Glossary

This glossary explains terms patients often hear when researching scleral lenses, specialty contact lenses, corneal disease, dry eye, and complex vision rehabilitation with Dr. Edward Boshnick.

Scleral lenses: Large-diameter specialty contact lenses that rest on the white part of the eye and vault over the cornea. The fluid reservoir beneath the lens may help improve comfort and clarity for selected patients with keratoconus, severe dry eye, corneal disease, or irregular corneas.

Keratoconus: A corneal condition in which the cornea thins and bulges forward, often causing distorted vision, glare, ghosting, and irregular astigmatism. Many patients are evaluated for scleral lenses for keratoconus.

Corneal ectasia: Progressive corneal thinning or steepening that may occur naturally or after refractive surgery. Corneal ectasia can cause irregular vision that glasses may not fully correct.

Irregular cornea: A cornea with an uneven shape caused by keratoconus, scarring, transplant surgery, LASIK, RK, trauma, or corneal disease.

Ocular surface disease: Conditions affecting the tear film, eyelids, conjunctiva, or corneal surface. It may include dry eye, inflammation, autoimmune-related disease, exposure, and contact lens intolerance.

Dry eye syndrome: A condition in which the eyes do not produce enough tears or the tear film does not function properly. Severe dry eye may be evaluated for scleral lens support when appropriate.

Post-LASIK complications: Vision or comfort problems after LASIK, including dry eye, glare, halos, higher-order aberrations, irregular astigmatism, or ectasia. Learn more about LASIK complications.

Post-RK complications: Vision changes after radial keratotomy, including fluctuating vision, glare, halos, irregular astigmatism, and corneal instability. See radial keratotomy complications.

Higher-order aberrations: Complex optical distortions that can cause glare, halos, starbursts, ghosting, and reduced visual quality, especially in irregular corneas.

Wavefront scleral lenses: Advanced custom scleral lenses designed with wavefront measurements to help reduce selected visual distortions in appropriate patients. See wavefront scleral lenses.

WaveDyn Vision Analyzer: Technology used to evaluate visual quality and lens performance dynamically. Dr. Boshnick uses the WaveDyn Vision Analyzer as part of advanced specialty lens assessment.

EyePrintPRO: A custom impression or scan-based prosthetic scleral cover shell option for selected complex eyes. Learn more about EyePrintPRO.

Corneal topography: A diagnostic map of corneal shape used to evaluate keratoconus, ectasia, irregular astigmatism, and specialty lens design. See computerized corneal topography.

Hybrid contact lens: A specialty lens with a rigid optical center and a soft skirt. Hybrid lenses may be considered for selected patients with irregular corneas or contact lens challenges.

If a term on this page sounds familiar from your diagnosis or prior eye surgery, contact Eye Freedom to schedule a consultation with Dr. Boshnick.