What Is A Scleral Contact Lens

How do you improve a piece of plastic that sits on the eye? Well, lots of people have thought of lots of different ways to improve contact lenses. Who would have thought that something so simple could advance so much. But advancements in contact lenses have improved our ability to correct vision. Scleral contact lenses are one such advancement.

Eye anatomy lesson alert : The white part of the eye is made up of two layers. The thin flexible part we see is called the conjunctiva. But underneath the conjunctiva is a thick inflexible layer which forms the rigid backbone of the eye called the sclera. Scleral contact lenses are named because they sit on this rigid scleral structure. This is in contrast to the other types of contact lenses which sit on the cornea. Instead of sitting on the cornea, the contact lens vaults over the cornea! The gap between the contact lens and the cornea is filled in with tears to smooth over any irregularities on the cornea; making this contact lens a smooth choice to correct vision.

But not everyone needs a scleral contact lens. In fact, most of the population wouldn’t even necessarily benefit (and scleral contact lenses are more expensive than the standard soft variety). But options are great! And it opens up a new door for those with more irregular corneas (such as those with keratoconus).

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