Scleral Cover - Beryl Carvalho - Eyes Alive

Scleral Cover

Worn over a blind shrinking eye, a scleral shell is an ocular prosthesis that fits like a large contact lens.

The shell covers the entire front surface of the eyeball and its movement mirrors the sighted eye. It is designed to fit symmetrically.

Our patients typically wear their scleral shells during the day and remove them at night.

We can fit customised prosthetic scleral shells over an existing eye, even one that is nearly full sized.

A scleral shell or cover can sometimes take a bit of getting used to if the eye is sensitive but with a bit of perseverance we can always make the patient comfortable.

A scleral shell or ocular surface prosthesis, however, is a very thin prosthetic eye (like a large contact lens) that sits on the sclera creating a dome over the cornea. A scleral shell is fitted and manufactured by an Ocularist over a blinded eye.

Scleral shells are designed to treat a variety of eye conditions, many of which do not respond to other forms of treatment.

Eyes Alive deal most commonly with the condition known as phthisis bulbi. Phthisis bulbi is a shrunken, non-functional eye that may display signs of disfigurement or discoloration. There are a number of causes for this condition including birth defects, unsuccessful eye surgery or eye disease.

Eyes Alive can assist in cosmetically correcting this with a scleral shell ocular prosthesis.

Scleral shells are slightly more expensive than a full ocular prosthesis after an eye has been removed. Scleral shells make the patient’s life much easier to live.

Benefits

This type of ocular prosthesis offers more than improved appearance.

It also medically aids the eye's function by protecting it against corneal abrasion and assists the effective working of the eyelids.

A Lasting Impression

An impression of the shrunken, non-functional eye is made as a template so that the shell will be a perfect fit, which offers you comfort and ease of movement.

Often these prostheses can be worn for months at a time.