How to Choose an RGP Lens

Many people choose rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses because they provide sharp vision for astigmatism caused by an irregularly shaped cornea. RGP lenses are generally easy to care for, insert and remove and last a long time. There are several things to consider when choosing an RGP lens.

Instructions

• 1

  Schedule an appointment with a licensed eye care professional who fits RGP lenses. The GP Lens Institute's website has a link to eye care practitioners who specialize in RGP lenses. Optometrists, ophthalmologists and licensed contact lens technicians design RGP lenses based on specific measurements taken with a keratometer, an ophthalmic machine that measures the surface of the eye. Your eye care practitioner also will use other information from your eye examination to complete your RGP lens fitting.

• 2

  Try on a sample RGP lens during your examination. Gas permeable contact lenses are made from a combination of plastic and silicone and feel less comfortable at first than soft contact lenses. The All About Vision website notes that one of the biggest drawbacks to RGP lenses is initial discomfort. The lenses you end up with will fit better than a trial lens, but a sample lens gives you an idea as to what an RGP lens will feel like in your eyes.

• 3

  Ask your doctor if you are a good candidate for the new combination RGP-soft lens. An August 2010 article on the Contact Lens Headlines website notes that SynergEyes has several new hybrid lenses available and approved by the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The combination lenses form a hybrid of an RGP center with a soft outer ring that provides the comfort of a soft lens and crisp vision of an RGP lens. SynergEyes is the only U.S. company that makes FDA-approved hybrid lenses.