Scleral & Hybrid Contact Lenses
Stable, comfortable vision for corneas that will not cooperate
A scleral lens is a large diameter rigid gas permeable lens that arches completely over the cornea without touching it and lands on the conjunctiva covering the sclera. The space between lens and cornea fills with sterile saline.
That design solves two problems at once. Optically, the fluid reservoir neutralizes corneal irregularity, so patients with keratoconus, corneal scarring, transplanted corneas, or irregular outcomes after refractive surgery often see better than they have in years. Therapeutically, the reservoir bathes the cornea continuously, which makes sclerals one of the most effective options available for severe dry eye and ocular surface disease.
Hybrid lenses take a different route to a similar goal, pairing a rigid gas permeable center with a soft peripheral skirt for patients who want rigid optics without the awareness of a smaller lens edge.
What the fitting process involves
Specialty lens fitting is an iterative process rather than a single appointment. We begin with corneal measurement and diagnostic lens application, evaluate the fit under the slit lamp, and order a lens built to your specific corneal shape. Refinement across one or more follow up visits is normal and expected.
Handling takes practice. Sclerals are filled with saline before insertion and applied with a small plunger or ring, and most patients are comfortable with the routine within a week or two. We spend as much chair time as needed on training.
Many patients describe the moment a scleral lens settles for the first time as the clearest vision they have had in years. It is one of the more rewarding parts of what we do.
Scleral and hybrid lenses restore functional vision for irregular corneas while continuously bathing the ocular surface in saline.
