Scleral Contact Lenses

WHO BENEFITS FROM SCLERAL LENSES?

These specialty rigid lenses may be a particularly good option for patients who’ve been told their eyes are “difficult to fit” or that they have a condition that prevents them from wearing contact lenses. Initial comfort on first trying scleral contact lenses is very close to soft contact lenses.FOR EXAMPLE:
DRY EYE
Standard contacts can aggravate an extreme case of dry eye, making them almost unbearable to wear.
Scleral lenses leave a space between the surface of the cornea and the lens which acts like a reservoir, preventing moisture from evaporating and keeping the eye hydrated throughout the day.
ASTIGMATISM
Astigmatism is a refractive error caused by an irregular eye shape. Not only does this impact vision, but it makes contact lenses rotate, causing fluctuations in vision.
Scleral lenses are great for astigmatism because they’re more stable than regular contacts.
KERATOCONUS
A typical cornea has a uniform thickness, with a consistent curve over the surface. When the cornea starts to thin and bulge outwards in the centre, it’s called keratoconus.
Because scleral lenses vault over the cornea rather than actually touching it, they’re perfect for correcting corneal abnormalities like keratoconus. The uniform curve of the lens essentially acts the way a typical cornea would, focusing light at a single point on your retina for clearer vision.

WHAT ARE SCLERAL CONTACT LENSES?
Scleral contacts are contact lenses that cover a larger portion of the eye. Rather than resting directly on the cornea, scleral lenses arc over the cornea to rest on the sclera (the white part) of the eye.

HOW DO SCLERAL LENSES WORK?
Scleral lenses leave a space between the surface of the cornea and the lens. This space functions sort of like a reservoir; trapping moisture against the eye to keep it hydrated all day. Scleral lenses are also a good option for patients with irregular corneas, simulating a smooth ocular surface for patients with keratoconus and other corneal irregularities.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET MY SCLERAL LENSES?
Wearing scleral contact lenses is different from wearing traditional contact lenses. One of our assistants will take you through some insertion and removal training to make sure you’re comfortable using them. They’ll also go over care instructions to help you keep your scleral lenses in the best possible condition.

HOW LONG DOES A SCLERAL LENS FITTING TAKE?
Each scleral lens is custom-made for each individual eye. As a result, fitting these lenses does take quite a bit more time and experience than conventional lenses. Your optometrist and optometric assistant will perform a fitting which includes computerized corneal topography; a 3-dimensional map of the entire corneal surface and Anterior Optical Coherence Tomography, which measures and analyzes the entire front portion of the eye in cross section. Typically more than one set of lenses will need to be ordered to fine tune the fit, comfort and vision. Including all appointments, these lenses cost $1200-2000, including fit and examinations, depending on their complexity. They provide a comfortable solution to vision correction not available in the past for more complicated conditions.

HOW LONG CAN I WEAR SCLERAL LENSES DURING THE DAY?
Many patients wear their scleral lenses for up to 14 hours daily.

HOW LONG WILL A SCLERAL CONTACT LENS LAST?
Scleral lenses last approximately 1-2 years or as prescription changes.

HOW DO I INSERT AND REMOVE THEM?