Charlotte Contact Lens Institute

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Charlotte Contact Lens Institute

Charlotte Contact Lens Institute is an independent practice providing custom & personalized care.

04/01/2026

This 35-year-old male was referred to us for a scleral lens evaluation of his left eye (OS) after corneal trauma led to neurotrophic keratitis and persistent SPK. His main concerns were blurred vision, cosmetic redness, lid drooping, and persistent discomfort 😣

He had already been through extensive treatment, including ointment, preservative-free tears, Oxervate, Vevye, Miebo, with an amniotic membrane pending insurance approval. Yet the eye remained inflamed and uncomfortable.

During his scleral lens fitting, he reported instant relief ✨ with the trial lens, asking if he could take the lens home (we wish we could!).

After wearing his scleral lens for 2 weeks, his eye looked quieter and even the lid position improved (photo 1). His corneal epithelium significantly improved (photo 2) with complete SPK resolution.

In cases of neurotrophic keratitis and ocular surface disease, scleral lenses aren’t just refractive devices; they function as a therapeutic bandage system, creating a stable environment for healing.

For this patient (who works in a public-facing role), the cosmetic improvement was just as meaningful as the comfort and vision gains.

When conventional dry eye therapies plateau, therapeutic scleral lenses can truly change the trajectory.

03/24/2026

Scleral Lens Care During Allergy Season 🌼

“Are your scleral lenses feeling itchier, foggier, or more irritating than usual this spring?” 🤧

Allergy season could be affecting your lens comfort.
Quick allergy-season checklist for scleral lens wearers:

✅ Wash hands before handling lenses to avoid transferring pollen or allergens 🧼
✅ Keep lenses clean and follow your recommended cleaning routine carefully 🧴
✅ Use preservative-free filling solutions to maintain a comfortable tear reservoir 💧
✅ Avoid rubbing your eyes, which can worsen irritation and disrupt your lenses 🚫

If your lenses are feeling uncomfortable during allergy season, it may be time for a quick check-in. Small adjustments can make a big difference in comfort.

“Are allergies affecting your lens comfort this season?” 👀

ContactLensCare DryEye

03/20/2026

Are your scleral lenses feeling itchier, foggier, or more irritating than usual this spring 🤧
Allergy season could be affecting your lens comfort.

Quick allergy-season checklist for scleral lens wearers:
✅ Wash hands before handling lenses to avoid transferring pollen or allergens 🧼
✅ Keep lenses clean and follow your recommended cleaning routine carefully 🧴
✅ Use preservative-free filling solutions to maintain a comfortable tear reservoir 💧
✅ Avoid rubbing your eyes, which can worsen irritation and disrupt your lenses 🚫

If your lenses are feeling uncomfortable during allergy season, it may be time for a quick check-in. Small adjustments can make a big difference in comfort.

Are allergies affecting your lens comfort this season? 👀

03/17/2026

What is considered a significant haptic adjustment? 🤔

The answer often depends on the specific lens design. Haptics vary widely between manufacturers, and even within the same brand, different diameters can have very different landing zone sizes.

Today’s “haptic of the day” highlights the superior and inferior quadrants of a scleral, 17.0 mm in diameter. The images on the left show the in-office trial lens fit. The images on the right show the same lens after flattening the haptic by 200 µm.

This example demonstrates how meaningful a 200 µm adjustment can be.
Beyond OCT evaluation, clinical judgment in assessing the degree and depth of conjunctival blanching remains critical in determining how much modification is appropriate.

03/12/2026

Have you heard of the small aperture IOL? 🧐👁️

The IC-8 lens uses a tiny 1.36 mm central opening to filter out scattered peripheral light—similar to the pinhole test we use in the exam room to check your best visual potential. By blocking unfocused light rays, it can reduce distortions and help manage uncorrected astigmatism.

But real life isn’t exam-room lighting. When the natural pupil dilates in dim environments, light can sneak in around the aperture, sometimes bringing back glare, shadowing, or double vision.

In this case, when further surgical refinement wasn’t an option, a specialty contact lens helped improve vision from 20/200 to 20/25. A powerful reminder that even when surgery reaches its limit, there are still tools to restore quality vision. ✨

03/07/2026

A routine exam with an unexpected finding 💭❓

This patient has been a long-time spherical soft lens wearer and prefers monovision after cataract surgery. At this year’s visit, we found new, unexpected astigmatism in her prescription — and it correlated with worsening vision.

Her main complaint? Increasing glare and a constant “film” over her vision. Since her dominant (distance eye) was the most symptomatic, the change was especially noticeable and frustrating.

When we looked closer, the issue wasn’t the contact lens at all. She had posterior capsule opacification (PCO) bisecting her visual axis — creating distortion that mimicked new astigmatism.

A good reminder that when vision changes, it’s important to ask why before simply changing the prescription.

03/03/2026

Join a community dedicated to advancing scleral lens care through real-world learning, meaningful connections, and expert guidance.

Dr. Ariel Cerenzie returns as one of the program chairs for , and we couldn’t be more excited about the lineup!
Register by March 1 to secure the lowest pricing of the year. We can’t wait to see you in San Diego!

Registration link is in our bio 🙌

02/26/2026

Looking for a specialty eye care team you can trust and feel comfortable with? Read the reviews patients have been sharing about their experience at our practice! 💜

We’re so thankful for the kind words and support from our amazing community. If you know someone who needs specialty eye care, we’d be honored for you to send them our way. 👀✨

02/23/2026

Happy 3 year anniversary, CCLI!

"Three years ago, I started Charlotte Contact Lens Institute as a passion project.

I wanted to create a space where I could focus exclusively on specialty contact lenses, fully immerse myself in the best technology available, and truly nerd out on what I love most. 🤓

What began as a small, focused vision has grown into something far beyond what I imagined. Watching this practice evolve through the patients we take care, the incredible team we have built, the technology we use, and the relationships we have formed has been so rewarding.

The best part is that it still does not feel like going to work when you genuinely love what you do.

I am so grateful for every patient who has trusted us, every referring doctor who has supported us, and every team member who has joined our little contact lens nerd family.

Year three, and we are just getting started!"

- Dr. Cerenzie

$Success story after refractive lens exchange!Many patients with high prescriptions look for options that offer freedom f...$

02/18/2026

Success story after refractive lens exchange!

Many patients with high prescriptions look for options that offer freedom from glasses and contacts. And for this patient, ending up back in corrective lenses was never the goal. But sometimes, even after advanced surgery, vision still needs a little extra support.

Here’s a great example of what’s possible when the right technology meets the right fit. This 53-year-old patient achieved 20/20 distance and near vision in a custom multifocal scleral lens. Special design features helped the lens stay centered and stable, leading to clear, comfortable vision all day.

A reminder that personalized care can make all the difference. 🧐

02/12/2026

Corneal scars can impair vision not only through opacity, but also by inducing irregular astigmatism. Even peripheral scars can induce significant irregular astigmatism and higher-order aberrations that limit best-corrected vision.

How scleral lenses help:
We frequently evaluate patients referred for possible penetrating keratoplasty (PK) to better understand their true visual potential. A same-day scleral lens trial often allows patients to experience their best-corrected vision—sometimes for the first time—before committing to surgical intervention. 👁️

Our approach:
• Trial fitting performed during the initial 2-hour consultation
• Patients walk around the office to experience real-world vision
• Supports shared, informed decision-making: surgical vs. non-surgical

Fitting considerations:
In many cases, fitting is relatively straightforward. However, depending on the degree of irregularity, HOA-corrected optics may be necessary to fully optimize visual quality.

Takeaway:
Before recommending surgery, giving patients the opportunity to see what’s possible can meaningfully influence outcomes, expectations, and long-term satisfaction. ✨

02/10/2026

Behind every great doctor is an even greater support team 👀✨

Meet the dream team keeping things running at CCLI and RCLI: Pia, Ian, and Hope 💪

From answering patient calls to managing emails and texts, coordinating schedules, tracking lenses, and handling all the behind-the-scenes details, they keep everything running smoothly day in and day out. Most importantly, they make sure every patient feels heard, supported, and truly taken care of — the heartbeat of our practice, assisting our doctors every step of the way.
We couldn’t do what we do without them 🩵

Address

5950 Fairview Road Suite 708
Charlotte, NC
28210

Telephone

+17048005230

Website

https://www.charlottecontactlens.com/

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