Managing Keratoconus: Specialty and Scleral Lenses

Last month, Dr. Satti Sarai spoke before over seventy optometrists and ophthalmologists at a Continued Education lecture in Chicago on the management of keratoconus with scleral lenses. This included a number of video testimonials of satisfied scleral lens patients. 

Keratoconus is an eye disease in which the cornea (the clear, dome-shaped outer surface of the eye) becomes progressively thinner, to the point where it bulges outward in a cone shape. This causes an array of vision complications, including difficulty seeing at night, sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. Dr. Sarai began his lecture by giving an overview of the treatment options for keratoconus, including corneal RGPs, lens piggy-backing, and hybrid lenses. 

Village Eyecare’s most prescribed treatment for keratoconus is scleral lenses. Dr. Sarai praised scleral lenses for addressing the “trifecta” of concerns when choosing a keratoconus treatment option:

  1. Scleral lenses are healthy for the corneal tissue, and minimize dry eyes. 
  2. Scleral lenses are comfortable for the patient to wear.
  3. Scleral lenses allow the patient to maximize vision restoration. 

Dr. Sarai reviewed how scleral lenses work. Instead of resting on the cornea like a normal contact lens, a scleral lens vaults over the cornea and rests on the sclera (the white area around the iris). This allows the lens to better treat an irregular cornea, such as one affected by keratoconus, and along with the saline which cushions the cornea from the lens surface, allows it to do so comfortably. 

Dr. Sarai also briefly reviewed the equipment needed in a practice for fitting scleral lenses, the procedure for fitting the lenses, teaching scleral lens application to patients, and other topics. For more information on having Dr. Sarai fit you for scleral lenses, give our office a call.

2020-04-28T05:12:15-05:00