Experience of Scleral Lens Wear While Self-contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus Diving

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the experiences of wearing scleral lenses while self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving in a large number of dives. METHODS: An anonymous online survey for diving scleral lens wearers worldwide was distributed. The data were collected between May 2019 and November 2022. The survey sought responses on participants' age and sex, SCUBA dive-related characteristics and scleral lens wear-related questions, and eye-related symptoms after the dive. RESULTS: A total of 67 scleral lens wearers completed the questionnaire (63% male). A median of 150 dives were performed while wearing the scleral lenses, with 26,360 dives in total. Seven participants experienced more redness, and five had less clear eyes after the dive. Two adverse events in 2 of 26,360 dives (0.007%) were reported by two participants. The scleral lens was more cloudy during diving in four subjects, two experienced a more cloudy scleral lens after diving, and the scleral lenses were more deposited after diving in three subjects. During seven dives of seven unique divers, a scleral lens was lost. After the dive, 10 divers experienced more tightness of the scleral lens on removal, whereas eight found them easier to remove. CONCLUSIONS: Scleral lens wear while SCUBA diving seems to cause few complications and seems relatively safe.