The people doing the procedure decide
Imaging centers, surgical teams, and anesthesia teams each have their own safety rules, and those rules can depend on the scan, the body part, and your health. So the honest answer to “in or out?” is: ask them, early, and follow what they say. This page helps you ask the right questions and arrive prepared.
MRI
MRI uses a strong magnet, so the team screens everyone for anything that could contain metal. Ordinary clear scleral lenses come up often in wearers’ questions, and many wearers report being told by staff that they could keep them in. But that is the imaging team’s call for your scan, not a general rule.
Mention any tint. Some lenses are tinted, for example prosthetic or light-reducing lenses. Colored and cosmetic contact lenses can contain iron oxide and other metals. A published case report described tinted cosmetic lenses that showed up as a distortion on a head MRI, and the authors called them a potential MRI hazard.[1] If your lens has any color added, tell the team.
What to do:
- When you book, say: “I wear scleral contact lenses. Do you want them out for this scan?”
- Mention tints, coatings you know about, and any eye implants or past eye surgery.
- Bring your kit anyway: case, fresh saline, and remover. If you’re asked to remove the lenses, you’ll want to do it yourself, cleanly.
- Bring your glasses for the trip home if you won’t be able to reinsert.
CT scans and X-rays
These don’t use a magnet, but the team may still want lenses out, for example when imaging the head and face. Ask when you book, and bring your case, saline, and remover in case they do.
Surgery, sedation, and anesthesia
Expect to be asked to come in glasses or to remove your lenses. Cleveland Clinic’s patient instructions for the day of surgery, for example, say to wear glasses when possible, and to bring your lens case and solution if contact lenses must be worn.[2]
For scleral lens wearers, a few extra steps help:
- Tell the pre-op nurse or anesthesia team that you wear scleral lenses. Many people in operating rooms have never removed one.
- Arrive in glasses if you can see well enough with them. If you can’t function without your lenses, say so ahead of time, and bring everything needed to remove them on the spot.
- Remove them yourself. A scleral lens is held on by suction and comes off with a plunger or a lid technique. It should never be pinched or pried off. If you might need help, show staff how, or bring written instructions.
- For eye surgery, tell your surgeon well in advance. Your fitter may need to plan a refit afterward.
Dental work
Most wearers keep their lenses in at the dentist. Many wear the protective glasses offered, or their own wraparound glasses, to keep splashes and debris away from their eyes. If you’ll be sedated, treat it like surgery: ask whether lenses should come out, and bring your kit.
In an emergency
Wearers worry, reasonably, about being unconscious in an emergency room where staff don’t know what a scleral lens is. A few things make that much safer:
- A wallet card that says “I wear scleral contact lenses. They come off with a small suction remover. Do not pinch or pry them,” with your fitter’s name and number.
- Your phone’s medical ID with the same note. Many phones let emergency staff read this from the lock screen.
- A spare removal plunger in your bag or with your card.
- Your glasses in your bag. The FDA advises every lens wearer to keep a backup pair with a current prescription.[3]
What wearers say
- Asking ahead avoids last-minute stress. Wearers who called the imaging center or surgical team in advance describe smoother days than those who were surprised at check-in.
- Answers differ between places. Some were told to keep lenses in for an MRI, some to take them out. The difference usually came down to the scan, the lens, and local policy.
- Staff may not know sclerals. Wearers often had to explain how removal works. Being able to remove the lens yourself, quickly, matters.
What to ask
The imaging or surgical team:
- Should my scleral lenses be in or out for this procedure?
- Do you need to know anything about tints, coatings, or implants?
- Can I remove them myself, and where can I do that cleanly?
Your fitter:
- Is there anything about my lens, like a tint, that imaging teams should know?
- Can you give me a card or note with my lens details and how to remove them?
- When I have eye surgery, how will we plan a refit?
Common questions
Other wearers say they had an MRI with their lenses in. Can I?
Many wearers report it, usually after asking staff. But the decision belongs to the MRI team for your scan, not to other patients or this page. Tell them what you wear, including any tint, and follow their instructions.
What if I'm in an accident and can't tell anyone?
Carry information that speaks for you: a wallet card, a note in your phone's medical ID, or a medical alert bracelet saying you wear scleral lenses, with your fitter's name and phone number. Some wearers keep a spare removal plunger with the card.
Should I take my lenses out for a CT scan or X-ray?
Ask the imaging team when you book. Requirements vary by scan and by the part of the body being imaged. Bring your case, fresh saline, and remover so you can take the lenses out if asked.
How soon can I wear my lenses after eye surgery?
Only when your surgeon says so. After eye surgery, your lens may need refitting because your eye's shape or prescription has changed. Tell your surgeon before the operation that you wear scleral lenses, and ask your fitter to coordinate.