What about RGPS?

The three main types of contact lenses are: Soft, RGP, and Scleral. These lenses all have their place but are not created equal. Depending on your eye health and curvature, your eye doctor will choose which lens type is best for you. Many patients without corneal issues will wear soft lenses, but at McConkey Eye Care, we don't see "normal" corneal patients, so the vast majority of our patients wear hard contact lenses: Sclerals or RGPs.

RGPs have been around for a long time and while we still fit them, they have some drawbacks compared to scleral lenses. RGPs are much smaller, and for patients with already poor vision, they can be difficult to handle, and many RGP wearers lose their lenses frequently, as compared to scleral lenses. RGPs also sit directly on the cornea, as compared to scleral lenses, which vault over the corneal surface, and can be more difficult to adapt to, due to a foreign body sensation. They do not provide the cornea with lubrication like scleral lenses. RGPs also move with the blink, compared to scleral lenses that stay in place. The jumping of RGPs can cause blur between blinks, which is bothersome to some patients.

RGPs do have some benefits over scleral lenses. They are more affordable, can be easier to insert in smaller eyes, do not require saline filling, and provide better oxygen transfer to the cornea.