Purpose: Soft contact lenses may be used as a bandage after corneal refractive surgery. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses offer the advantage of increased oxygen permeability over conventional hydrogel lenses for this application. To evaluate a silicone hydrogel contact lens as a continuous wear bandage applied after laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK).
Methods: We conducted a prospective, open-label, non-randomized clinical trial involving thirty patients treated with unilateral LASEK. Patients were fitted with a lotrafilcon A (Focus NIGHT & DAY; CIBA Vision, Duluth, GA) silicone hydrogel soft contact lens that was worn continuously for 3 to 4 days post-operatively. Lens movement and slitlamp evaluations of conjunctival hyperemia 1, 2, and 3 days after surgery (DAS) were recorded, as was the condition of the corneal epithelium after lens removal. Subjective comfort was rated by the patients along with the presence of symptoms or pain.
Results: Post-blink lens movement was evaluated by investigators as "very good" or "good" in 87% of eyes at 1 DAS, in 73% at 2 DAS, and in 60% at 3 DAS. Conjunctival hyperemia was assessed as normal or trace in 96% of eyes at 1 DAS, in 76% at 2 DAS, and in 67% at 3 DAS. An average of 80% of eyes showed normal or trace conjunctival hyperemia during the trial. The condition of the corneal epithelium after contact lens removal was rated as "very good" in 13% or "good" in 73% of eyes. An average of 77% of subjects reported "very good" or "good" comfort during the trial. Symptoms or pain were rated as "absent" or "mild" by all subjects at 1 DAS and 2 DAS and by 96% at 3 DAS. An average of 99% rated symptoms or pain as either "absent" or "mild" during the trial.
Conclusions: The lotrafilcon A lens was found to be an effective and well-tolerated bandage lens after LASEK.