- Sudden vision loss, flashes of light, a curtain over your vision, a chemical splash or an eye injury needs care now. Call our office right away or go to an emergency room. If you can't reach us, call 911.
Conditions we fit lenses for
What a referral usually names
We fit lenses. We don't replace your own doctor, and we never ask you to stop any care they have started.
Keratoconus
The cornea thins and bulges outward into a cone. Glasses may stop giving sharp vision. Firm corneal lenses and scleral lenses give the eye a smoother surface, and we measure the eye again at each visit. Your own doctor may talk with you about other options, and we work with them.
Corneal or scleral lenses, depending on the shape
Measured on a set schedule
Letters to your doctor after each visit
After a corneal transplant
Lenses are fitted only when the doctor who did your transplant says the eye is ready. We co-manage with them, share measurements and fit lenses to the new shape of the eye.
Fitted when that doctor clears the eye
Checks timed with their visits
Uneven corneas after injury or a past procedure
A scar, an old procedure or a past injury can leave the cornea uneven. A custom lens can even out the surface the eye sees through.
Corneal or scleral lenses
A fit made from your own measurements
Dry, sensitive eyes in lenses
Scleral lenses hold a pool of saline over the cornea. They suit some dry eyes and not others, and Dr. Kovalenko checks the surface of the eye before suggesting them. We explain what to expect and what the lenses can't do.
An exam of the eye's surface first
A cleaning routine we teach in person
High or unusual prescriptions
When the prescription falls outside what stock lenses cover, we order lenses made to your measurements and check the fit before you take them home.
Custom soft or firm lenses
Trial lenses where a design allows
Presbyopia that stock lenses haven't solved
Multifocal lenses in soft, firm and scleral designs, tried in your own day and adjusted at the next visit.
Trial lenses worn for a week or two
Adjusted from what you tell us
Billing
Which insurance pays for a visit like this
A fitting for a corneal condition is usually billed to medical insurance, because it is part of caring for a medical eye problem. A fitting for a routine prescription may go to a vision plan. Many visits mix both, and the office explains which part goes where before you pay.
How fees work has the details, and we check your benefits before your first visit.
Questions
Questions about conditions
Do lenses stop a condition from getting worse?
No. Lenses help you see through a smoother surface. They don't change the cornea, and your own doctor watches for changes and decides on any care for the condition itself. Results vary.
What should I do if my eye hurts or my vision changes suddenly?
Call the office right away or go to an emergency room. Sudden vision loss, flashes of light, a curtain over your vision, a chemical splash or an eye injury needs care now.
Do I need a referral for any of these?
Most patients come with one, but you can call us first. We'll ask for your eye doctor's name so we can write to them.
Talk to the office about your eyes
Call and we'll tell you what to send and when we can see you.