Optometry and contact lenses in Medellín
A well done eye exam is the basis of everything: from new glasses to a scleral lens for keratoconus
A complete exam goes beyond your prescription: it measures eye pressure and checks the back of the eye. From there, soft, rigid or scleral contact lenses are fitted, and you know when you need an ophthalmologist. MDE Care is not a clinic or an optical shop: we arrange your exam, your specialty lenses and, if needed, your consultation with the specialist in Medellín.
A clinical exam, not just a prescription
and an ophthalmologist when needed
Which exam or lens do you need?
Answer five questions. We show you whether you need an optometry exam, an ophthalmologist consultation, a specialty lens fitting or a surgery assessment, what is checked and how much that step costs.
1What are you looking for?
2How old are you?
3When was your last eye exam?
4Do you have diabetes, high eye pressure or a history of glaucoma?
Includes glaucoma in your family. It changes who should check you.
5Do you currently wear contact lenses?
Complete optometry exam
Optometrist
To update your prescription, the complete exam also measures eye pressure and checks the back of the eye, which help detect diseases that cause no symptoms.
Next step
- Complete optometry exam
- Glasses prescription
- Yearly checkup if you wear correction
What is checked
- Distance and near visual acuity
- Refraction: your prescription
- Binocular vision
- Eye pressure
- Fundus exam (back of the eye)
Exam guide price
COP 50,000to COP 200,000
Optometrist consultation, guide price.
* Guide prices, confirmed at the assessment. Guide result, not a diagnosis.
How much an optometry exam and contact lenses cost in Medellín
Build your case: the complete eye exam, an ophthalmologist consultation if you need one and the type of contact lens. We show you the guide total in Colombian pesos or US dollars.
First, the exam
Everything starts with a complete eye exam: not just the prescription, but also eye pressure and the back of the eye. It is the basis for glasses, for fitting any contact lens and for knowing whether you need an ophthalmologist.
What is included
- Visual acuity, refraction and binocular vision
- Eye pressure and fundus exam
- Follow-up visits, some remote when the specialist considers it safe
What changes the price
- The professional and what the exam includes
- The assigned clinic and specialist
1. Complete optometry exam
2. Additional consultation
3. Contact lenses
Frames and spectacle lenses are not quoted here: they depend on the optical shop and the material you choose.
Guide total
COP 50,000to COP 200,000
Optometry exam · no contact lenses
Breakdown
- Complete optometry examCOP 50,000 to COP 200,000
- Frames and spectacle lensesDepends on the optical shop
* Guide prices, confirmed at the assessment. Guide result, not a diagnosis.
What a complete eye exam includes
Optometry is a health profession, regulated in Colombia by Law 372 of 1997, that examines, diagnoses and corrects disorders of the visual system to achieve good visual efficiency and protect eye health.
A complete exam goes beyond your prescription. Even if you see well, measuring eye pressure and checking the back of the eye help detect diseases that cause no symptoms.
If the exam shows anything out of the ordinary, you are referred to the ophthalmologist in Medellín.
Visual acuity
How well you see at distance and up close.
Refraction
The measurement for your glasses or lens prescription.
Binocular vision
How both eyes work together.
Eye pressure
High pressure can be an early sign of glaucoma.
Fundus exam
Checks the back of the eye, where diseases without symptoms show up.
Optometrist or ophthalmologist: when to see each one
They do not compete, they complement each other. Knowing who to see first saves you time and appointments.
The optometrist
Performs the eye exam, prescribes glasses and fits contact lenses, including rigid and scleral lenses.
- Your vision is blurry or you need to update your prescription
- You want to start wearing contact lenses
- Your routine checkup, if you have no eye disease
Types of contact lenses
From everyday soft lenses to specialty lenses for irregular corneas. The optometrist chooses the type based on your prescription and your cornea.
Soft
For daily or extended wear, disposable from daily to monthly. Toric lenses correct astigmatism.
Both eyes, from COP 550,000
Rigid gas permeable
They keep their shape and let oxygen through. Indicated for moderate to high astigmatism and keratoconus.
The pair: COP 800,000 to COP 1,750,000
Hybrid
They combine a rigid center with a soft ring. Another option for irregular corneas.
Quoted at the assessment
Scleral
Large diameter lenses that rest on the white of the eye and form a fluid reservoir over the cornea.
COP 1,856,000 per lens
Colored lenses are medical devices too
Even if they do not correct vision, wearing them without a prescription can cause ulcers and infections that put your sight at risk. And only some extended wear lenses allow sleeping in them, and they still have to be removed for cleaning every week.
Guide prices, confirmed at the assessment.
Contact lenses for keratoconus and irregular corneas
With keratoconus you can wear lenses: rigid and scleral lenses are the lenses of choice when glasses and soft lenses no longer correct your vision.
When they are used
They are used in keratoconus, after a corneal transplant, with intrastromal rings or with corneal scars. Rigid gas permeable, hybrid or scleral, depending on severity.
Scleral lenses can also help in ocular surface diseases, such as Sjögren syndrome or exposure, together with dry eye treatment.
Lenses correct vision, but they do not stop keratoconus. To find out whether it is progressing and what options there are, see the page on cornea and keratoconus.
The fitting, step by step
Exam and prescription
The starting point of any fitting.
Corneal topography
Maps the surface of the cornea. Used mainly for irregular corneas and orthokeratology.
Lens trial
With scleral lenses, fluorescein is used to check that the fluid reservoir forms properly.
Training and follow-up
You learn to insert and remove the lens and keep it clean; then the fit is reviewed in case any parameter needs to change.
Orthokeratology: what it is and what the evidence says
These are rigid overnight lenses that correct myopia temporarily. It is not a permanent solution: if you stop wearing them, myopia comes back.
One view: it helps slow myopia
Some sources report that orthokeratology slows the progression of myopia in children, which is why it is offered as an option when myopia is progressing.
The other: there is no firm evidence
The American Academy of Ophthalmology considers there is no firm evidence that it slows myopia, and warns of a higher infection risk in children, which calls for strict hygiene.
It is a decision to make with the specialist, weighing the pros and cons. For minors, medical eye care is in pediatric ophthalmology.
How often to get an eye exam
School-age children
Once a year.
Adults who wear glasses or lenses
Once a year.
Adults without correction
At least every 2 years.
After 40, if reading up close is hard, it may be presbyopia: it is corrected with glasses or lenses, and there is also presbyopia surgery.
Would you rather not wear glasses or lenses?
Then your path is surgery. The optometry exam is still the first step, and the ophthalmologist decides which technique suits you.
LASIK refractive surgery
For myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia, with a cornea of adequate thickness.
See LASIKPRK and SMILE
Other laser techniques, depending on your cornea.
See PRK and SMILEICL lens
A lens inside the eye that keeps your natural lens, for high myopia.
See ICL lensPresbyopia surgery
For people who, after 40 to 45, can no longer focus well up close.
See presbyopiaIf your prescription is no longer enough to see well, with glasses or lenses, see low vision and visual rehabilitation.
Optometry and contact lenses at a glance
| Complete exam | Visual acuity, refraction, binocular vision, eye pressure and fundus exam. COP 50,000 to COP 200,000 |
|---|---|
| Soft lenses | Fitting, both eyes, from COP 550,000 |
| Lenses for keratoconus | Rigid gas permeable, hybrid or scleral, depending on severity |
| Anesthesia or hospital stay | Not applicable |
| If you travel from another city or country | Later follow-up visits can be done remotely when the specialist considers it safe |
Why arrange your exam and lenses with MDE Care
We are not a clinic or an optical shop: we are your coordination team. We connect you with optometrists and ophthalmologists in Medellín.
Complete clinical exam
Not just the prescription: eye pressure and fundus exam, and the ophthalmologist when the exam calls for it.
Specialty lenses
Rigid and scleral lenses for keratoconus and irregular corneas, with fitting and follow-up.
Coordination from start to finish
Appointments, fitting, follow-up and, if you travel, the logistics of your stay in Medellín.
Organizations that support our work
How we arrange your optometry appointment in Medellín
A guided process from your first message to your follow-up visits.
Tell us about your case
Message us on WhatsApp with what you are looking for or your self-check result.
Complete exam
Prescription, eye pressure and fundus exam.
Plan
Glasses, contact lenses or ophthalmologist, depending on the result.
Fitting
Lens trial, training and delivery.
Follow-up
In person and remote when the specialist considers it safe.
Common questions about optometry and contact lenses
What is the difference between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist?
What does a complete optometry exam include?
How much does an optometry exam cost in Medellín?
How often should I get an eye exam?
Which contact lenses work for keratoconus?
What are scleral lenses?
Does orthokeratology slow myopia in children?
Can I sleep in contact lenses?
Are glasses and soft lenses no longer enough?
If you have keratoconus or an irregular cornea, we help you arrange a rigid or scleral lens fitting.
Other ophthalmology procedures
Ready for your eye exam?
Message us with what you are looking for or your self-check result. We arrange your optometry exam, your lens fitting and, if needed, the ophthalmologist consultation in Medellín, with a clear price from the first message.