Scleral Contact Lenses
Scleral lenses are gas permeable contact lenses that can dramatically improve vision and/or comfort for eyes with corneal irregularities. Unlike regular gas permeable lenses, these lenses are larger in diameter & depth. When properly fitted, these lenses will "vault" over the entire abnormal cornea. This vaulting allows preservative free saline solution (Lacripure or Nutrifill) to fill the gap between the lens and the cornea, thus resulting in a new, smooth optical surface. The saline essentially fixes unwanted glares, starbursts, and halos regularly experienced by glasses and soft contact lenses.
We recommend scleral lenses for a variety of corneal conditions. This includes keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, corneal ectasia, corneal deformity, medium to high amounts of astigmatism, dry eyes and more.
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Keratoconus
Keratoconus is an extremely slow moving eye condition which entails progressive thinning of the front part of the eye, called cornea, into a cone shape. The cornea is the clear, dome shaped tissue that covers the colored part of the eye (iris). In those patients with keratoconus, the now cone-shaped cornea deflects light and causes distorted vision uncorrectable by glasses or soft contact lenses. .
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Post-LASIK
Lasik involved correcting vision but thinning the cornea by a laser and potentially inducing dry eyes in the future. Soft contact lens fits can be notoriously hard or impossible due to the changes made to the corneal surface during surgery. Scleral lenses sit almost entirely on the sclera, vaulting above the cornea and allowing the lens to correct corneal surface abnormalities.
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Post-RK
Radial/Axial Keratotomy is an older refractive correcting technique. These patients experience a multitude of side effects as a result of this surgery, including glare and halos from corneal scarring. Scleral lenses provide long lasting comfort and sharper vision (primarily at nighttime) when properly fit.
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Dry Eye Syndrome
Decreased tear production causes poor quality of vision and decreased comfort especially while wearing soft contact lenses. Studies have shown that 85% of patients achieved relief of dry eye symptoms while wearing scleral lenses. The space between the cornea and the scleral lens acts as a liquid reservoir to minimize redness and provide comfort for people with severe dry eyes who otherwise could not tolerate soft contact lens wear.
Dr. Kumar Patel specializes in fitting these specialty contact lenses for irregular corneal conditions. These corneal conditions, as described above, are more advanced than a normal cornea. Dr. Patel and his staff have the knowledge and skills to design and customize the best scleral lens required. At PersonalEyes Vision Care, we are fully equipped with the newest technology to accurately fit the new custom scleral lenses.
If you've been told in the past that you cannot wear contact lenses anymore because of an eye condition, contact PersonalEyes Vision Care to obtain a second opinion and see if you are a good candidate for scleral lenses. Click Here to learn more about scleral lenses!