Scleral Lens Referrals: Refer Your Eye Care Patients to Us
At Yealy Eye Care, we specialize in fitting scleral lenses for patients with complex vision needs. We welcome referrals from other eye care professionals who recognize the benefits of scleral lenses for their patients. Our dedicated team provides care and customized solutions to ensure the best possible outcomes for those referred to us.
Why Refer to Yealy Eye Care for Scleral Lenses?
Scleral lenses are an excellent option for patients with various corneal conditions, including keratoconus, severe dry eye, post-surgical complications, and other irregular corneas. Here’s why you should consider referring your patients to Yealy Eye Care:
Dr. Ryan Yealy received his Bachelor of Science degree from Millersville University and his Doctorate of Optometry from Salus University in Philadelphia. Dr. Yealy is particularly interested in scleral lenses. From the simple near-sighted first-time wearer to the complex astigmatic, bifocal or diseased cornea patient, Dr. Yealy makes sure to find the proper fit for all his patients.
Scleral Lenses and Their Benefits
Scleral lenses are a type of large-diameter gas-permeable contact lens that rests on the sclera (the white part of the eye) and vaults over the cornea without touching it. This unique design creates a tear-filled reservoir between the lens and the cornea, providing both vision correction and therapeutic benefits.
Scleral lenses are particularly beneficial for individuals with irregular corneas, severe dry eye, and other complex vision conditions.
Here are some of the benefits of scleral lenses:
- Scleral lenses rest on the less sensitive sclera, avoiding contact with the highly sensitive corneal surface and reducing irritation and discomfort.
- By creating a smooth optical surface, scleral lenses correct the visual distortions caused by irregular corneas. This design provides clearer and more stable vision for patients with keratoconus, corneal scars, and post-surgical complications.
- The tear-filled reservoir beneath the scleral lens keeps the cornea continuously hydrated, providing significant relief for individuals with severe dry eye syndrome.
- The larger size and stable fit of scleral lenses ensure they remain securely in place throughout the day, offering consistent and reliable vision correction.
- Scleral lenses are suitable for a wide range of conditions, including keratoconus, severe dry eye, corneal irregularities, post-corneal transplant complications, and high prescriptions.
Who Can Benefit From Scleral Lenses?
Scleral lenses are ideal for patients who have not found success with traditional contact lenses or glasses, particularly those with:
- Keratoconus
- Severe dry eye syndrome
- Corneal irregularities (due to surgery, injury, or disease)
- Post-corneal transplant complications
- High prescriptions that are difficult to correct with standard lenses
- Contact lens intolerance
If you are experiencing vision challenges or discomfort with traditional contact lenses, scleral lenses may be the solution you need.
Schedule an appointment with our specialized optometrists at Yealy Eye Care to explore the benefits of scleral lenses and achieve the clear, comfortable vision you deserve.
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Scleral Lenses Following a Corneal Transplant
Patients with Keratoconus or corneal transplants can see clearly by wearing scleral lenses; they are the safest and best way to correct vision for irregular astigmatism. After a corneal transplant, it is important not to touch the cornea with a contact lens. This makes scleral lenses the optimal solution, as they vault over the cornea without touching it directly.
John came to Yealy Eye Care's Scleral Lens and Keratoconus Center seeking a solution for his Keratoconus, which affected both his eyes. He had recently undergone a corneal transplant and had a corneal graft for his Keratoconus.
In order to improve John’s visual acuity, Dr. Ryan Yealy did the following:
- He took a topography reading of 11,000 points on each cornea and then designed the lens to match all 11,000 points of the patient’s corneas on an individual basis. Because he had a corneal transplant, it was crucial that the lens not touch any part of the graft to ensure maximum comfort.
- He used OCT images to measure the microns between the back surface of the scleral lens and the front surface of the cornea to ensure a healthy graft while wearing the contact lenses.
As a result, John was able to achieve 20/25 vision in both eyes. He now has clear, comfortable vision all day and is very pleased with the scleral lenses he was fitted for at Yealy Eye Care's Scleral Lens and Keratoconus Center.
Post-LASIK Complications +
While LASIK surgery has a high success rate, some patients come out of the surgery with imperfect vision. Debbi is one of the many cases we’ve seen at our practice.
Her LASIK surgery results left her with poor vision. Her LASIK surgeon recommended an enhancement procedure to improve her vision, which led her to undergo subsequent LASIK surgeries. Unfortunately, these attempts left her with extremely poor vision in each eye, and Debbi was desperate to find a solution to her vision problems.
Debbi arrived at Yealy Eye Care's Scleral Lens and Keratoconus Center after hearing that we specialize in helping people achieve clear vision following poor LASIK results. Dr. Ryan Yealy examined Debbi’s eyes and found that she had a very high prescription and irregular astigmatism following her surgery.
Her best option was to wear scleral lenses as they would correct her astigmatism, farsightedness and were perfectly safe for her corneas, which after multiple surgeries, were scarred.
Since getting fitted for her custom-designed scleral lenses, Debbi is absolutely thrilled with how sharp and comfortable her vision has become.
Post-RK Surgery Complications +
Many patients underwent Radial Keratotomy (RK) surgery to correct myopia and astigmatism during the early stages of refractive surgery. Because of the aggressiveness of the procedure, those having undergone RK surgery can be left with some refractive error in the form of nearsightedness, farsightedness, or (irregular) astigmatism. Those with irregular astigmatism experience blurred, distorted vision loss which cannot be corrected with glasses. It is among the more serious and frequently occurring complications following corneal refractive surgery.
Matthew, a 52-year-old teacher, underwent bilateral RK surgery in 1995. Though the initial results were positive, within two years his vision deteriorated. He developed corneal ectasia, and complained of blurred vision, discomfort, and red eyes when wearing contact lenses.
The slit lamp examination revealed damaged corneas which had severe staining along the incision lines and around the cornea at the limbus. This was a result of the fit of the GP lenses he was wearing at the time. They were touching the anterior elevations of the cornea and did not allow for enough tear exchange.
Fitting a scleral lens was the best option to treat Matthew’s damaged corneas, alleviate discomfort and improve his vision.
At the one-year visit, the patient improved both visual acuity and quality. The fitting of a well-designed semi-scleral GP contact lens filled with a saline solution created a healthy environment behind the lens, which in turn allowed the cornea and limbus to heal. The scleral lenses also helped protect the RK incisions from further abrasions caused by blinking.
As this case demonstrates, patients having developed irregular corneal surfaces following refractive surgery can benefit from a customized scleral contact lens design to improve their wearing comfort and vision.