If you have been having trouble finding a good fit with scleral lenses, there is still a chance that this type of contact lens could work for you.
Scleral lenses are a type of rigid gas permeable contact lens that is larger in diameter than traditional ones. They are designed to vault over the entire cornea and rest on the white part of the eye known as the sclera. These lenses are made of oxygen-permeable materials and ideally provide a comfortable fit for individuals with irregular corneas or other eye conditions that make it difficult to wear traditional contact lenses. Some of the conditions that can benefit from scleral lenses include keratoconus, severe dry eyes, and corneal scarring.
Scleral lenses can be used for both vision correction and therapeutic purposes, such as protecting the cornea after surgery or injury.
While scleral lenses have many benefits, some patients may find getting a comfortable and/or healthy fit to be a challenge. One of the primary reasons why someone may have a challenge getting a comfortable/healthy fit for scleral lenses is due to the shape of their eye. Only about 25% of patients have scleras that are “round”. Many brands of scleral lenses provide the fitting doctors with diagnostic lenses that are “round”. These lenses may not fit properly on approximately 75% of patients. Another fitting challenge for scleral lenses is elevations or protrusions on the front of the eye, such as pinguecula, pterygium, bleb or glaucoma shunt. When an eye has these type of fitting challenges, sometimes an impression mold is needed.
At last, there is new technology providing hope for patients with severe irregularities in their corneas or extreme protrusions on their scleras who are hoping to benefit from wearing scleral lenses.
EyePrintPRO offers a custom solution for contact lenses that are custom fit for each eye.
Our optometrist will take impression molds of the front surface of the eye utilizing an FDA-approved ocular compound. This impression molding technique captures all corneal-scleral irregularities and contours so that a lens with that exact shape can be produced. These lenses also offer advanced optics such as prism in any direction, customizable multifocal and even decentered optics.
There are few practitioners who are certified to manage and fit this device. Our office is excited to be able to offer this service as an alternative for patients with cornea diseases and irregularities who are not good candidates for traditional scleral contact lenses.
Talk with our eye doctors in Factoria Eye Clinic to know if you can get scleral lenses. Call us at (425) 641-2020 or visit our clinic in Bellevue, Washington.