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What to expect during a scleral lens fitting

The scleral lens fitting process is extremely custom to each patient, and may require several visits to your doctor’s office. Please be patient with the process, as your doctor must dedicate hours of time to your specialized needs. During your scleral lens fitting, your practitioner may be trying on different scleral lenses to ensure a proper fit. If your practitioner uses special technology to assist with this fitting, you may not need as many trial lenses. The amount of lenses varies between each patient, sometimes the practitioner will only need to try one or two lenses on your eye, and other times, you might have 10 or more lenses. Each patient and eye is different.

The practitioner will begin by setting you up with some paper towels, an apron or a dental bib to protect your clothing from the liquids and dyes used during the fitting process. They will then select a lens, clean it, and gently place it on your eye. The lens is filled with a non-preserved saline solution, and sometimes a yellow dye is placed in the bowl of the lens. The yellow dye will help with the assessment of the lens fit. Most practitioners will have you look at the ground and have you assist – You will hold down your lower eyelid, while they control your upper lid. While maintaining your gaze to the ground, the practitioner will apply the scleral lens with a smooth, quick motion.

After the lens is applied to your eye, your doctor will view the lens fit and see if any changes are necessary. At this time, they might remove the lens and try on a different lens to achieve a better fit. Once the practitioner is satisfied with the lens fit, they might perform a few more tests using different instruments to evaluate the fit at the highest level. It is very common to wait 20-30 minutes prior to performing these other tests to allow the lens to settle into place. After that, If the lens is being used to correct your vision, they will then check to see what power needs to be added to the lens. The practitioner may also check the lens fit one more time to see if there are any small adjustments that need to be made before removing the lens.

After the diagnostic fitting is complete, your practitioner will contact the laboratory and order your lens. Scleral lenses are extremely custom to each patient, so fabrication time could be 1-4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the lens and the laboratory.

When your lenses arrive, you will need to come back for a dispense visit. At this visit, the practitioner will insert your lenses, evaluate the fit, and check your vision. If any changes are required , they can reorder the lenses at that time. If the lens fit and prescription are acceptable, you will then proceed with a thorough training where you will be taught lens insertion, removal, and lens care.

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