How Long Should a Scleral Lens Last?

There are no guarantees how long a patient’s scleral lens will last. Patient care and handling are the most important factors when considering longevity.  A retrospective study was conducted at the USC Department of Ophthalmology to determine the average lifespan of a scleral lens. (Ethan Pritikin; Gloria Chiu. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2022; 63(7):551 – A0249.)

“251 patients and a total of 445 eyes were included in the study. The avg lifespan for a scleral lens in the group was 728.4 ± 434.3 days (1.99 ± 1.19 years; min 5 days, max 7.2 yrs). The average duration of care was 2152.0 ± 1033.5 days (5.90 ± 2.83 yrs).

Patients with greater scleral lens experience had a statistically significant increase in their average scleral lifespan; for every one year of additional experience wearing scleral lenses, the average lifespan increased by 1 month (32.1 days) (p = 0.001).” The findings were presented at the 2022 ARVO annual meeting. 

Takeaway: While ocular and vision changes may necessitate a scleral lens replacement, patient education around care and handling are paramount to improving scleral lens lifespan.

Read the abstract here: https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2779568

Remember to use of our Patient Resources to ensure your patients care for their lenses properly.