Living with blurry or distorted vision can affect nearly every part of daily life. Reading, driving, and even recognizing faces can become frustrating when your eyes don’t respond well to glasses or regular contact lenses. For many patients, repeated attempts at correction can feel discouraging.
Scleral lenses are designed specifically for these situations. They are often recommended when other options fall short, providing clearer vision and improved comfort for patients with complex eye conditions.
What Makes Vision Hard to Correct?
In many cases, vision problems stem from an irregular cornea. The cornea plays a critical role in focusing light, and when its shape is uneven, light scatters instead of focusing clearly on the retina.
As Dr. Mike explains, “Anybody with an irregular cornea that would create an irregular aberration for the eye won’t be corrected properly with regular lenses. They need a specialty lens like a scleral lens.” Glasses and soft contacts simply can’t compensate for these irregular surfaces, which is why a different approach is often necessary.
Conditions Commonly Treated with Scleral Lenses
Scleral lenses are frequently recommended for patients with:
- Keratoconus
- Pellucid marginal degeneration
- Corneal transplants
- Irregular corneas from LASIK, RK, or other eye surgeries
- Corneal scarring or injury
- Severe dry eye symptoms
For patients with mild irregularity, glasses or traditional contact lenses may still provide acceptable vision. However, when vision cannot be corrected adequately, scleral lenses are often the most effective option available.
Are Scleral Lenses a Last Resort?
Many patients assume scleral lenses are only used when everything else has failed. While they are often introduced after other options have been tried, that doesn’t mean they should be viewed as extreme or intimidating.
Dr. Mike explains that the decision depends largely on the degree of corneal irregularity. If vision can’t be corrected clearly or comfortably with glasses or standard contacts, scleral lenses are often the next and most effective step forward.
Comfort Even for Sensitive Eyes
Another common concern is whether scleral lenses can be tolerated, especially for patients with sensitive or “sick” corneas. In reality, these lenses are extremely well tolerated.
Over more than two decades of practice, Dr. Mike has encountered only a very small number of patients who were unable to wear scleral lenses successfully. Because the lenses rest on the sclera rather than the cornea, discomfort is uncommon when they are properly fitted.
Insurance Coverage and Payment Options
Because scleral lenses are typically prescribed for medically necessary conditions, many insurance plans recognize their value. Vision insurance providers such as VSP and EyeMed often provide coverage for scleral lenses when standard correction options are no longer effective.
For patients without insurance coverage, flexible options are available. Monthly payment plans, along with HSA and FSA funds, can be used to make treatment more manageable. For many patients, cost ends up being far less of a barrier than expected.
Schedule Your Eye Exam in Manhattan Beach
If you’ve been told your vision is difficult to correct—or if you’ve never been fully satisfied with glasses or contact lenses—scleral lenses may offer the clarity you’ve been missing.
Schedule an appointment with Advanced Eyecare Center to find out whether scleral lenses are right for you. Our expert eye doctors are here to help you see comfortably and confidently again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can scleral lenses help after eye surgery?
- Yes. They are commonly used for patients with irregular corneas following LASIK, RK, or corneal transplants.
Are scleral lenses only for keratoconus?
- No. While keratoconus is common, scleral lenses help many conditions involving corneal irregularity or severe dryness.
What if I’ve never been able to wear contacts before?
- Many patients who couldn’t tolerate other lenses find scleral lenses surprisingly comfortable.
Do scleral lenses replace the need for glasses?
- In most cases, yes. They are designed to provide clear vision without glasses.
Is everyone a candidate?
- Most patients with irregular corneas are good candidates, but a comprehensive eye exam is needed to confirm.