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Vision correction

Scleral lenses

Scleral lenses are large, firm contact lenses that arch over the cornea and hold a layer of fluid against it. They can help people with keratoconus, an irregular cornea or severe dry eye see clearly and comfortably.

Key points

Treatment
Scleral lenses give an uneven cornea a smooth surface to see through, and keep a dry eye bathed in fluid.
Who it helps
They help people with keratoconus, an irregular or scarred cornea, severe dry eye, or eyes other lenses can’t help.
How it’s found
A specialty fitting over several visits maps your eyes and checks trial lenses with a microscope.
How often
Fill with fresh sterile saline each time, clean every day, and keep regular check-ups even when your eyes feel fine.
Clear, rigid contact lenses laid out on a white surface

Scleral lenses are large, firm contact lenses. Most contact lenses rest on the cornea, the clear front window of the eye. A scleral lens is wider. It arches over the whole cornea without touching it and rests on the white of the eye, called the sclera.

Before you put a scleral lens in, you fill it with sterile saline. That fluid stays trapped between the lens and your cornea all day. It does two things:

  • It gives you a smooth surface to see through. If your cornea is bumpy or unevenly shaped, glasses and soft lenses can’t make vision clear. The smooth front of the lens and the fluid behind it fill in the uneven areas, so light can focus clearly.
  • It keeps the front of your eye bathed in moisture. This can protect and soothe a very dry or damaged eye surface.

Because the lens rests on the less sensitive white of the eye, many people find scleral lenses more comfortable than smaller firm lenses.

Scleral lenses are usually a specialty lens for eyes that other lenses can’t help. Your eye doctor may suggest them if you have:

  • Keratoconus, where the cornea thins and bulges into a cone shape
  • An irregular cornea after eye surgery, a corneal transplant or an injury
  • Scars on the cornea that blur vision
  • Severe dry eye, including dry eye caused by some immune conditions
  • Other conditions that damage the eye’s surface
  • A strong prescription that is hard to correct well with glasses or other lenses
  • Trouble with other lenses, such as smaller firm lenses that pop out or feel uncomfortable

Scleral lenses may not suit everyone. Handling them takes practice, and some eye conditions, such as a weak inner layer of the cornea, may make them a poor choice. Your eye doctor will look at the health of your eyes before fitting you. Scleral lenses help you see and can protect the eye’s surface. They don’t cure keratoconus or stop it from getting worse, so you may still need other care for that.

Wondering if it’s right for you?

Ask us about scleral lenses

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