Scleral lenses are specialized contact lenses that create a liquid cushion over your cornea, providing relief for individuals with specific eye conditions. Ideal candidates include those with keratoconus, severe dry eye, and irregular corneas from surgery or injury.
Scleral lenses are large, custom-designed contact lenses that rest on the white part of your eye (the sclera) and vault over the clear front surface, the cornea. By creating a reservoir of sterile saline solution over the cornea, they can dramatically improve vision and comfort for people with specific eye conditions that are not helped by glasses or standard contact lenses.
Scleral lenses are advanced medical devices that work differently than standard soft or hard contacts. Their unique design provides a protective liquid cushion over your cornea that can improve both vision and all-day comfort.
These specialized lenses create a perfectly smooth optical surface over an irregular or damaged cornea by holding a thin layer of preservative-free saline. This fluid-filled space masks surface irregularities, corrects vision distortions, and provides constant hydration to shield the eye from friction and air exposure.
Unlike soft lenses that drape over the cornea or smaller rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses that rest directly on it, scleral lenses vault completely over the cornea without touching it. This design is ideal for sensitive or irregularly shaped corneas, providing superior stability and comfort since the sclera has fewer nerve endings.
Each scleral lens is custom-made based on detailed 3D maps of your eye's unique shape. The fitting process involves a comprehensive eye exam and trial lenses to ensure a precise fit that maximizes vision and comfort while maintaining long-term eye health. This requires multiple visits to fine-tune the lens for your specific needs.
Many eye conditions make wearing regular contact lenses difficult or impossible. Scleral lenses are often a life-changing solution for people with various corneal and ocular surface diseases.
In keratoconus, the cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape, causing blurred and distorted vision. Scleral lenses vault over this irregular surface, creating a smooth optical interface that provides much clearer and more stable vision than glasses or other contacts can achieve.
For patients with severe dry eye from conditions like Sjogren's Syndrome or graft-versus-host disease, the fluid reservoir under a scleral lens acts like a constant liquid bandage. It provides continuous moisture and protection, significantly reducing symptoms like burning, grittiness, and light sensitivity.
Patients who have had corneal transplants (keratoplasty), complications from refractive surgery like LASIK, or eye injuries may be left with an uneven corneal surface. Scleral lenses bypass these irregularities, often restoring functional vision when other options have failed.
Inherited conditions like Fuchs' Dystrophy or Pellucid Marginal Degeneration can affect the cornea's clarity and shape. Scleral lenses can manage symptoms by creating a smooth refractive surface, improving vision quality and potentially delaying the need for surgical intervention.
This condition occurs when corneal nerves are damaged, reducing sensation and impairing the eye's ability to heal. The protective fluid layer under a scleral lens shields the vulnerable cornea, promoting healing and preventing further damage from exposure.
Autoimmune conditions like Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid can cause severe scarring of the eye surface. Scleral lenses act as a prosthetic shield, improving comfort and vision while protecting the remaining healthy tissue from damage caused by blinking.
While scleral lenses can help many people, a successful experience depends on a patient's personal circumstances, motivation, and commitment to proper care.
Scleral lenses require more steps to insert, remove, and care for than regular contacts. Ideal candidates are motivated to learn the proper techniques and are patient during the initial adjustment period, which is key to long-term success.
Proper hygiene is crucial to prevent serious eye infections. Good candidates understand the importance of following all cleaning and disinfection instructions exactly and are willing to invest the time in daily lens maintenance.
While scleral lenses often provide dramatic vision improvement, they may not restore perfect 20/20 vision in every case, especially with advanced corneal disease. Successful candidates understand their likely outcomes and are satisfied with significant functional improvement.
Because these lenses are larger, handling them requires steady hands. Ideal candidates are comfortable touching the area around their eyes and can manage the insertion and removal process, though tools are available to help.
Scleral lens fitting is a process, not a single appointment. Successful wearers must commit to attending all scheduled follow-up visits to ensure the lens fit remains safe and the eye stays healthy over the long term.
Scleral lenses offer unique advantages, but they also come with important responsibilities that patients should understand before starting treatment.
The fluid-filled space neutralizes corneal irregularities more effectively than any other non-surgical option. Many patients experience their best-ever vision, with improved sharpness, reduced glare, and better stability throughout the day.
The constant hydration soothes dry, irritated, or damaged corneas. Most patients can wear their lenses comfortably all day, a significant improvement over other lens types that may have been intolerable.
The lens shields the cornea from environmental irritants like wind, dust, and dry air. For patients with surface disease or injury, this protection can promote healing while maintaining functional vision.
Scleral lenses are custom medical devices and require a higher initial investment for fitting fees and materials. Ongoing costs include special cleaning solutions and periodic lens replacement, typically every one to two years.
Successful scleral lens wear depends heavily on the skill of the eye doctor. It is critical to work with a practitioner who has advanced training and experience in fitting these specialized lenses to manage the process and any potential complications.
If you are struggling with vision or discomfort from a complex eye condition and think scleral lenses might be right for you, schedule a consultation. Our specialty lens team will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine if you are a candidate and guide you through the custom fitting process.
Take the first step towards clearer vision with scleral lenses today. Consult with a top optometrist or ophthalmologist at a practice listed with Specialty Vision to see if you qualify for this innovative solution.
Take the first step towards clearer vision with scleral lenses today. Consult with a top optometrist or ophthalmologist at a practice listed with Specialty Vision to see if you qualify for this innovative solution.
Discover who can benefit from scleral lenses and improve vision quality with our extensive guide on candidates for scleral lenses.
