At Advanced Eye Care Center, we are dedicated to finding the best solutions for patients with complex vision challenges. For individuals struggling with dry eye disease, post-LASIK ectasia, or keratoconus, scleral lenses offer a highly effective and often life-changing option.
Our optometrist, Dr. Hira Javeed, specializes in advanced contact lenses and has helped many patients regain comfort and clear vision through custom-fitted scleral lenses. With her expertise, patients who previously had limited options can experience improved eye health and quality of life.
What Are Scleral Lenses?
Scleral lenses are large-diameter, gas-permeable contact lenses that rest on the white part of the eye, known as the sclera, while vaulting over the cornea. Unlike traditional contact lenses that sit directly on the cornea, scleral lenses create a fluid-filled space between the lens and the cornea. This design offers several benefits, especially for individuals with irregular corneas or severe dry eye disease.
Each scleral lens is custom-designed to fit the patient's eye, ensuring a precise and comfortable fit. By providing a smooth optical surface and a constant fluid reservoir, these lenses can dramatically improve vision, comfort, and overall eye health.
How Scleral Lenses Help Dry Eye Syndrome
For patients with dry eye disease, scleral lenses offer a much-needed solution when traditional treatments, such as artificial tears and medicated eye drops, are not enough.
- They provide continuous hydration by maintaining a fluid layer between the lens and the cornea, keeping the eye moist throughout the day.
- The lenses act as a protective barrier, shielding the cornea from environmental irritants such as wind, dust, and air conditioning.
- Many patients experience significant relief from dry eye symptoms, reducing their reliance on eye drops and lubricants.
Scleral lenses are particularly beneficial for individuals with severe or treatment-resistant dry eye conditions, such as those caused by Sjogren’s syndrome, graft-versus-host disease, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
Scleral Lenses for Post-LASIK Ectasia
Some patients who have undergone LASIK develop a condition called post-LASIK ectasia, where the cornea weakens and changes shape over time. This can lead to distorted vision, increased sensitivity to light, and difficulty wearing standard contact lenses.
Scleral lenses provide an effective way to manage post-LASIK ectasia by:
- Vaulting over the irregular corneal surface to create a smooth optical surface, improving vision clarity.
- Offering superior comfort compared to traditional rigid gas permeable lenses, which may be uncomfortable on an irregular cornea.
- Protecting the weakened cornea from further irritation or damage.
For many post-LASIK patients struggling with worsening vision, scleral lenses provide a stable, comfortable alternative to corneal transplants or other invasive procedures.
Scleral Lenses for Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition where the cornea thins and bulges into a cone-like shape, leading to blurry and distorted vision. For many years, patients with keratoconus had few reliable treatment options beyond corneal transplantation. Today, scleral lenses provide incredible results for managing keratoconus.
These lenses offer two primary benefits for keratoconus patients:
- Exceptional Comfort – Unlike smaller gas permeable lenses that sit directly on the cornea and may cause irritation, scleral lenses rest on the sclera and do not touch the sensitive corneal surface. Patients often report that they do not even feel the lenses after insertion.
- Dramatic Vision Improvement – Many patients with keratoconus struggle with poor vision even with glasses. Scleral lenses create a new, smooth optical surface over the irregular cornea, significantly improving vision. While glasses may only provide 20/200 vision for some keratoconus patients, scleral lenses can often improve vision to 20/30 or even 20/20.
Additionally, because these lenses stabilize the corneal surface and provide hydration, they may slow the progression of keratoconus and reduce the need for corneal transplants in the future.
Why Choose Advanced Eye Care Center for Scleral Lenses?
Dr. Hira Javeed has extensive experience in fitting specialty contact lenses, including scleral lenses for patients with dry eye, post-LASIK ectasia, and keratoconus. She takes a personalized approach, carefully evaluating each patient's unique needs and designing lenses that maximize comfort and visual clarity.
At Advanced Eye Care Center, we are committed to staying at the forefront of specialty contact lens technology. We continually refine our fitting techniques and utilize the latest advancements in lens materials and design to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients.
If you or a loved one are struggling with dry eye disease, complications from LASIK, or keratoconus, scleral lenses may be the solution you have been searching for. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Javeed to explore whether these innovative lenses are right for you.