Meet Our Team
Karina A. Conlin, OD, FAAO
Clinical Adjunct Assistant Professor
Amy L. Walker, OD, MBA, FAAO
Clinical Adjunct Assistant Professor, Co-Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs
Who Needs Scleral Contact Lenses?
Patients With:
Corneal Irregularities
- Keratoconus
- Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
- Salzmann’s Nodular Degeneration
- Corneal Dystrophies
- Post-Corneal Transplant/Surgery
- Post-LASIK, Post-PRK
- Traumatic Scarring
Ocular Surface Diseases
- Severe Dry Eye Syndrome
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Systemic Autoimmune Disorders
- Graft-versus-host Disease (GvHD)
- Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
- Epidermal Ocular Disorders
- Neurotrophic Keratitis
- Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid
Sharp Vision Correction For Normal Corneas
- High Astigmatism
- Multifocal for Presbyopia
“When I came to UW, I walked in with 20/30 vision. Now I have 20/15 vision in both eyes. I never thought I’d see that day again. Dr. Conlin doesn’t stop at ‘it’s okay.’ She stops at ‘it’s great.’ When you take the time to do your job the right way, you’re giving the patient the best thing they can get.”
— Levine Wetley, Scleral Lens Patient
Who is eligible for Scleral contact lenses?
Your primary eye doctor will determine if you are a good candidate. If so, you will be referred to Dr. Conlin or Dr. Walker for further evaluation and education, then fitted for your custom scleral lenses.
Do you need prior authorization or a referral?
Yes. Your referring doctor should assist you by sending your insurer a prior-authorization and letter of medical necessity so that you know if your fitting and your lenses might be a covered benefit. However, patients can choose to pay out-of-pocket for the fitting and cost per lens.
“Access to scleral lenses can be life-changing for our patients. We try to keep our cost lower than the national average so that money is not a barrier to healthcare.”
— Dr. Amy L. Walker, Clinical Optometrist and Co-Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs
Breaking the Mold
Dr. Karina Conlin and Dr. Amy Walker are the scleral contact lens experts at UW Health. Their knowledge and skill come from fitting scleral lenses on a daily basis and staying up-to-date through continuing education. They work closely with cornea service faculty who recommend scleral lenses for the treatment of various corneal conditions. For patients with severe corneal diseases, these specialized lenses offer potential sight-saving results – even in the most difficult cases where other options have failed.
Drs. Conlin and Walker are now certified in providing EyePrintPRO™ molded scleral devices – making UW Health Eye Clinics only one of two locations in the state to offer this service.
EyePrintPRO is an optically clear prosthetic scleral device that is designed to match the exact contours of the individual eye, providing the best fit and sharpest possible vision.
To create the device, certified optometrists take an impression of your cornea using an FDA approved impression compound. The impression is then sent to EyePrintPRO’s laboratory for manufacturing. Once you receive your unique scleral device, follow-up visits ensure your fit is healthy and your vision is at full potential.
“scleral lenses create big vision and quality of life ‘saves’ for patients with corneal problems. this service and access is incredibly important to our patient care at uw.”
— Dr. sarah m. nehls, associate professor and cornea service chief
