Page 154 - July-August 2020

SCLERAL LENSES

ARE A PREFERRED CHOICE

FOR MANY PATIENTS

Scleral contact lenses are a wise the sclera, vaulted over the cornea
option for patients who exhibit and left a chamber between the
contact lens intolerance or have lens and the eye that was filled with
a lot of corneal irregularity that saline solution. These lenses were
corneal RGPs cannot fit. Scleral not perfect as they were made of
blown glass and were large, heavy,
lenses can mask irregular corneal and not permeable to oxygen. In
astigmatism and give a smooth the 1940s, the scleral lenses were
optical surface to correct vision made by polymethyl methacrylate
Sudhanshu Dhanotia problems caused by Keratoconus (PMMA). However, the use of PMMA
Final Year, B.Optometry BVDUMC, and other forms of corneal ectasia. led to corneal edema in contact lens
School of Optometry, Pune.
Intern at Saoji Vision Care, Nagpur Furthermore, the space between users, and they experienced coloured
the cornea and the back of the haloes that caused Sattler’s veil
scleral lens acts as a fluid reservoir, (Central Epithelial Edema). The use
of oxygen-permeable material was
thus continuously bathing the first described by Ezekiel in 1983 and
cornea. These can provide relief for it is considered as a breakthrough.
patients with severe dry eye, and Even low Dk materials at the time
an ocular surface disease. began to bring about a change in the
HISTORY OF SCLERAL LENSES use of scleral lenses. Few pioneers
developed scleral lens designs and
The first successful scleral lens reported promising results which
(more correctly, scleral shell) was motivated others and by the mid-
designed in 1887 by the German 1990s, the usage of the lens began;
brothers, Friedrich A. and Albert C. by the mid-2000s, high Dk materials
Müller. These scleral shells sat on were also introduced.

A HANDHELD MINI-SCLERAL SCLERAL CONTACT LENS
CONTACT LENS ON EYE

| JULY-AUG 2020 | 150 CONTACT LENSES