Scleral Contact Lens

Scleral contact lenses are a rigid contact lens but much larger than typical rigid gas permeable contact lenses. The size allows for improved comfort by completely vaulting over the cornea and resting on the sclera, or white part of the eye. This design creates a cushion of fluid between your eye and the contact lens. The cushion of fluid is beneficial for patients with severe dry eye or irregular astigmatism due to conditions like keratoconus or after a corneal transplant. The cornea, the clear tissue in front of your iris (the colored part of your eye), allows for clear vision when the surface is smooth and hydrated. In some conditions like keratoconus, the surface of the cornea is not a smooth, spherical surface and the cornea becomes cone-shaped which can cause vision to be blurry even with glasses correction. In these cases, a rigid contact lens or scleral contact lens can be utilized to create an artificial smooth surface to allow for clearer vision. Similarly, after a corneal transplant, sometimes the cornea may not retain a smooth surface, so scleral contact lenses can be beneficial. In cases of severe dry eye syndrome, the scleral contact lens creates fluid cushion between the contact lens and your eye to allow for constant hydration while wearing the contact lens. Due to the design of this contact lens, the fitting evaluation is more involved than a soft contact lens or traditional rigid gas permeable contact lens. At your scleral contact lens fitting, your doctor will demonstrate how to properly insert, remove, and clean your scleral contact lenses. Our doctors will follow up with you after you receive your contact lenses to monitor how the lens fits on your eye after wearing the contact lens