Charlotte Contact Lens Institute

Specialty Contact Lenses are Life Changing

Welcome to a place where your vision challenges meet
compassionate care and innovative solutions.

What Are Specialty Contact Lenses?

Specialty contact lenses are prescribed for patients who have experienced unsatisfactory results in conventional soft contact lenses. Great candidates for specialty contact lenses include those with high astigmatism, keratoconus, LASIK complications, corneal transplants, post-trauma, and other corneal issues, conditions, and/or diseases.

For patients who are new to specialty contact lenses, scleral contact lenses are a commonly recommended type of specialty contact, but other contact lenses such as corneal GP (also known as RGP, or Rigid Gas Permeable) lenses have been around for some time. Some of the terms that people use for specialty contact lenses include “hard” lenses, GPs, RGP, scleral contacts, hybrid contacts, and EyePrintPRO, just to name a few.

Overall, specialty contact lenses can have wide-ranging and dramatic visual, mental, and/or cosmetic benefits. Specialty contact lenses can be used for a variety of purposes, from correcting vision due to corneal irregularities related to a degenerative eye condition or disease, to helping to treat severe dry eye. The good news is there has been a dramatic increase in the number of options for contact lenses, and existing designs have been improved considerably over the last few years.

The Top Doctors In North Carolina for Specialty Contact Lenses

The Charlotte Contact Lens Institute’s sole focus is on providing patients with the latest technology in specialty contact lenses. The vast majority of our patients come to our office for specialty contact lenses specifically, and our specialty is offering unique and custom designed solutions.

Our doctors are not only nationwide experts in the field of specialty contact lenses, but importantly, they are also skilled at showing compassion and in asking the right questions to determine the best possible treatment option. Our office was established in order to provide the best possible specialty lens care, and we have some of the most advanced technology available nationwide. Not only that, but our average initial exam is 1.5-2 hours of one-on-one time with the doctor. Even if you have tried scleral contact lenses, or other specialty contact lenses before without success, chances are we CAN help!

Here, you’re not just another patient; you’re an individual with specific needs, concerns, and aspirations. We specialize in crafting custom contact lens solutions, utilizing the latest technology such as the Pentacam AXL Wave and EyePrintPRO in order to ensure optimal vision and comfort. Our approach is simple yet profound – listen, understand, and tailor a solution that transforms how you see the world.

Welcome to a place where your vision challenges meet compassionate, innovative solutions. Our doctors understand the challenges of being a ‘difficult to fit’ patient and the good news is there are solutions available to help!!

Common Types of Specialty Contact Lenses

Shown below are several common types of specialty contact lenses, but in total there are dozens of different specialty contact lenses that are used for various purposes.

Scleral Lenses

Scleral Lenses

Scleral lenses are specialized contact lenses that are larger in diameter, covering both the cornea and the sclera (white part) of the eye. Unlike traditional contact lenses, they vault over the cornea, creating a fluid-filled reservoir between the lens and the eye's surface.
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EyePrintPRO & EyeFitPRO

EyePrintPRO & EyeFitPRO

EyePrintPRO offers the highest level of customization and performance out of any scleral contact lens that is available.
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Corneal GP Lenses

Corneal GP Lenses

Corneal gas permeable (GP) contact lenses are the lenses of many names! Whether people refer to them as RGP, rigid gas permeable, corneal GP, gas permeable, or “hard” contacts, these lenses have been used for decades by millions of Americans, and we will call them GP contact lenses
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Uses for Specialty Contact
Lenses

Specialty contact lenses serve a diverse range of purposes in addressing specific vision needs and conditions. Lenses can be custom designed for virtually any eye, regardless of how unique. Whether correcting refractive errors, managing eye diseases, or enhancing visual comfort, specialty contact lenses play a crucial role in providing personalized and effective vision care.

Why Charlotte Contact Lens Institute for
Specialty Contact Lenses?

The Team

The team at Charlotte Contact Lens Institute are experts in fitting specialty contacts lenses, whether they are free-form or impression based, RGPs, sclerals, hybrids, or soft.

Advanced Technology

Our office is one of a few practices in the country that is equipped with the Pentacam AXL Wave and Optovue Solix OCT, which aid in the design and (potential) adjustment of each specialty contact lens.

Unlimited Answers

We allow for enough time for thorough comprehensive exams, and plenty of time for answering questions. No rushing in and out here.

Specializing in Custom Contact Lenses

We do not offer traditional eye exams for “normal” eyes, and instead, a large percentage of our patients come to us specifically for customized specialty contact lenses

Access to the Doctor

Our doctors are available to answer questions you have after your exam, and will make sure you have the information needed in order to ensure the best possible outcome.

Affordability

We keep our overhead costs low and offer very competitive prices as a result. We have monthly payment options available and also accept CareCredit™, HSA, & FSA.

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Summary

Specialty contact lenses isn’t just “something we do”. It is what we do, and specialty contacts are the reason our office was established. Although a referral from another doctor is NOT necessary to become our patient, our office receives referrals from 100+ doctors in the surrounding area who trust us to care for their specialty contact lens patients.

We receive these referrals because we have a deep expertise in the area of specialty contacts and use truly advanced medical instruments that are only found in a few doctor’s offices nationwide. A typical comprehensive exam at our office takes 1.5 – 2 hours, which leaves plenty of time for answering questions. This time is spent one-on-one with the doctor, which allows us to provide the most exceptional and compassionate care possible.

Our doctors are nationally recognized for her knowledge of the most up-to-date research and effective methods of fitting specialty contact lenses, including EyePrintPRO, scleral lenses, GP lenses, custom soft lenses, and much more. Our doctors regularly present at both local and national meetings and conferences, where they share the latest research and fitting techniques with other doctors. Additionally, Dr. Cerenzie has been honored with the distinction of Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society (FSLS), which is bestowed on advanced level practitioners within the specialty lens industry. In fact, currently there are only approximately 300 members worldwide of this elite group of specialty contact lens doctors.

Our Doctors Lecturing on Specialty Contact Lenses

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Additional Resources

See below for a few helpful links with additional information.

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