Keratoconus & Scleral Lenses

KERATOCONUS

We offer keratoconus care including decision making for contact lenses or surgery.


Dr. Austin is experienced in working with "hard-to-fit" contact lens patients including those patients who have had corneal transplants or keratoconus. Many cornea specialists in the area refer to him to help in the management of their patients with these conditions.


SCLERAL LENSES

Scleral lenses are very large diameter gas-permeable lenses that hold their shape on the eye and create a chamber of tears that stay adhered to the ocular surface. Because of their size, they are typically extremely comfortable and provide better vision correction than most surgeries, standard contact lenses, and glasses. We use OCT anterior segment imaging to help create the most accurate scleral lens fit for each patient.


Scleral lenses may be an option for patients with more severe dry eye conditions such as:

  • ocular graft-versus host disease

  • Sjogren’s syndrome

  • Stevens-Johnson syndrome

  • Meibomian gland dysfunction

  • Evaporative dry eye

  • Neurotrophic corneas

  • Exposure keratitis (with eyelid conditions, such as Bell’s Palsy)

  • Lacrimal gland problems

  • Ocular cicatricial pemphagoid


Scleral lenses may also be the best strategy for patients who need optimal optical correction. Irregular astigmatism is created in conditions such as:

  • Keratoconus

  • Post-corneal crosslinking

  • Pellucid marginal degeneration

  • Post- penetrating keratoplasty (corneal transplant surgery)

  • Post-radial keratectomy (RK surgery)

  • Post-LASIK ectasia

  • Post-trauma (such as open globe)

  • Salzmann nodular degeneration

  • Terrian’s maginal degeneration


Our contact lens appointments are scheduled to ensure that we have adequate time to perform a thorough ocular health assessment and fitting for your particular needs. Because of the custom nature of specialty contact lens fits often times multiple visits are needed. As we believe that it is important to provide the best care at an affordable cost all follow-up visits are included in our global fitting fee.


We truly understand the emotional and physical discomfort that living with visual impairments can bring. Our team is compassionate and caring and have many years of experience working with patients suffering complex vision issues. Nothing pleases us more than the feeling we get watching a happy patient leave with great vision and a new view of the world.

Testimonials

“I’ve been using the scleral lenses for a few weeks now and while it has taken some time to adjust to these, it has definitely been worth being able to wear contacts again. My vision is much more focused than when I wear glasses. Dr. Austin’s team helped with the training because it is different process than most contacts, but once you get used to it, it is just as straightforward as regular contacts. I also really like that if I only need to wear them for a few hours, I”m not wasting an entire pair of contacts, like I did with dailies. ”

— Jennifer P.-Santa Ana (Communications)

“My husband has a rare eye disease and had corneal transplants in both eyes. He literally has not seen but shadows and blurred images since he was 17. The first visit he fit him for a pair of glasses that helped his sight tremendously. We just thought he could see better! The second visit he got him special contacts and he is like a kid in a candy store! He can see so much. He even looked at me and said wow you have a scar by your nose! We been together a year and he never knew because he could t see it! This Doctor is funny, kind and gets just as excited as you are. He truly cares about his patients and knows his stuff!”

— Patricia R.-Ontario (Customer Service)

Some of our satisfied scleral lens patients:

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