Scleral Lenses Melbourne | Keratoconus & Severe Dry Eye

Why Vaulting Over The Cornea Changes Everything

Standard contact lenses, whether soft or rigid, rest directly on the cornea. For an eye with an irregular corneal shape, like keratoconus, or one that's chronically dry and sensitive to any mechanical contact, that direct touch is often exactly what causes discomfort, poor vision, or long-term irritation.

A scleral lens is built differently. At 18mm or larger in diameter, well beyond the cornea itself, it rests on the sclera, the white part of the eye, and vaults completely over the cornea without ever touching it. The space in between fills with a reservoir of preservative-free saline, creating a smooth new optical surface and keeping the eye continuously hydrated underneath.

Diagram-style close-up of a scleral lens vaulting over the cornea with a saline reservoir

FIG. 01 — SCLERAL LENS VAULT & SALINE RESERVOIR

Who Benefits Most

Built For The Eyes Other Lenses Struggle With

Keratoconus

The most common reason we fit scleral lenses, correcting significant corneal irregularity that soft and standard RGP lenses can't.

Severe Dry Eye

Including Sjogren's syndrome, keeps the eye continuously hydrated behind a protective saline reservoir all day.

Post-Corneal Graft

Corrects irregular astigmatism after graft surgery without the mechanical rubbing a smaller RGP lens can cause.

High Prescriptions

For wearers who find smaller RGP lenses uncomfortable but still need the optical precision only a rigid lens provides.

We also fit scleral lenses for pellucid marginal degeneration, corneal ectasia, neurotrophic keratitis, complications following laser surgery or post-RK, and corneal scarring from previous surgery, trauma or chemical injury. If your eyes have been difficult to fit with anything else, it's worth a conversation.

Our Process

From Assessment To A Lens Built For Your Eye

Initial Assessment

A comprehensive examination using the Medmont Meridia corneal topographer and Oculus Pentacam tomographer to map your cornea and confirm suitability.

Trial Fitting

Around an hour trialling lenses on your eye, evaluated with coloured dyes, imaging and anterior eye OCT 3D scans to refine the vault and edge landing.

Custom Manufacturing

Your lenses are computer-designed to your exact measurements and manufactured, typically within around two weeks.

Delivery & Instruction

We teach insertion, removal and care in detail at your delivery consultation, so you leave confident handling your lenses.

Ongoing Review

Multiple reviews across your first six months monitor eye health, vision and comfort, with parameter adjustments made along the way if needed.

The Technology Behind The Fit

Every scleral lens is designed around detailed imaging of your eye's exact shape, not a standard curve off the shelf.

✓Corneal topography with Medmont Meridia
✓Corneal-scleral profiling with Oculus Pentacam
✓Anterior eye and lens imaging
✓Anterior OCT scans to accurately assess lens fitting on the cornea, showing precise cross-sectional information on the clearance between the lens and the cornea — ensuring the perfect match and fit for comfort, safety and vision

Pricing & Packages

What A Scleral Lens Fitting Costs

Final pricing depends on your prescription, astigmatism, eye shape and corneal irregularity, so these figures cover what applies to most fittings.

STEP 1

Initial Consultation

$160

A full assessment using corneal topography and tomography to confirm suitability and rough lens parameters.

STEP 2

Trial Lens Fitting

$125

Around an hour trialling lenses on your eye. Waived entirely if you go ahead with the full package.

THE LENSES

Scleral Lens Package

$2,200–$2,400

Covers a custom-designed pair. Varies with prescription complexity and corneal irregularity.

IF NEEDED LATER

Replacement Lenses

$700–$800 each

$1,400–$1,600 per pair, depending on design complexity and material.

What's Included In Your Package

✓Design and manufacture of your custom lens pair
✓Fitting consultation and full handling instruction
✓Ongoing reviews and scans for your first 6 months
✓A full lens care kit
✓Parameter adjustments within the first 6 months, if needed
✓Warranty covering one accidental breakage per eye within 6 months

Medicare & Health Fund Rebates

Depending on your documented eye condition, a Medicare rebate may apply. Private health insurance with extras cover, including funds like Medibank Private and BUPA, may also cover part of your initial package or later replacement lenses. We'll talk through what's likely to apply to you before you commit to anything.

Review visits beyond your first 6 months are billed individually, separate from the original package price.

Common Questions

Scleral Lens Questions We're Asked Often

How are scleral lenses different from RGP lenses?

An RGP lens rests on the cornea itself. A scleral lens is much larger and vaults completely over the cornea, resting instead on the sclera, the white part of the eye. That means no lens ever touches the irregular or sensitive corneal surface, which is what makes scleral lenses so effective for both irregular corneas and severe dry eye.

Are scleral lenses hard to insert?

There's a learning curve, since the lens is filled with saline before insertion, but most patients become confident with handling within a few weeks of practice. We walk through the technique in detail at your delivery appointment and follow up as you adjust.

How long does a set of scleral lenses last?

Typically around two years with proper care. Replacement lenses generally cost $700 to $800 each ($1,400 to $1,600 per pair), and every package includes a warranty covering one accidental breakage per eye within the first six months.

Can I wear scleral lenses all day?

Most patients comfortably wear them from morning to night. Some people remove them briefly during the day to refresh the saline reservoir, but that's a matter of personal routine rather than a strict requirement for most wearers.

Will Medicare or my health fund cover any of the cost?

It depends on your specific eye condition and documentation, so a Medicare rebate may apply in some cases. Private health insurance with extras cover, funds like Medibank Private and BUPA among others, may also cover part of your initial package or later replacement lenses. We're happy to talk through what's likely to apply to you before you commit to anything.

What happens after the first six months?

Your package includes reviews and scans for the first six months, with parameter adjustments made along the way if your fit needs fine-tuning. Beyond that period, review visits are billed individually, and most well-settled wearers only need to come in periodically rather than frequently.

Does Eyecare Concepts have a special focus on keratoconus and scleral lenses?

Yes. Scleral lens fitting and keratoconus management are a core focus of our Melbourne practice, not an occasional add-on service. We use dedicated corneal imaging, including Medmont Meridia topography and Oculus Pentacam tomography, to map every irregular cornea in detail, and we've fitted scleral lenses across a wide range of conditions, from moderate keratoconus through to post-surgical and traumatic corneal scarring. If you've been told your case is complicated, it's exactly the kind of fitting we specialise in.

Do patients travel from outside Melbourne to see you for scleral lenses?

Yes, regularly. Complex corneal and keratoconus fitting is a specialised skill that not every practice offers, so we see patients from across Melbourne's inner east as well as regional Victoria and interstate, often after other practitioners haven't been able to achieve a comfortable, stable fit. We can usually manage the assessment, trial fitting and most review visits in a small number of appointments to make travelling in worthwhile.

I've been told my keratoconus is too advanced or my cornea too irregular for contact lenses. Can you still help?

In most cases, yes. Scleral lenses exist for exactly this situation: because the lens vaults over the cornea entirely rather than resting on it, even highly irregular, scarred or post-surgical corneas can usually be fitted comfortably. We assess every case individually with detailed corneal imaging before ruling anything out, so it's worth a consultation even if you've been told elsewhere that your options are limited.

Where is your clinic, and is it easy to get to for a keratoconus or scleral lens consultation?

We're at 828 High St, Kew East, in Melbourne's inner east, easily reached from Hawthorn, Camberwell, Balwyn, Box Hill and surrounding suburbs. For patients travelling from further afield in regional Victoria or interstate, we can often group your assessment and trial fitting into a single visit to reduce the number of trips required.

A Lens That Vaults Over The Cornea