How to Insert and Remove SCLERAL LENSES | Beginners Guide to Scleral Lenses

Scleral lenses are an excellent way to improve vision. However, due to their size, scleral contact lenses can be a challenge to put in. So in this video I show how to insert scleral lenses and how to remove them.

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Scleral contact lenses are medical devices. If you struggle with inserting your contact lenses then be sure to contact your local eye care provider for help.

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About this video: Do you have keratoconus or another eye disease which requires a scleral lens? Scleral lenses are large contact lenses which fit over the cornea and land on the sclera, the white part of the eye. Scleral contact lens insertion and removal can be a challenge so I made this video to help you through the process. Scleral contact lenses are often used for keratoconus, post surgical cases and other corneal diseases including severe dry eye disease. Sclera contact lenses for keratoconus, when fit and worn correctly, are extremely comfortable and offer improved vision.

[DoctorEyeHealth]

Eye Health Question of the day: Do you wear Scleral lenses? Do you like them? What are some of your pro's and cons of sclerals?

[TitusRex]

I'm using lenses now (have keratoconus and two cornea transplants) and my life has improved immensely

[glisyheart]

I was declared “legally blind” due to corneal ulcers in both eyes at my mid 20s scleral lenses the CEI and many surgeries saved my vision, I hate these quarter sized contacts but thank them and my medical team every day when I stare at leaves and beautiful colors in the world

[debrakelly]

Dear Doctor Eye Health - your suggestion to cut off the bottom tip of the DMV insertion plunger is brilliant! Today is Day 3 for wearing a scleral lens. Days 1 & 2 were frustrating, but I managed to get it in. It was even more frustrating today. Finally, I was inspired to check YouTube. You saved the day with that simple solution. The light through the plunger helped navigate the insertion process. I am so grateful! I will tell my eye-care team about you and your YouTube videos. What a generous, thoughtful, and helpful service! Thank you!

[sacswga]

A quick TIP for inserting the scleral lens, which in the end was the only way I succeded. Super challenging at first, but becomes natural with practice.

Place a mirror onto a counter facing up. With your right hand (if you're right-haded), hold the DMV with your thumb and index fingers. Facing down into the mirror, use your 4th finger to pull your bottom eyelid down. With the index finger of your other (left) hand, pull up the top eyelid. While looking straight into the mirror, and as a consequence also into the lens, place the lens on your eye using the fingers holding teh DMV. Hope this helps.

[amym]

New sclera lens user with keratoconus here, at first it took me 12 tries to put in just one contact. It was very frustrating. Using the insertion tool was a big help. I've been using sclera lenses for 3 weeks now and they're immensely more comfortable than normal hard lenses that can get out of place and sting your eyes. I remember the stinging got so bad, I'd start to cry. These new lenses are so comfortable and can last long hours of use with some eye lubricant drops being added every so often. Sure, it's a hassle even now to manage them and work to insert them in the morning (it still takes me a few tries), I don't regret switching to sclera lenses. Great video!

[nnehme]

Thank you for posting this! I watched this video before my scleral lens appointment and was able to confidently insert and remove them within a couple of minutes.

[benbird]

Great video!
My second day in scleral lenses after 20+ years of soft lenses my eye are specialist couldn’t offer soft lenses unless I “piggybacked” multiple lenses to correct my astigmatism…….

I can see!! I can’t describe my excitement. No horrific glare, even better contrast and colour, fixes my dry eye/blepharitis, close to 20/20 vision, I smile more haha
I can’t think of any cons per se, I guess a very minor inconvenience is I can’t just garbage a daily disposable and have a new cleaning regimen…. I don’t even care, I can see now! 😬

[jhoanna]

The first time I wore my scleral lenses it took me over 2 hrs to put them on. What helped me the most is using a dmv tool with a hole under and putting a makeup mirror with a light underneath so the light shines through and i can see what im doing. So Don’t be discouraged, keep practicing and find what works for you. It now takes me 5 mins. It takes longer to set up everything i need.

[lilic]

Dr. Allen, All your videos are helpful and invaluable, especially for my dry eye life. Recently I've started to wear scleral lenses and your tutorial is not only clear but reassuring because it is a scary adventure to put those Huge lenses into small sensitive eyes. So glad you provided direction and answers for basic Scleral questions. Thank you! The sclerals do provide more crisp and clear vision than my soft contacts ( had to stop wearing soft contacts due to very dry eyes). They're almost great if not for the fogging/haze after wearing them for a hour or two.

[Axe]

To everyone struggling, I put the plunger on the bottom, push up and out but do half turns to the left and right. Usually on the 2nd or 3rd attempt it comes out. I used to spend an hour and a half struggling.

[supersagamaster]

Nice video! Very professional. I’m glad I found your channel I have watched your contacts video and they helped a lot

[noel]

when removing, be sure to hold both top and bottom eyelids open just as you did when putting them on. This is because while removing, you may blink (just like he did in the video) while it's halfway out and cause the lens to hit your pupil which can be extremely painful.

[dthomson]

Hey doc, just wanted to let you know how amazing this video is for patient education. We run a busy hard lens practice in regional Australia and I always show new scleral patients this video as an introduction and they are almost always able to insert first time after watching. Amazing stuff.
Cheers
Dan Thomson

[DANIELCORRER]

I have been wearing scleral lenses for 1 week, I have keratoconus, and the vision is perfect and does not irritate the eyes like RGP.
It looks like I'm not even wearing a lens.

[Zc-euvi]

I've had scleral contact lenses for quite a few months now.
Best decision I've ever made!!!
They are super comfortable, to the point that I forget that I have contacts in! And I can see clearly now. Haha

[timothywilliams]

Wow! I wish you were training the medical staff at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Eye Center. All of your suggestions for inserting and removing scleral lenses are better than what they showed me. At my next visit there, I am going to demonstrate your techniques to the head of Optometry. Thank you so much!

[Urgazhi-twln]

Thanks! It was very helpful! I just got my scleral lenses today and I wasn’t very sure about if I listened well the instructions that my doctor gave me in the morning 🙏🏻

[YUSince]

Great demonstration, very clear and helpful !

[robinreidmusic]

I am 69 years old and getting my new lenses pretty soon so I am watching training videos like yours. I wore rigid lenses back in the 70s through the 90s.
In 1999 I had lasik surgery and only needed reading glasses. Two years ago I had cataract surgery for both eys and my left eye didn't do so well so I am being prescribed
these new lenses. Thanks for this video.