In an article in its March 10, 2011, issue, The Florida Times-Union profiled Matt Spears, a strength and conditioning coach who was legally blind before optometrist Brian Armitage of Baymeadows Vision Center used special contact lenses to restore his vision.
Spears was ready to begin learning Braille after surgery failed to restore the vision he had lost because of keratoconus, an eye disorder that causes cone-shaped bulging of the cornea. “The fact that he can now see things clearly is nothing short of a miracle,” the newspaper wrote of Spears.
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.
“People with distorted corneas often think that surgery is their only option. But 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.

Learn more about scleral lenses here.

Filed under: Corneal Conditions, Keratoconus, scleral contact lenses by Dr. Brian Armitage
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Jacksonville Business Journal honors Baymeadows Vision Center owner

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.

Related

Jacksonville Business Journal: Armitage corrects eye disorders without surgery

Filed under: Keratoconus, scleral contact lenses by Dr. Brian Armitage
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 Baymeadows Vision Center has launched the North Florida Corneal Rehabilitation Center to help patients with distorted corneas find alternatives to invasive surgical procedures.

 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/.

Filed under: Corneal Conditions, Keratoconus, scleral contact lenses by Dr. Brian Armitage
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Dr. Brian Armitage and Baymeadows Vision Center patients were featured in a Florida Times-Union story about scleral contact lenses. Times-Union reporter Charlie Patton interviewed Dr. Armitage and his patients about the convenience and effectiveness of scleral lenses.

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.

Filed under: Corneal Conditions, Keratoconus, scleral contact lenses by Dr. Brian Armitage
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    For the past 10 years, Southside resident Matt Spears couldn’t see the expression on his wife’s face as he gave her a gift or told her he loved her. He couldn’t drive at night. He couldn’t even read a newspaper.
    Spears’ situation had become so desperate that he considered learning to read Braille. But he has recently gained his sight again, thanks to a non-invasive, painless treatment available right here on the First Coast.
    Spears has keratoconus, the most common corneal dystrophy that causes the cornea to form a cone-shape, resulting in extreme blurring of all objects. Scleral lenses are a highly advanced contact lens technology which can help patients with keratoconus as well as other distorted corneal conditions hide the distortion and drastically improve vision.

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.

Filed under: Corneal Conditions, Keratoconus, Patient spotlights, scleral contact lenses by Dr. Brian Armitage
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 As a service director at a large automobile dealership, Greg knows the importance of optimal equipment in maintaining road safety.

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.

Filed under: Keratoconus, Patient spotlights, scleral contact lenses by Dr. Brian Armitage
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After 16 years of wearing contact lenses, Jorge is finally living life like he wants.

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.

Filed under: Corneal Conditions, Keratoconus, Patient spotlights, scleral contact lenses by Dr. Brian Armitage
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A patient that I prescribed scleral contact lenses to can now see the craters on the moon.

A patient can now see the moon's craters, thanks to his scleral lenses.

Previously, Gene had less-than-great vision. He had corneal transplants and was wearing gas permeable lenses.

The lenses moved  significantly. They often slid off the eye and became hidden under the upper eyelid.  They also irritated his eyes. He could not comfortably wear them all-day. This impaired his day-to day activities.

Scleral lenses have changed his life!  He wears his new lenses all-day, with great comfort, and has never seen as clearly as he does now.

Filed under: Corneal Conditions, Keratoconus, Patient spotlights by Dr. Brian Armitage
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Dr. Armitage has the only Speciality Contact Lens Practice in Jacksonville. Custom contact lenses such as Scleral gas permeable and SynergEyes Hybrid contact lenses can help improve vision for people with keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, and post corneal transplants. Glasses, standard contact lenses, and even surgery may not help. One of my recent patient success stories was interviewed by the local Fox news. To read the entire story and see the video, click here.

Filed under: Corneal Conditions, Keratoconus by Dr. Brian Armitage
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You are not alone. This is the most common eye issue I hear every day in practice. Symptoms will vary throughout the day and some days are better and some days are worse. This condition is most common in women especially over 40 years old. Most people think it is due to allergies but in most cases allergies are not a major factor. These symptoms result from a gradual reduction in the production of tears that lubricate the eyes. This condition only gets worse with time and there are many effective therapies available. If you have dry, red, irritated eyes, call 739-2050 because we have the solution!!

Filed under: Dry eyes by Dr. Brian Armitage
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