If you've been told in the past that you cannot wear contact lenses because of an irregular cornea or other problems, you may want to get a second opinion and ask your eye doctor about scleral contact lenses.
Scleral contacts are large-diameter gas permeable contact lenses specially designed to vault over the entire corneal surface and rest on the "white" of the eye (sclera). In doing so, scleral lenses functionally replace the irregular cornea with a perfectly smooth optical surface to correct vision problems caused by keratoconus and other corneal irregularities.
Also, the space between the cornea and the back surface of a scleral lens acts as a fluid reservoir to provide comfort for people with severe dry eyes who otherwise could not tolerate contact lens wear.
Many optometrists recommend scleral contact lenses for a variety of hard-to-fit eyes, including eyes with keratoconus. Scleral contacts are noticeably larger than standard gas permeable (GP) contacts and have a diameter equal to or greater than that of soft contact lenses. The smallest sclerals are approximately 14.5 mm in diameter, and the largest can be up to 24 mm. When most people think about putting a large contact in their eyes, they assume the comfort will be poor. With our patients at Eye Care Center, we have found the response to be quite the opposite. The lenses provided excellent comfort.
In cases of early keratoconus, a standard GP lens may be used. However, if the lens does not center properly on the eye or moves excessively with blinks causing discomfort, switching to a large-diameter scleral contact lens may solve the problem.
Because scleral lenses are designed to vault the corneal surface and rest on the less sensitive surface of the sclera, these lenses often are more comfortable for a person with keratoconus. Also, scleral lenses are designed to fit with little or no lens movement during blinks, making them more stable on the eye, compared with traditional corneal gas permeable lenses.
If you or someone you know is interested in trying scleral lenses for keratoconus or other ‘hard-to’fit’ eyes, please contact us at (979) 779-9000 or schedule an appointment today.
