Scleral Lenses and Their Use in Managing Corneal Ectasia

The eye is a complex structure with several layers that perform specific functions to help us take in and translate visual information. Like the rest of the body, the eye can develop diseases and sustain damage. As we advance our understanding of eyes and how they work, we will find methods to treat these issues. One of the solutions we use at Weston Contact Lens Institute is scleral lenses.

 

What Are Scleral Lenses?

Scleral lenses consist of a gas-permeable polymer which is rigid and maintains its shape in the eye. Scleral lenses rest on the sclera (the white of the eye) instead of on the cornea like regular lenses. Doctors use these lenses to manage numerous corneal and ocular surface problems and restore vision for many who experience eye injury or disease.

If a patient has irregular corneas, a soft contact lens will mold to the same irregular shape and will not correct vision. However, solid scleral lenses do not bend. This means your vision will stay consistent throughout the day despite the irregularity of the cornea. These incredible lenses function as a new ocular surface, neutralizing the deformities and distortions by acting as a new refractive surface.

Scleral lenses are custom-made to fit each patient perfectly. The lack of lens-on-cornea contact and large surface area make the lenses comfortable to wear for those with irregular corneas. Patients who struggle with discomfort when wearing regular soft contacts can wear scleral lenses comfortably.

One of the things that can cause irregular cornea is corneal ectasia, which is a category of conditions that affect the cornea.

 

What is Corneal Ectasia?

Corneal ectasia causes distention of the cornea that pushes the cornea outward. These conditions can be genetic and/or can occur after refractive surgery. It happens to less than 1% of LASIK patients (1 in every 166 people) but can occur anywhere from one-week post-surgery to years after the procedure.

If ectasia occurs, the cornea thins and then bulges outward, changing its shape and exacerbating astigmatism. This distortion impacts the refraction of light in the eye, causing blurry vision, glare, and halos. This condition can also affect a patient’s ability to work, and the combination of income loss and vision loss can cause serious mental health crises.

The types of corneal ectasia include:

 

• The most prevalent type of corneal ectasia is Keratoconus, which causes thinning in the bottom half of the cornea and bulging.
• An bulging of the entire cornea, along with excessive thinning of the tissue, is known as Keratoglobus. This form of ectasia is extreme and can progress.
• Post-Keratorefractive surgery ectasia occurs after ocular surgeries. Post-LASIK ectasia is an example of Post-Keratorefractive ectasia, but it can also occur after other surgeries.

There are countless ways eye care practitionners have tried to remedy ectasia, including further surgery. Collagen cross-linking is a wonderful method of stopping progression of corneal ectasia. One of the innovative, painless solutions is the use of scleral lenses to restore vision and manage the symptoms of ectasia.

 

How Scleral Lenses Manage Corneal Ectasia

Scleral lenses form a dome over the cornea, leaving the damaged area in a protected environment. The gas permeability of a scleral lens means your eyes will still receive all the oxygen they need to stay healthy. There is also a fluid reservoir behind the lens that constantly bathes the cornea in a saline solution and neutralizes the irregularity of the ocular surface.

The wet environment can reduce the discomfort of dry eyes and give the cornea a place to rest without strain. While scleral lenses cannot cure ectasia or prevent progression, they can help patients feel independent again so they can return to work and continue caring for their families.

The smooth surface of the lens acts as a replacement for the irregular corneal surface, which can significantly reduce blurriness and visual anomalies.

 

What You Can Expect at The Weston Contact Lens Institute

Using advanced techniques and technology, we have created an environment in which patients can receive the help they need to take back control of their vision and their lives. Together, our highly qualified eye care practitioners have treated a range of ocular conditions using custom-made scleral lenses. We are passionate about helping people see clearly and live life to the fullest.

If you believe you may be experiencing corneal ectasia, make an appointment today for a consultation.

Scleral Lenses and Their Use in Managing Corneal Ectasia

The eye is a complex structure with several layers that perform specific functions to help us take in and translate visual information. Like the rest of the body, the eye can develop diseases and sustain damage. As we advance our understanding of eyes and how they work, we will find methods to treat these issues. One of the solutions we use at Weston Contact Lens Institute is scleral lenses.

 

What Are Scleral Lenses?

Scleral lenses consist of a gas-permeable polymer which is rigid and maintains its shape in the eye. Scleral lenses rest on the sclera (the white of the eye) instead of on the cornea like regular lenses. Doctors use these lenses to manage numerous corneal and ocular surface problems and restore vision for many who experience eye injury or disease.

If a patient has irregular corneas, a soft contact lens will mold to the same irregular shape and will not correct vision. However, solid scleral lenses do not bend. This means your vision will stay consistent throughout the day despite the irregularity of the cornea. These incredible lenses function as a new ocular surface, neutralizing the deformities and distortions by acting as a new refractive surface.

Scleral lenses are custom-made to fit each patient perfectly. The lack of lens-on-cornea contact and large surface area make the lenses comfortable to wear for those with irregular corneas. Patients who struggle with discomfort when wearing regular soft contacts can wear scleral lenses comfortably.

One of the things that can cause irregular cornea is corneal ectasia, which is a category of conditions that affect the cornea.

 

What is Corneal Ectasia?

Corneal ectasia causes distention of the cornea that pushes the cornea outward. These conditions can be genetic and/or can occur after refractive surgery. It happens to less than 1% of LASIK patients (1 in every 166 people) but can occur anywhere from one-week post-surgery to years after the procedure.

If ectasia occurs, the cornea thins and then bulges outward, changing its shape and exacerbating astigmatism. This distortion impacts the refraction of light in the eye, causing blurry vision, glare, and halos. This condition can also affect a patient’s ability to work, and the combination of income loss and vision loss can cause serious mental health crises.

The types of corneal ectasia include:

 

• The most prevalent type of corneal ectasia is Keratoconus, which causes thinning in the bottom half of the cornea and bulging.
• An bulging of the entire cornea, along with excessive thinning of the tissue, is known as Keratoglobus. This form of ectasia is extreme and can progress.
• Post-Keratorefractive surgery ectasia occurs after ocular surgeries. Post-LASIK ectasia is an example of Post-Keratorefractive ectasia, but it can also occur after other surgeries.

There are countless ways eye care practitionners have tried to remedy ectasia, including further surgery. Collagen cross-linking is a wonderful method of stopping progression of corneal ectasia. One of the innovative, painless solutions is the use of scleral lenses to restore vision and manage the symptoms of ectasia.

 

How Scleral Lenses Manage Corneal Ectasia

Scleral lenses form a dome over the cornea, leaving the damaged area in a protected environment. The gas permeability of a scleral lens means your eyes will still receive all the oxygen they need to stay healthy. There is also a fluid reservoir behind the lens that constantly bathes the cornea in a saline solution and neutralizes the irregularity of the ocular surface.

The wet environment can reduce the discomfort of dry eyes and give the cornea a place to rest without strain. While scleral lenses cannot cure ectasia or prevent progression, they can help patients feel independent again so they can return to work and continue caring for their families.

The smooth surface of the lens acts as a replacement for the irregular corneal surface, which can significantly reduce blurriness and visual anomalies.

 

What You Can Expect at The Weston Contact Lens Institute

Using advanced techniques and technology, we have created an environment in which patients can receive the help they need to take back control of their vision and their lives. Together, our highly qualified eye care practitioners have treated a range of ocular conditions using custom-made scleral lenses. We are passionate about helping people see clearly and live life to the fullest.

If you believe you may be experiencing corneal ectasia, make an appointment today for a consultation.

Scleral Lenses and Their Use in Managing Corneal Ectasia

The eye is a complex structure with several layers that perform specific functions to help us take in and translate visual information. Like the rest of the body, the eye can develop diseases and sustain damage. As we advance our understanding of eyes and how they work, we will find methods to treat these issues. One of the solutions we use at Weston Contact Lens Institute is scleral lenses.

 

What Are Scleral Lenses?

Scleral lenses consist of a gas-permeable polymer which is rigid and maintains its shape in the eye. Scleral lenses rest on the sclera (the white of the eye) instead of on the cornea like regular lenses. Doctors use these lenses to manage numerous corneal and ocular surface problems and restore vision for many who experience eye injury or disease.

If a patient has irregular corneas, a soft contact lens will mold to the same irregular shape and will not correct vision. However, solid scleral lenses do not bend. This means your vision will stay consistent throughout the day despite the irregularity of the cornea. These incredible lenses function as a new ocular surface, neutralizing the deformities and distortions by acting as a new refractive surface.

Scleral lenses are custom-made to fit each patient perfectly. The lack of lens-on-cornea contact and large surface area make the lenses comfortable to wear for those with irregular corneas. Patients who struggle with discomfort when wearing regular soft contacts can wear scleral lenses comfortably.

One of the things that can cause irregular cornea is corneal ectasia, which is a category of conditions that affect the cornea.

 

What is Corneal Ectasia?

Corneal ectasia causes distention of the cornea that pushes the cornea outward. These conditions can be genetic and/or can occur after refractive surgery. It happens to less than 1% of LASIK patients (1 in every 166 people) but can occur anywhere from one-week post-surgery to years after the procedure.

If ectasia occurs, the cornea thins and then bulges outward, changing its shape and exacerbating astigmatism. This distortion impacts the refraction of light in the eye, causing blurry vision, glare, and halos. This condition can also affect a patient’s ability to work, and the combination of income loss and vision loss can cause serious mental health crises.

The types of corneal ectasia include:

 

• The most prevalent type of corneal ectasia is Keratoconus, which causes thinning in the bottom half of the cornea and bulging.
• An bulging of the entire cornea, along with excessive thinning of the tissue, is known as Keratoglobus. This form of ectasia is extreme and can progress.
• Post-Keratorefractive surgery ectasia occurs after ocular surgeries. Post-LASIK ectasia is an example of Post-Keratorefractive ectasia, but it can also occur after other surgeries.

There are countless ways eye care practitionners have tried to remedy ectasia, including further surgery. Collagen cross-linking is a wonderful method of stopping progression of corneal ectasia. One of the innovative, painless solutions is the use of scleral lenses to restore vision and manage the symptoms of ectasia.

 

How Scleral Lenses Manage Corneal Ectasia

Scleral lenses form a dome over the cornea, leaving the damaged area in a protected environment. The gas permeability of a scleral lens means your eyes will still receive all the oxygen they need to stay healthy. There is also a fluid reservoir behind the lens that constantly bathes the cornea in a saline solution and neutralizes the irregularity of the ocular surface.

The wet environment can reduce the discomfort of dry eyes and give the cornea a place to rest without strain. While scleral lenses cannot cure ectasia or prevent progression, they can help patients feel independent again so they can return to work and continue caring for their families.

The smooth surface of the lens acts as a replacement for the irregular corneal surface, which can significantly reduce blurriness and visual anomalies.

 

What You Can Expect at The Weston Contact Lens Institute

Using advanced techniques and technology, we have created an environment in which patients can receive the help they need to take back control of their vision and their lives. Together, our highly qualified eye care practitioners have treated a range of ocular conditions using custom-made scleral lenses. We are passionate about helping people see clearly and live life to the fullest.

If you believe you may be experiencing corneal ectasia, make an appointment today for a consultation.