Insert and Remove Contact Lenses with Acrylic Nails
Hello there, welcome to another version of Contacts with Conway, I'm Martin
Conway and today I'd like to look at some of the issues associated with the
insertion and removal of simple soft contact lenses. Soft lenses themselves
have become even more simplified in during the fitting process now but it
can actually take longer to show a patient how to successfully insert and
remove a contact lens than it can to actually fit them. One particular issue
is the current fashion for wearing long acrylic nails. These can actually get in
the way when we're handling soft lenses and more importantly they can either
damage the lens or the eye itself during the removal process in particular. Over
time, I've developed certain techniques to avoid these issues and I'd like to
share them with you during the following clips.
Techniques Explained
As far as the techniques are concerned the insertion technique is not
that different from that used in conventional lenses. The lens is placed
on the tip of the right or left index finger, lids are parted and the lens is gradually
introduced to the eye. The important thing is not to push the lens onto the eye otherwise it will tend to
fold back against the finger. Gently but slowly, introduce the lens until the lens
will actually drop onto the eye of its own accord.
This technique is particularly useful for those nervous patients that may
attempt to flinch at the last moment. When we come to removal this is the key
difference. What we're going to do is approach the eye using the tips of two
fingers pointed vertically at the ceiling to keep the nail away from the
eye and the lens is approached using the balls of the two index fingers. Lower lid
is lowered with another finger and as
the lens is approached we just simply press against the lens. This time we do
want pressure against the lens and maintaining that pressure we then rotate
the fingers and the lens comes away inside the finger without introducing
the nails to the surface of the lens or more importantly to the cornea. As we
will see from the following video clips.
Insertion Technique
For patients that are slightly nervous about putting a lens on the eye, have them
part the lids and bring the lens as close to the eye as possible without
actually pushing the lens on. Allow the lens to drop on to the eye of its own
accord and then just look down onto the lens to iron out any wrinkles that may
occur. This helps the patient that's slightly nervous about touching their
eye because you can explain to them that we're not actually touching the eye
we're just allowing the lens to drop on of its own accord.
Removal Technique
For those patients with long nails or artificial nails, there's another
technique that we use. Have the patient pull the lower lid down and take the two
index fingers pointing vertically to keep the nails away from the eye, press
against the eye with the pads of the fingers and roll the lens out underneath
the soft fleshy part of the finger avoiding contact with the eye with the
nails at all costs. We slow that down once more: fingers together, pressing
against the surface of the lens and whilst pressing, roll the fingers
together and the lens comes out. Simple technique to help those nervous patients.
And here again we'll show the technique in real time this time.
What are your techniques for soft lenses?
We're all taught the very basics at college when we learn how to fit contact lenses first of all
insertion and removal techniques, but we later go on to develop our own
techniques with practice. I hope you found this short video useful, if you
have please remember to like it share it and subscribe. If you have any techniques
of your own that you've developed since qualifying and you like to share with us
please contact us and we'd be delighted to include them on the next video. In the
meantime thank you very much for your attention and see you next time.
Thank You for Watching