Learn more about scleral lenses here.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Optometrist Brian Armitage, owner of Baymeadows Vision Center,  has been named a 2010 Health Care Hero by the Jacksonville Business Journal.

Dr. Armitage was honored for correcting eye disorders without surgery. He was one of three award winners in the Physician category and among 24 honorees overall.

In a profile of Armitage in the Nov. 5-11 issue of The Business Journal, patient Matt Spears stated that he nominated Armitage because, “He made me see.” Spears was legally blind and ready to learn Braille when he met Armitage. Now Spears sees clearly and even drives again.

Spears has keratoconus, which causes corneas to bulge, thereby distorting vision. As the only optometrist in Northeast Florida focused on specialized contacts, Armitage provides lenses that are effective and comfortable to patients who have distorted corneas, like Spears, because of conditions such as keratoconus, post-corneal transplants, and post-Lasik complications.

“The latest in contact lens technology provides alternatives to corneal transplants, offering both adequate vision and excellent comfort,” said Armitage, formerly head of worldwide clinical research for VISTAKON, a contact lens manufacturing division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.

Armitage recently launched the North Florida Corneal Rehabilitation Center to help patients with distorted corneas find alternatives to invasive surgical procedures. The center is the first of its kind in the region.

North Florida Corneal Rehabilitation Center specializes in treating patients with contact lenses that are supported by the white portion of the eye (sclera). Because scleral lenses vault over damaged corneas, they often help patients when other lenses have failed, such as with keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, corneal ectasia resulting from Lasik surgery, distorted corneal transplants and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Armitage uses advanced technology to custom fit lenses to patients’ eyes. This allows patients to retain vision and comfort as their eyes change.

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Jacksonville Business Journal: Armitage corrects eye disorders without surgery

 North Florida Corneal Rehabilitation Center is the region’s only facility dedicated to treating damaged corneas with specialized contact lenses that are effective and comfortable.

 Founded by Optometrist Brian Armitage, North Florida Corneal Rehabilitation Center specializes in treating patients with contact lenses that are supported by the white portion of the eye (sclera). Because scleral lenses vault over damaged corneas, they often help patients when other lenses have failed, such as with keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, corneal ectasia resulting from Lasik surgery, distorted corneal transplants and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

 “With the latest in contact lens technology, adequate vision and excellent comfort is possible without the need for a corneal transplant,” said Armitage, formerly head of worldwide clinical research for VISTAKON, a contact lens manufacturing division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. 

 Armitage can restore a patient’s vision by filling the space between the scleral lens and the eye with contact lens solution. The solution fills the cornea’s irregular surface, allowing vision to be restored comfortably. This cushion of solution also provides oxygen to the cornea, allowing the eye to heal.

 Made of a highly permeable polymer, scleral lenses fit beneath the eyelids, making them easy to wear and hard to dislodge. “Due to the increased stability of these lenses over conventional gas permeable lenses, comfort and vision are usually excellent,” Armitage said.

 Armitage uses advanced technology to custom fit the lens to the eye. This allows a patient to retain vision and comfort as their eye changes.

Learn more about how we can help you. Or for more information on scleral lenses and the North Florida Corneal Rehabilitation Center go to: http://www.baymeadowsvision.com/.

Made from a highly oxygen permeable polymer, scleral lenses are supported by the white portion of the eye (sclera).  Because they vault over a damaged cornea, many conditions can be treated with scleral lenses when other lenses have failed. They can be used for keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, corneal ectasia resulting from lasik surgery, distorted corneal transplants and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Since the lenses fit under the eyelids, they are extremely comfortable and are almost never dislodged accidentally. The space between the front of the cornea and the back surface of the scleral lens is filled with contact lens solution. The liquid reservoir fills in the surface irregularities of the cornea, allowing vision to be restored in a comfortable manner. This fluid cushion beneath the lens also provides oxygen to the cornea, allowing the eye to heal. With a smooth optical surface over the diseased cornea, vision improves.  

Learn more about patients whom scleral lenses have helped by reading our blog posts about Jorge, Matt, Greg and Gene.

After he switched to scleral lenses, Spears’ vision went from 20/400 to 20/40. The lenses not only improve vision but are also comfortable to wear unlike other types of contacts used for these corneal conditions.

    You can see an example of Spears’ previous vision at http://bit.ly/c1BN2W. Toggle it to “blurry,” then back to see the dramatic difference his treatment has made.

Diagnosed with keratoconus in his left eye two years ago, Greg’s vision deteriorated to the point that he could see only through his right eye. His eventual inability to read a street signs with only his one good eye drove home the need for a livable solution to his vision problems.

“It kept getting worse and worse,” Greg says.

First, he was told he needed a hard contact lens. Then, he explored Lasik surgery but was told it wasn’t an option when the machine wouldn’t focus, which was unprecedented its operator said.

He also looked into surgery. He was advised that plastic stints could be used to stretch his cornea. The procedure would cost $6,000, involve four stitches in the eye and take a month’s recovery. But with no guarantees it would work, he passed.

Lastly, he searched online for alternatives. He read about hybrid contact lenses, or “SynergEyes,” which offer the corrective power of a hard lens with the comfort of a soft lens. When he looked for a local provider, he found Baymeadows Vision Center and scheduled an appointment.

During his visit, Dr. Brian Armitage advised Greg of an additional option—scleral lenses. Worn over the white part of the cornea, scleral lenses offer greater comfort and improved vision.

““It used to be that when I woke up in the middle of the night, the little red dot on the smoke detector on the ceiling out of my left eye looked like the letter “O.” I could see the light ring with a bright spot,” Greg says. “This lens takes that away completely.

“Now, sometimes I look at it before going to bed with my contact in and it becomes clear and precise. The difference amazes me.”

The scleral lens also is more comfortable than a soft lens, and his eye is no longer dry. After a long struggle, Greg says, he has finally found the right contact.

Gone are the red, dry eyes; sensitivity to light and poor vision that kept him from driving at night. After less than a year of wearing scleral contact lenses he lives a normal life.

He drives when he wants, enjoys the beach without worrying about sand or wind bothering his eyes and plays sports without fear of his contacts falling off his eyes. His sensitivity to light also is gone.

Most importantly, he sees better. “The change in my life has been huge,” says Jorge, 28.

Jorge  was diagnosed with keratoconus 16 years ago, when he was 12. He was initially treated with soft lenses but as time passed his cornea curvature kept changing. Eventually, he had to switch to hard, gas permeable contact lenses.

Regular gas permeable contacts worked at first. Then they started to scratch, and to irritate his corneas. His eyes were red and dry most of the time.

Because of the irritation he could barely tolerate any light directly into his eyes. Wind and dust also were difficult to endure, and reflections from other car lights kept him from driving at night.

A year ago, he came to Baymeadows Vision Center to try to find an alternative to surgery that would let him live a more normal life. After an extensive process, Dr. Armitage recommended scleral lenses to Jorge.

Scleral contact lens technology is unlike any contact lens technology for keratoconus and other conditions that result in distorted corneas.  The lenses vault over the distorted cornea and  rest on the white sclera.

This results in comfortable lens wear. Lenses are stable on the eye and do not slide..

Jorge’s sensitivity to light was almost completely gone after just two days of wearing the new scleral lens. His vision also improved.

So did his life.