how to remove/insert someone's contact lenses?

GingerSue · Jan 9, 2005

There must be someone who has done this for a patient? I know you're out there.

ktwlpn, LPN · Jan 9, 2005

I wear contacts but have never removed lenses from another person...My eye doctor sometimes removes mine prior to my exam-you just touch the tip of your (clean) finger to the bottom edge of the lens,gently slide it down and then lightly pinch it off the eye....as you slide it down it will kind of bunch up as you go making it easier to pick up...If it seems to be sticking then admin a lubricating eye gtt and wait a second or 2 before proceeding....Hope this helps...

GingerSue · Jan 9, 2005

thanks, yes this helps.

it's something I've never done, wondered about, and wouldn't want someone to have corneal abrasions if for some reason they couldn't remove them.

have to be ready for anything!

renerian, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2005

I wear contacts and aside from the washing hands "stuff", I take the lens smack in the center, with head staying straight, look up at the ceiling with only your eyes and put it on the eye in a rolling motion. Blink and press if it is not all contacting the eye.

renerian]

louloubell1 · Jan 10, 2005

I wear contacts but have never removed lenses from another person...My eye doctor sometimes removes mine prior to my exam-you just touch the tip of your (clean) finger to the bottom edge of the lens,gently slide it down and then lightly pinch it off the eye....as you slide it down it will kind of bunch up as you go making it easier to pick up...If it seems to be sticking then admin a lubricating eye gtt and wait a second or 2 before proceeding....Hope this helps...

That would be correct assuming you are talking about soft lenses. It has been quite a long time, and I'm not sure if anybody still uses hard or gas permeable lenses, but removing those would be different. I used to wear gas perms, and to get them out you had to pull the outer corner of your eye laterally, and then blink, and it would pop out. As for hard lenses, my grandpa always wore them, but he couldn't stand to put them in or take them out himself. There was a little suction cup on a stick kind of thing that my grandmother used to use to take them out for him.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2005

I have retrieved contact lenses before(the lens had slipped off the cornea and was floating in the lower lid). Once that i can remember and the easiest way to do it that i found was to wet a swab with normal sterile saline, have the patient look up if they are able and gently fish,, swipe it upward toward the cornea. If the patient is used to wearing lenses, the normal saline wont burn. Usually you can get it up far enough that you can gently pinch the top edge of the lens and remove it.

MarySunshine · Jan 10, 2005

would you need to wear gloves for this? seems that they would make things more difficult.

hypnotic_nurse · Jan 10, 2005

There was a little suction cup on a stick kind of thing that my grandmother used to use to take them out for him.

One of these was used on me in the ER after I had an allergic reaction and the surface of my swelled to the size of a walnut (that was really, really weird -- apparently I am severely allergic to guinea pigs). I wear gas permeable contacts.

GingerSue · Jan 10, 2005

would you need to wear gloves for this? seems that they would make things more difficult.

I was wondering the same thing - would gloves be necessary? But, would gloves interfere with removal of these little delicate lenses?

SRobinson · Jan 10, 2005

I've had to remove contacts from others eyes a few times. I prefer to stand behind them and grasp the lower portion of the lens between thumb and forefinger, they come right off. I tell them to stare straight ahead with eyes wide open. If it's someone with "jumpy eyelids" that can't stop blinking,I will lift the upper lid and pull slightly on the lower lid to gain access. It can be scary if you've never done it.

AdobeRN · Jan 11, 2005

I work for an optometrist and insert/remove lenses practically everyday for new contact lens wearers. Hopefully I can explain it without causing confusion.

To insert, put lens on index finger, use middle finger to hold lower lid and other hand to hold upper lid. I have patient look down towards nose & keep both eyes open, I put the lens on the white part of eye. Once lens is on, while still holding the lids, have patient look towards you, the lens will move into correct place, slowly let lids go, slowly have patient close eyes and then move the eyes under closed lids.

To remove, apply a few drops of saline, and basically do the same thing but in the opposite direction. Have patient look towards nose, hold lower lid with middle finger, upper lids with other hand, use index finger to "sweep" lens to white part of eye, then use index finger and thumb to "pinch" it out.

You will want to be careful about "pinching" it off the cornea (corlored part of eye) because it is so easy to scratch.

Hard/gas perm lenses are a bit more difficult (at least for me)...When inserting, you place directly onto the cornea. Grasp lids, have patient look straight ahead keeping both eyes open and then place on cornea. To remove, pull at the corner of the eye pulling the lids taut and the lens should "pop" out. The trick is to get the lids near the edges of the lens to release the suction.

They do make "plungers" to remove/insert lenses ( I find this the easiest to use). These are little things that look like a plunger. You just have patient look straight ahead and place it on the lens and pull out. To insert the lens put it on the plunger and then place lens on cornea.

Somebody mentioned gloves...working in the optometrist office I dont use them although I probably should. I just wash my hands constantly. I honestly dont think I could use them, unless they were super tight on my hands.