A scleral contact lens is a large lens that rests on the sclera (white) portion of the eye that lies beneath the cornea (clear cover over your entire eye). Conventional soft contact lenses cover the pupil (colored portion) beneath the cornea. The scleral contact lenses cover both the colored and “white” portions of the eye, beneath the cornea. Scleral contact lenses are designed to treat a variety of eye conditions, many of which do not respond to other forms of treatment. Scleral lenses may be used to improve vision and reduce discomfort or pain and light sensitivity for people suffering from a growing number of disorders or injuries to the eye. To name a few, keratoconus, corneal ectasia, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Sjogren’s syndrome, keratitis, complications post-LASIK, complications post-corneal transplant and pellucid degeneration.
Injuries to the eye as a result of surgical complications, chemical burns injuries also may be treated by the use of a scleral contact lens. Recently, scleral contact lenses have been gaining attention for their success in helping individuals who suffer from severe dry-eye.
Modern scleral lenses are made of a highly oxygen permeable polymer. They are unique in their design in that they fit onto and are supported by the sclera, the white portion of the eye. Unlike typical soft contact lenses, scleral lenses bulge outward considerably more. The space between the cornea and the lens is to be filled with artificial tears. The liquid, which is contained in a thin elastic reservoir, conforms to the irregularities of the deformed cornea, allowing vision to be restored comfortably. This helps to give the patient BCVA, or Best Corrected Visual Acuity. You are a good candidate for scleral contact lenses if you have tried conventional contact lenses without success, for any of the following conditions (1) you have irregular shaped corneas, (2) you have hard-to-fit eyes – the lenses dislodge easily, (3) your eyes are too dry for conventional contact lenses. Contact us or leave an inquiry to learn more about scleral contact lenses.