Scleral lenses are sucked onto my eyes

[Susie28]

Hi there!
I'm so frustrated.I have scleral lenses which do a really great job. In the beginning I coul'd wear them for longer than 3-4 hourse, because they got dirty and irritated my lids. I bought the progent cleaner to avoid the clouding. And in some way my lids got used to the lenses, they aren't irritated any more. I can wear the sclerals without feeling them in my eyes. After each blink my eyes feel moistured and very comfortable. Its so great.

But now my problem: I can't wear them longer then 1 hour. Then they suck onto my eyes. First I could wear them about 6 hours before the adhering started. But know it begins already after 1h :-(
And the adhering is really bad. I need about 20 trials to remove them. And after the removing procedure my eyes are irritated, inflammed and very, very dry. And this bad condition remains for several days. (2 month ago, the bad eye condition lasted over 2 weeks!!!)

So now I don't dare to wear them anymore, because I'm to afraid. But that's a pity, because they do such a great job for me!!!

Do you have some advice for me? is there a technique to remove them without hurting my eyes?

I also considered to wear the lenses in spite of the adhering. While I'm wearing them, my eyes feel fine. The pain begins after the wearing time. So if I would wear them all the time, there would not be any pain? But I think, thats a stupid idea, right...?

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi - sorry to hear what you're going through.

Based on what you're describing you really, really need to stop wearing the lenses and get with the doctor that fitted them. They are not fitting you properly if they're behaving that way and I don't think there is anything you as a user can do to improve this. You'll put your eyes at risk if you continue wearing lenses that leave your eyes in such a bad condition afterwards.

Out of curiosity do you know the diameter of your lenses? Seems strange for a lens that's completely vaulting the cornea to cause so much lasting discomfort afterwards even if not perfectly fitted.

I also considered to wear the lenses in spite of the adhering. While I'm wearing them, my eyes feel fine. The pain begins after the wearing time. So if I would wear them all the time, there would not be any pain? But I think, thats a stupid idea, right...?

YES!!!

[Susie28]

Hm you are right. But the lenses feel sooo good in my eyes. I don't feel my eyes when I'm wearing them!!
It's difficult to go to the doctor how fitted them, because the doctor was Ken Pullum from UK and I live in Germany:-(
I already wrote to him and he was very kind and helpful. But he told me like you that I have to come to UK and then he'll try to fit fenestrated lenses. That sounds really good, but I don't have the money for it right now. The new lenses will surly cost the same as my actual pair of scleral lenses and this is 1000 Euro. Then I have to pay for the flight and accomodation, too
That's too much at the moment. I think I'll get a pair of MEGs meanwhile and then I'll travel to UK at the end of the year or probably next year.
What a pity :-(

[gz9gjg]

Hello Susie,

You could talk with the doctor who fitted them, and see if he would be willing to work with a doctor local to you. The local doctor could examine you with the lenses in, and tell his diagnosis to the doctor in the UK; and they could work out what to do.

The UK doctor might be willing to order frenstrated lenses for you to try (basically a frenestation is a hole drilled in the lenses) or, he might be willing to modify the lenses already have. In other words, you might not require a full re-fit.

Rebecca could explain better than I!

Good luck,

Lynne

[Susie28]

gz9gjg, thanks for your advice. I already considered that and talked to Ken about this. But Ken said, he has to take an eye impression for a perfect fitting. He can try it without an impression but then there is the risk of a worse fitting result. And the eye impression can only be done in Hertfort, UK.
I'm so insecure, because Ken also gave me some removing advice. He told me the following:

- Don't pull the lens off immediately
- Apply to the surface, and when adhered, pulsate in small movements forwards and backwards
- also try pressing the lower lid under the lens to release the suction to the eye
- Also, try copiously flushing the eye with saline before attempting to remove

I'm considering to try this, first. But I'm also afraid of wearing my lenses for longer than two hours again...
Do you think if can wear these sclerals in long term, if Ken's removing advice is successful? Or is the adhering a bad and damaging thing per se?
I'm so insecure.... Don't want to damage my poor dry eyes, but still want to wear the sclerals because they feel so good in my eyes...

[Bonnie]

I have fenistrated lenses meaning there's a little hole in it that allows air circulation and they are wonderful...I can wear them for 16 hours no problem. So don't write off trying them...I live in Illinois...one lens cost me $1000

[Bonnie]

What do you fill your lenses with??

I sometimes get an air bubble under my lens on insertion, and then I have to get it off and try again...it might be because of the fenistration...or because I'm tipping out the lens as I put it in....what have you found to be a good product to fill it? Celluvisc is kind of thick so it's a little messy and refresh plus is a little thin, so it leaks out...