Scleral Contact Lenses for Keratoconus and Dryness

Keratoconus is a progressive disease of the cornea that causes it to thin and bulge forward. This
leads to an irregular corneal surface which causes distorted vision.

 

In the moderate to severe stages of keratoconus, this distortion cannot be corrected with traditional glasses or contact lenses.

 

Scleral contact lenses are large rigid gas permeable contact lenses that provide a smooth surface for the patient to see clearly through. Some patients may be a bit uncomfortable with the thought of putting a large rigid lens in their eye due to concerns of the lens being uncomfortable. This is completely understandable, however, most keratoconus patients find these lenses surprisingly comfortable.

 

The design of the lens makes this possible because it rests on the white part of the patient's eye where there are not a lot of nerves.

Older, smaller rigid gas permeable lenses used for keratoconus sit right on the sensitive cornea
which does have a large number of nerves. Furthermore, since the disease causes the surface of the cornea to be distorted, it is very difficult to get these small lenses to fit on the eye so that
they remain in their correct position.

 

Scleral lenses are not impacted by this because they completely vault over the distorted corneal surface. Most patients who suffer from moderate to severe keratoconus find that these lenses provide them with a level of visual acuity that they have not experianced for many years.

Patients with severe dry eyes also do very well with scleral lenses. This is because the scleral
lens is filled with saline and sometimes other lubricants prior to inserting them. This allows the
cornea to remain submerged and therefore lubricated while the lenses are being worn.

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Call our office at 770 558 1850 or click here to make an appointment for a Comprehensive Eye Exam.

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