Medical perfection in lenses

“Leading global partner in safe and comfortable vision.”

Visser Contactlenzen + Opthalmo Service

In 2022, Visser + Ophtalmo was founded, a joint venture between Visser Contactlenzen and Ophtalmo Service, combining the expertise and knowledge of Visser Contactlenzen with the extensive network of Ophtalmo Service. Following the success of the practices at UZ Leuven and UZ Gent, we recently opened a practice in Oudenaarde.

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Medical indications

For lenses on medical grounds, patients are entitled to reimbursement by the RIZIV.

Visual rehabilitation

These lenses serve to provide patients with better vision, especially for those who cannot be helped (sufficiently) by glasses. Examples include children or adults with afakia, refractive strengths higher than + or -6.00 dpt or an astigmatism with cylinder higher than 3.00 dpt. These patients are entitled to increased reimbursements from health insurers. Patients with anisometropia, a prescription difference of more than 3.00 dpt between the two eyes, experience an image size difference when wearing glasses. However, with the help of the right lenses, this image size difference can be avoided.

Irregular cornea

Corneal irregularities cause incident light to hit the retina scattered. A medical contact lens corrects this irregularity, achieving better vision. Think of patients with irregular astigmatism, but also patients who have an increased risk of an irregular cornea after corneal transplantation. If optimal vision was not achieved after refractive surgery, rigid contact lenses and/or scleral lenses can still offer a solution. Rigid lenses can also help patients with corneal scarring near the pupillary aperture who experience a disturbing effect from this.

Therapeutic contact lenses

These lenses are not intended to improve vision, but to reduce pain and protect the cornea. Common indications where a contact lens can help are keratitis sicca or filmamentous keratitis, bullous keratopathy, an entropion and trichiasis in which the eyelash hairs tear against the cornea, an exophtalmus in Graves or lagophtalmus and in closure defects that cause the cornea to dry out. With patients with photophobia or diplopia, an iris print lens or occlusion lens blocks the interfering light or view. Achromatopsia complaints improve with specifically coloured filter lenses and disturbing nystagmus improves in some cases after fitting contact lenses as they cause nerve stimulation that can reduce nystagmus.

Cosmetic contact lenses

Patients whose eye no longer has the appearance of a healthy eye due to trauma or other conditions may wear an iris print lens for cosmetic reasons. In some cases, an iris print lens can also prevent evisceration.

soft contact lenses

A soft contact lens is 1 to 2 mm larger than the diameter of the cornea. They offer good comfort and quick habituation. There are soft contact lenses made of two types of material: hydrogel and silicone hydrogel. Silicone hydrogel lenses have a high oxygen permeability; while hydrogel lenses have a higher water content that often makes them more comfortable. Silicone hydrogel lenses are considered the new ‘gold standard’, although hydrogel lenses are still sometimes fitted on a medical basis. 

Rigid contact lenses

Rigid contact lenses are 1 to 2 mm smaller than the corneal diameter. They are able to largely correct irregularities of the cornea. With a rigid contact lens, vision is often better and more stable than with soft contact lenses. Rigid lenses last more than a year and are easy to handle; although habituation with this type of lens is often just a little longer than with soft contact lenses.

Scleral contact lenses

A scleral lens is a large rigid lens that rests on the sclera; the added fluid in the lens fills the corneal irregularities. This fluid layer not only provides an optical benefit, but also offers protection to the corneal surface, reduces pain and promotes healing. There are large scleral lenses with diameters between 18 and 22 mm and mini scleral lenses with diameters between 15 and 17.5 mm.

Hybrid contact lenses

A rigid contact lens can be used as a single lens, but can also be used in combination with a soft lens in cases of lens intolerance. A variant of this system are the hybrid contact lenses which have a rigid core and soft rim, offer the viewing comfort of a rigid contact lens with the wearing comfort of a soft contact lens.

Any questions?

Don't hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to help you!