New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) maintains a staff of contact lens professionals dedicated to fitting you with the type of lens that is best suited to your ophthalmic needs and lifestyle. Our physicians and other specialists are among the leaders in their field, participating in studies and national trials that bring the latest advances in contact lens technology to our patients.

In addition to helping to correct normal nearsightedness and farsightedness, contact lenses can also help improve vision for people with certain eye conditions, including keratoconus, corneal ectasia after refractive surgery, irregular or scarred corneas, and those who have had corneal transplantations and corneal scarring. In addition our specialists are trained in fitting prosthetic lenses in trauma patients.

Knowing which type of contact lens is right for you is more challenging than ever before given the wide range of options available. Here are the major types of contact lens:

• Soft contact lenses are thin, pliable lenses, that are typically easy to adjust to and comfortable to wear. Soft contact lenses are further available as daily wear lenses (which are removed at the end of the day, cleaned, and disinfected); extended wear lenses (which are worn around the clock but must be removed and cleaned weekly or monthly); and daily disposable lenses (which are discarded after a single use).
• Toric soft contact lenses are made for people with astigmatism, an irregularly shaped cornea, which results in blurred vision. Toric lenses correct this condition and allow the wearer to usually see better than they could with soft contact lenses. Toric lenses are made of gas-permeable materials or silicone hydrogel.
• Rigid, gas-permeable lenses (RGPs) are made of durable plastic that floats on a layer of tears in your eye. They allow more oxygen to pass through the lens to reach the cornea than most soft lenses, reducing the risk of eye infection. Unlike soft lenses, however, they take longer to fully adjust to.

NYEE’s Contact Lens Service professionals are prepared to sit down with you to discuss which one of the above lens types is best tailored to your needs—as well as your budget.