Scleral/Specialty Contact Lenses
What are scleral lenses and how do they interact with the ocular surface?
i. Scleral lenses are large diameter lenses (14.5mm-24.0mm) that vault the cornea and rest on the sclera. The vault over the cornea creates a fluid reservoir in between the cornea and lens. This fluid reservoir provides a healthy moist environment for the eye.
ii. The conjunctival tissue and sclera are much less sensitive than the cornea, giving the patient increased comfort and longer lens wear compared to traditional RGP lenses.
How do I find out if myself or someone I know is a candidate?
You can schedule a full eye exam with the optometrist. She will do a detailed evaluation of your ocular health and visual status to identify if you would be a good candidate for scleral lenses.
Good candidates are anyone with:
1. Corneal ectasia
2. Dry eye
3. A history of corneal surgery
4. Poor visual status or unhappy with vision through current form of correction
5. Or anyone unable to comfortable wear soft or rigid-gas permeable lenses
Benefits of scleral lenses
The fluid reservoir created by the large diameter lens helps to support and restore a healthy ocular surface. The lenses help reduce evaporation and drying and can protect the eyes from challenging environments or eyelid abnormalities. Scleral lenses help to eliminate blurry vision caused by irregular corneas and they can be designed to help correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.