. I just read a lot. Might be worth having the conversation with 2-3 surgeons based on your experience attempting to correct your vision using contacts.
Yes. Most good ones do this. Just as there are good and bad doctors, there are good and bad optometrists.
IMO, Hubble is straight up dangerous. Getting glasses online is relatively risk free. But when something is physically touching your eye, precautions need to be taken.
Arguably annual exams/prescriptions are overly frequent for some people. On the other hand, bypassing verification on line is fairly trivial.
It is a little frustrating though that now I can’t just go somewhere and buy those lenses. The prescription verification isn’t terrible but it’s an annoyance.
[1] https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-...