The thought of inserting a large rigid lens into your eyes may sound menacing but the truth is that these lenses are easy to use. Like all contact lenses, scleral lenses require some time to adjust. After a few days of use you will get used to them.
The staff at Eyes of Winter Park take their time to assist you through the entire process to ensure that you experience success with these lenses. The first and most important step is to make cleanliness and hygiene a priority and not a convenience. Wash your hands thoroughly before handling your scleral lenses to avoid contaminants from contacting them. These contaminants do not harm the lens but they affect the comfort of the lens on the eye and may cause an eye infection.
You also want to make sure that these lenses are always clean before you insert them in your eyes. Rubbing the surface of the lenses gently and then disinfecting them in a peroxide-based cleaning system overnight every night a minimum of six hours will guarantee the cleanliness of your lenses. This step prevents infections and irritations to your eyes and also protects the lens to last a few years of use.
Scleral Contact lenses can be inserted with your fingers, but eye doctors recommend the use of a small plunger to hold the lens steady. Once the lens is on the tip of the plunger, the internal bowl of the lens is filled with a special sterile fluid until it almost overflows. There needs to be a small amount of the fluid over the top of the lens edge that will squeeze out as excess when you gently press the lens onto your eye. Once the Scleral Contact lens is on your eye, check to make sure the lens is centered and free of any air bubbles under the lens. Now you are ready to enjoy the comfort and vision that these lenses provide.
When it is time to remove your Scleral Contact lenses, remember to wash your hands to be free of oils and debris as with insertion. With some practice, you can remove these lenses with your fingers but you can also use a removal plunger initially to make the process faster and easier. Apply a small drop of sterile fluid to the tip of the plunger so that it will create a strong suction and hold onto the exterior portion of the Scleral Contact lens. With a gentle “twist and pull” motion, the lens will come out of the eye and usually stay suctioned to the small plunger. Be careful that the lens does not fall off the plunger or out of your eye where it can be damaged, broken, and even lost down the drain.
It may seem like a difficult process with many steps but with some practice and training from Dr. Richardson and the staff at Eyes of Winter Park you will be wearing Scleral Contact lenses successfully in no time!
Questions? Contact us.