Hard-to-Fit Eyes? How Specialty Scleral Lenses Help Miramar Patients with Keratoconus and Severe Dry Eye

For some patients, standard contact lenses simply do not provide the clear vision or lasting comfort they need. Irregular corneas, keratoconus, severe dry eye, and contact lens intolerance can make traditional lenses difficult to wear. At Miramar Eye Center, we offer specialty scleral lenses designed to address these more complex vision needs and create a more comfortable, stable fit.

What Makes Scleral Lenses Different?

Unlike traditional contact lenses that sit directly on the cornea, scleral lenses are larger and rest on the sclera, which is the white part of the eye. The lens vaults over the cornea rather than pressing against it. This design creates a smooth optical surface that provides sharper, more stable vision for patients with irregular corneas.

The space between the scleral lens and cornea is filled with preservative-free saline before the lens is placed on the eye. This fluid reservoir keeps the corneal surface continuously hydrated while the lens is worn, making scleral lenses especially useful for people struggling with significant dryness.

Scleral Lenses for Keratoconus

Keratoconus causes the cornea to thin and develop an irregular, cone-like shape. Because light does not focus evenly through an irregular cornea, patients often experience blurry or distorted vision that glasses cannot fully correct. Standard soft contacts also conform closely to the corneal shape, which limits their ability to compensate for significant irregularity.

Specialty scleral lenses vault over the irregular cornea and create a new, smooth refractive surface. This approach delivers more consistent vision without placing direct pressure on the cone-shaped area of the cornea.

For Miramar patients with keratoconus, scleral lenses are an important option when conventional glasses or contacts no longer provide satisfactory vision.

Relief for Severe Dry Eye

Severe dry eye often makes traditional contact lenses uncomfortable because there is not enough stable tear film to keep the ocular surface properly lubricated. Scleral lenses address this problem differently by maintaining a fluid reservoir over the cornea throughout wear.

Patients struggling with hard-to-fit eyes should consider a specialty contact lens evaluation when they experience:
 

• Persistent discomfort or dryness with regular contacts

• Blurry or fluctuating vision despite an updated prescription

• Keratoconus or another irregular corneal condition

• Difficulty keeping traditional contact lenses comfortable

• Vision that glasses do not fully correct

Why Custom Fitting Matters

Scleral lenses are not one-size-fits-all contacts. Proper fitting requires careful evaluation of the eye's shape and individual visual needs. At Miramar Eye Center, we use advanced technology to evaluate patients and determine which specialty contact lens design is best suited to their eyes.

The goal is to create a lens that provides reliable vision, remains stable on the eye, and supports comfortable wear. For patients who have spent years struggling with traditional vision correction, a customized scleral lens fitting provides an entirely different approach.

Schedule a specialty contact lens evaluation with Miramar Eye Center in Miramar, Florida, by calling (954) 431-2020 to find the right solution for clearer, more comfortable vision.