Removing, Rinsing & Refilling (12/2018)Updated a year ago

Dates

December 19, 2018 - January 6, 2019

Participants

430

Results

Question #1: Do you have to remove, rinse, refill and re-insert your lenses during the day?

Question #2: (For those who do) What is the most common reason why you might need to remove and re-insert your lenses?

Question #3: Do you rinse and refill only, or do you also use a cleaning solution?

Comments from participants

• I liked my gas perm lens so much better, but these give better vision when I’m able to wear them which is 2 hours at a time then it takes 30 to 45 minutes to clean and get them back in.😤😭😡
• I would like to answer that mucous and dryness/discomfort combine as the reason I must take my lenses out and clean them a few times a day. Mucous obstructs my vision but also dries on the top of the lens which then rubs on my inner eyelids, producing much discomfort. My opthamologist thinks it's due partially to allergies (I also have Sjogren's), but all the medications for allergies have preservatives I'm allergic to. Talk about a ridiculous Catch-22!
• Its easy to rub, rinse, wash, rinse, store in solution, wear it, just perfect. love them
• Two vials of celluvisc in each lens reduces fogging, thus extending wear time.
• It's a problem if I am not somewhere where it is convenient to set up my equipment. I use Prose lenses.
• It's annoying but I'm used to it! I would never stop wearing my lenses due to something like this.
• If I use a buffered solution I do not have nearly as much of a problem so I think I will permanently switch even though it is a little more expensive.
• I also have to remove and rinse due to putting in eye medication.
• I don’t like to mess with my lenses away from home if I can avoid it. Sometimes a few drops of Refresh plus works as a temporary fix. Otherwise, I am so grateful for my emergency kit.
• It always creates temporary pain when I remove them but once I get them back in I’m fine.
• The only issue is that sometimes I'm with other people/places and there is no discrete space that I can do it / But I've got to do it so I do it
• I only have to clean my left lens due to a very high vault. I wear my lenses all my waking hours and rarely clean my right lens during the day. I view it as a minor inconvenience considering how great my comfort and vision is with my PROSE lens vs without.
• Usually it's not a matter of "have to" but "want to" for greater comfort and clearer vision. Often by evening, when I've had sclerals in for 10 or so hours, removing, rinsing, refilling and reinserting provides greater comfort and acuity for the rest of the evening. If it's particularly dry, this may occur sooner. I do not do it every single day, but most. Last night, I felt the need (dryness, less visual acuity) and just used sterile saline (Lacripure) like eye drops without removal/reinsertion and was good for the rest of the night, till 11 pm, approximately 16 hours of wear.
• I find that the mucus and fogging is cyclical for unknown reasons. I wear scleral lenses in both eyes, right lens is Hydra Peg coated. I use Optimum cleaner on both, rinse with Purilens, fill with either Purilens or Serafil and store nightly in Unique PH or Boston Simplus. Once a week, I clean with Clear Care. I can go days without any issue following the exact same routine for days and then wake up one day and have a constant problem. I follow your FB page for tips and have tried every combination I can find but nothing takes mucus/fogging away 100%. Thank you for all the information that you post, send out and for the services you provide.
• In the real world ... I wear my lenses about 16 hours in a day without taking them out. I would like to take them out and reinsert once I get home from work. I usually don’t have the time or forget.
• Thank you for the suggestion to use a drop of Celuvisc with the Purilens. Yesterday I wore the scleral lenses for the whole day and did not have an issue with cloudiness, gunk on the lenses.
• I rinse and refill several times a day otherwise everything is foggy. I hate it.
• In the past 5 weeks or so (yes, i’m a true rookie), I’ve had to clean and reinsert once. Not a serious problem inasmuch as without these sceral lenses I am totally lost.
• I have had a Prose lens longer than my ordinary sclera lens. I find that fogging is more of a problem as the period between professional "cleaning and polishing" grows. Much more frequent cleaning as I near the time it needs servicing.
• Environmental factors such as constant computer usage and airflow in stores exacerbate my dry eyes. This causes increased dryness, blurryness and pain which in turn causes the need to clean and reinsert occasionally.
• I put my lenses in first thing in the morning before getting ready for work. I often find it necessary (after showering) that my lenses need to be removed, rinsed and re-inserted to get "clear" vision
• I would not be able to function without my lens so if that is all I have to put up with, that's ok.
• I add 3 drops of hylo-forte before topping with saline, and then I add a drop in each eye after inserting the lens. This seems to have reduced the need to remove, refill and re-insert allowing me to wear all day some days. On marginal days I am able to forgo the process just by adding another drop in each eye. The odd bad day, I have to remove, refill and re-insert twice.
• Low vision makes required removal and re-insertion tdifficult. I have become proficient over the years, but competing this essential task away from home is quite often daunting. U often find myself confined to the home orinitrd to brief outiings when wearing my lenses. My uncorrected vision using the 20-400 range and my corrected is not sharp enough to drive.   Thank you for all that you do for our scleral lens family.
• I am really lucky...the prose fit is wonderful....never a problem with fogging....wear lenses 14-16 or more hours per day, everyday. On the other hand, I have no life without them...without my lenses my eyes feel heavy and burn, burn, burn in spite of wearing moisture chamber glasses and using Refresh Plus eyedrops every 20 min
• I love my lenses. Had to do without them for a month preparing for cataract surgery and realized how much they really do help.
• I've only encountered this issue since I switch to hydra peg coated lenses. Counterintuitive, I know, but true none the less. I'm thinking of stripping it off
• I put N/A as a solution as i do have this problem in one eye. And i should be taking out to clean, rinse and reinsert. But i don't. I spend the rest of the day with poor vision in my left eye.
• It can be highly inconvenient especially during travel.
• I never have a problem with this!
• Since I changed the fill solution the fogging and mucus have not been much of a problem.
• Typically I’ll try to wait it out and then when I get home from work I’ll just take them out wear my glasses. Not optimal, but it saves a few bucks as I fill with Celluvisc (topped off with Purilens) and it gets a little pricey.
• I was told by my doctor to rinse and reinsert every 4 hours. I generally don’t do it that often, but it also depends on what I’m doing. Staring at a computer screen all day increases the frequency.
• I stopped wearing the lenses because of this problem.
• Usually 10 times per day.
• If I focus up close on objects it sometimes causes my lenses to immediately loose seal. Is that common? I have to be sure to wear reading glasses for close work, or else it seems my eyeballs morph shape and the lenses loosen and cloud.
• It would be more of a problem if I wore them longer than 8 or 9 hous
• I realize that nothing is perfect, but having to take out my lenses, clean, rinse, and refill is more of an irritant than anything. I can't wait until the day I can put them and and be worry free all day.
• Refill to get longer wear
• Try repeat TRY to insert correctly first time. Patience helps
• I have a lot of mucus on my eyeball and deposits on my lenses, and I’ve had my lenses for a year, so I am getting new lenses with a polymer (I think) coating to help prevent deposits.
• Blind in left eye so insertion requires help of another person
• I am constantly taking it out, cleaning it, and reinserting my lens. Sometimes due to fogging, other times due to mucous build up. Also it doesn’t always clear up immediately. Even though I clean it first, it may take up to 5-6 times to reinsert to get clear vision. My lens is extremely comfortable other than this, which drives me nuts!!!
• I carry everything with me I just need to check supply more often as the cellulosic expires
• It limits time away from home or takes extra planning about where I can do it.
• A new development after wearing PROSE without problems for years
• I also remove rinse/clean and re insert ONE of my lenses more often, and can't wear it as long as the other due to extreme dryness and discomfort. the troubled eye has scar tissue problems and very ltd vision due to GVHD from Bone Marrow Transplant 16 yrs ago. I developed these problems about 10 years after the Transplant. I have excellent (corrected) vision in the other eye and it is doing quite well. 
• If I take them out it is usually right after I have put them in. If they get foggy during the day or later, I just use Blink N Clean and that takes care of it.
• Each day is different. Windy days dry cold days the worst. Warm humid days much better. If I clean my lids once or twice a day really helps. Even wipeing gently with warm washcloth helps. Don’t let the hunk build up around eye lids!!!
• I probably should do it multiple times a day but don’t.. I don’t feel like they feel as good once I take them out and put them back in
• Because it is such a production to remove / reinsert lenses, it often affects the plans I make on any given day. I find it challenging to do this process away from home, as I need a magnifying mirror, flat surface, and bright light to successfully insert or remove my lenses.
• This was really bad until i started soaking overnight in Clear care once a week and cleaning with Lobob sof/pro every day
• Never had that problem. Have had to remove lens one time due to seasonal allergies making the lens feel irritating.
• I usually wear my prose 8-10 hours a day. My OD recommended I give my eyes a rest and “breathe” by removing the lens during my work day and reinserting. This is difficult to accomplish at work, so I try to compromise by inserting my lens just before I leave for work and removing them as soon as I’m home. Both solutions have drawbacks, so more often than not, the prose remain in for 8-10 consecutive hours a day.
• If I take them out and reinsert in the middle of the day, I get rainbow vision. Perfect rainbows around every source of light and reflection. The doctors suspect corneal edema but aren’t sure.
• The fogging or gunk doesn't happen often, maybe once every couple of months. If I'm wearing the lenses later than normal (if I go out with friends) I either take the lenses out for a couple hours in the afternoon or I simply clean and refill before leaving the house. Just taking preventive measures.
• My favorite thing to do during the work day is go home for lunch, take my contacts out and soak them in Simplus or Unigue PH while I take a 20 minute nap, whether my contacts need it or not, it is nice to rest my eyes for a moment. I cannot do that every day, unfortunately. If I need to do it at work it is because of fogging, and I use 5ml addipaks. I am lucky I can use buffered or unbuffered solutions. I also have the Purilens UV disinfecting unit at my desk, and if my lenses are dry it helps a little to take em out and soak them for the 15 min it takes to disinfect, and then put em back in. I use the addipaks in the Purilens disinfecting unit. Most everyday, I rinse and replace when I get home from work to last me for a while longer, but still sometimes they just need to come out right away too.
• I can't see all the options, but it's awful. Sometimes I have to pull over on side of road and use a qtip.
• The doctor is of the opinion it's because I had a cornea transplant and still need to put steroid drops in daily. can't get steroid drops preservatitive free.
• I’d take them out more but I hate putting them back in.
• When I cleaned the lens my eye stung on reasserting even though I rinsed well. So I just rinse my eye and the lens well.
• My doctor doesn’t recommend I re-insert.
• I also do this on occasion to relieve some of the red patches that sometimes appear near the edge of the lenses on the white of my eye. It is a minor annoyance but manageable compared to dealing with a regular hard lens.
• Not much of a problem if I am in and out of the house during the day. ' Play tennis 5 days a week and often insert lenses a few times before  I head out .. I give it about 5 minutes each time and that seems to be enough time to know if I got it right . 
• I would love an opportunity to check more than one box and/or be able to comment on my “other.” Thanks for these surveys. My husband came home, all excited to share last week’s survey results & he’s NOT the patient, just equally as enthralled! The educational materials, provided specifically by the DES, are by far the best & most enjoyable to learn! The DES makes having really crumby eyes a little fun! Thank you.
• It's a pain if I am wearing makeup. Or, not anywhere when they really need it.
• Sometimes the lens rotates in my eye. When it does, often I see a cluster of small bubbles under the lens. When that happens, I remove the lens for cleaning and reinsertion.
• I refill more frequently on long car trips. The dry or blowing air in a car tends to turn my eyes bright red
• My ability to wear the lens has changed. I was told it is due to the flections in my vision. The lens fog up every time I go into an air-condition place. Sometime they get a "disturb" fit, leak fluid and become dis-connected to my eye and leak out. Getting so dry they can fall out. It's becoming such a problem, that I begin to cringe at the thought of continuing to my PROSE.
• I remove and reinsert twice a day. It’s a chance to put in some serum drops as well as refresh the saline. It’s much more comfortable that way. It’s a bit of a hassle having to carry all the stuff around, but I can deal with it . I’m just grateful that I can wear the lenses as I cannot function without them.
• eye inflammation R upper lid- remove, clean, refill x 5 very short duration (minutes prior losing fluid in scleral) in AM; 3-4 times in afternoon. Can only wear 4-6 hours in a sitting. Eye fatigue from computer work. Temp@this time year unable to create "sweat equity" to reduce edema; must just accept this to function. Missed your time of wear survey- thanks for this information.
• Why is the fogging happening, is it fit??
• If I am at home, it is just time consuming and an annoyance. If I am not at home, it really creates issues regarding a need for sanitary conditions.
• My work doesn’t often allow me a place to get my hands anywhere close to acceptably clean, so rinsing and refilling is problematic.
• I have fogging and dryness. My doctor told me to add two drops of Refresh Celluvisc when I fill my lenses. This helps a lot. However, I still clean, rinse, and refill at least once a day. I use Boston Simplus. So, it’s an all in one solution. I have Keratoconus and this is my only option for clear vision (Other than another cornea transplant. I’ve had one already.) So, it isn’t interfering with my scleral success. It is hard sometimes if I’m busy at work.
• I’ll have some good days and bad days with my left sclera only. MY right lens I have no problem with.
• Tried cleaning them and then rinsing but it removed the coating so I don't clean them any more other than rinsing and conditioning them.
• The need to NOT remove, refill, and re-insert in a public lavatory for fear of being bumped means I don't push wearing times longer for bus trips, etc.
• Not a serious issue, but occasionally, I have to take one of the devices out and just rinse and replace. Worst is during Allergy season. Reason for removal is either gunk or fogging. No rhyme or reason as to why/when it may happen.
• Wish there was an easier way.
• Dr told me it was not good to leave same saline in PROSE lenses all day, to put fresh saline in at least once a day.
• only have to reinsert during placement on eye, sometimes a bubble requires reinsertion but rarely. Then no issues thru the day
• In general, my lenses are in from the time I get up until I go to bed, usually around 16 hours. Once in a while when I know I am going to have a late night, I will remove, rinse and refill before going out. Rarely I will have an air bubble at insertion and have to redo.
• Fortunately, once my lenses are in; they stay in all day. Occasionally, I have to remove and reinsert my lenses when I have bubbles or pain. When I drop the lens on the floor while reinserting the lense, then I clean them with Lobob ESC.
• After wearing PROSE in my right eye for 15 years because of GVHD from stem cell transplant my eye has developed tears again. I am very thankful for Dr Perry's contribution to my life since 2003 when I was the 8th in world to get PROSE for my condition. I had the pleasure of doing a commercial with Dr Rosenthal at a local Boston television station in 2003; he saved my life then, and I shall always remember him for his contributions to persons with dry eye syndrome! I feel blessed as I no longer wear my PROSE as of Thanksgiving of 2018! God bless Dr Perry!! Charlene G Stuart Charleston, SC PLEASE share this comment with others to give hope for miracles of improvement-thanks!

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