Specialty Contact Lenses (Scleral Lenses) for Vision Correction in Germantown, TN and Surrounding Memphis Area
At The Optical Boutique Family Eyecare, many of our patients have seen dramatic results in vision correction, comfort, and convenience thanks to specialty contact lenses such as scleral lenses.
Specialty contact lenses and scleral lenses are most often used to treat eye disorders such as keratoconus, aphakia, irregular astigmatism, dry eye disease, nystagmus, or issues related to corneal transplants, post LASIK, or post RK. Scleral lenses are oversized contact lenses and are fitted to cover the entire eye, not just the center cornea. This results in good vision correction and virtually eliminates the problems of getting grit or dirt behind the lens, or the lens falling out.
Since specialty lenses rest on the “white of the eye” instead of the sensitive cornea, they are usually quite comfortable. They can be helpful to patients who suffer from dry eye.
These specialty and scleral lenses are medical devices and require special expertise for proper fitting. Dr. Steven R. Shum and his staff at The Optical Boutique have extensive experience in prescribing and fitting scleral lenses, and in helping patients understand the proper care and insertion of their new lenses. They are often covered by medical insurance.
If you suffer from keratoconus, aphakia, irregular astigmatism, dry eye disease, nystagmus, or issues related to corneal transplants, post LASIK, or post RK, the comfort, convenience, and effective vision correction of scleral lenses might be just what you need! Find out by emailing us or schedule an appointment with a doctor with special expertise in scleral contact lenses in Germantown, TN and the surrounding Memphis area.
What Is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus is a disorder of the eye which results in progressive thinning of the cornea. This may result in blurry vision, double vision, nearsightedness, astigmatism, and light sensitivity. The classic symptom of keratoconus is the perception of multiple "ghost" images. Usually both eyes are affected. The cornea is the window of the eye. Light travels through the cornea past the lens to the retina and then the brain to form a visual image. The normal corneal surface is smooth and aspheric, i.e., round in the center, flattening towards its outer edges. Light rays passing through it move in an undistorted manner to the retina to project a clear image to the brain.
In patients with keratoconus, the cornea is cone-shaped (hence the name keratoconus, derived from the Greek word for cornea (‘kerato’) and cone-shaped (‘conus’)). In patients with keratoconus, the cornea is not only cone-shaped but the surface is also irregular, resulting in a distorted image being projected onto the brain.
Because the cornea is irregular and cone-shaped, glasses do not adequately correct the vision in patients with keratoconus since they cannot conform to the shape of the eye. Patients with keratoconus see best with rigid contact lenses since these lenses provide a clear surface in front of the cornea, allowing the light rays to be projected clearly to the retina. Hence, the vast majority of patients are treated with rigid contact lenses.
Many patients are initially unaware they have keratoconus and see their eye doctor because of increasing spectacle blur or progressive changes in their prescription. In many instances, even a good refraction yields poor vision. Keratoconus is most often diagnosed by an eye doctor when examining the patient at the slit-lamp.
Keratoconus typically begins in the teenage years and progresses to the mid-thirties.
If eyeglasses or soft contact lenses cannot control keratoconus, then gas permeable contact lenses usually are the preferred treatment. Their rigid lens material enables GP lenses to vault over the cornea, replacing its irregular shape with a smooth, uniform refracting surface to improve vision.
