The Cooper ProClear Multifocal contact lens combines the all day comfort of the entire proclear line with the versatility and optics of the frequency 55 multifocal. By the time a person needs multifocal lenses; their eyes are generally drier than they might have been a few years earlier, so the merging of the two designs makes perfect sense.

The proclear multifocal contact lens material was made specifically for people with dry eyes. All proclear lenses are made up of 62% water which makes a very high water content lens. The breakthrough in the material is not necessarily its water content; rather it is the ability of the lens to maintain its water content throughout the day.

Most high water content lenses dehydrate rapidly and rely on the eyes tear film to replenish the lost water. For someone that already has dry eyes, this creates a very uncomfortable contact lens environment. Contact lens related dry eye can be very noticeable at the end of the day or during extended computer use.

With Cooper’s ProClear material, the lenses have a high water content which makes them comfortable initially and they retain that high water content in most environments. For a person wearing the Cooper ProClear multifocal contact lens, this means it does not rely on absorbing as many tears as other lenses to maintain a moist state. Whether at the computer, the theatre, or the beach, Proclear lenses stay comfortable.

Essentially, ProClear means initial comfort that lasts throughout the day. All the ProClear families of lenses are designed to be replaced on a monthly basis which makes them convenient and extremely healthy.

With this amazing material, it was only a matter of time before Cooper released the ProClear Mulitfocal. These soft contact lenses have a wide range of parameters allowing most people to be fit with sphere powers between +4.00 and -6.00. Add powers start at +1.00 and go up to +2.50. Two styles are made, a distance lens and a near lens.

When fit properly the Proclear multifocal has the ability to provide end of day comfort, quality distance vision, great computer vision, and add for near vision.

A dry eye can be caused by numerous factors, and therefore, the perfect dry eye contact lens does not exist. The good news is contact lenses are designed for all different types of dry eyes. So chances are there is a contact lens for your dry eyes.

In its simplest state, dry eye is a lack of tears on the eye. In some cases it is a slow tear production rate, some instances it is a fast evaporation of tears, and in others it is a question of tear quality. Given the complexities of dry eye syndrome, there is no one contact lens that can possibly work on every dry eye.

In many cases, lenses like the Proclear Compatibles by cooper vision or the Extreme H2O contact lens will stay moist throughout the day and help the dry eye patient feel comfortable. Both these lenses are made with a high water content plastic and are able to maintain their moisture throughout the day. Both these lenses were developed with the dry eye contact lens wearer in mind.

The newest breed of soft contact lenses is the silicone hydrogel lens. By nature, silicone hydrogels do not dehydrate as readily as other soft lenses and may increase comfort. The right silicone lens accompanied by a good conditioning solution has been known to help many people with dry eyes.

Another philosophy is to fit a lens with a very low content. The theory is a lens that needs less water, will take less from the eye. For example, a lens that has only 38% water content will not need to take as much tears from the eye to stay moist and it is less prone to dehydration. A contact lens with 55% or more water content is going to take more tears from the eye, adding to the dry eye effect.

Contact lens solution also plays a major role when it comes to comfort and dry eyes. In many cases, simply changing your lens care system and solutions can alleviate a dry eye sensation.

If you have dry eyes and are not satisfied with your current contact lens situation, you may be a good candidate for a Proclear Compatible, Extreme H2O, silicone hydrogel, or a low water content contact lens.

Corneo-scleral and semi-scleral lenses provide great options for irregular corneas such as keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, post PK, and post trauma to name a few. They are also a fantastic option for those that could not previously tolerate contact lenses. In most cases, patients who were intolerant of other lens modalities report longer wear time, increased comfort and more consistent vision when properly fit with semi-scleral lenses.

Imagine the vision of a gas permeable lens with the comfort of a soft lens. That’s exactly what we have in mind when fitting semi-scleral lenses.

I have had a huge success fitting corneo-scleral lenses and am always excited to offer this fitting service to our patients.