Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new-generation hybrid contact lens for improving visual outcomes and vision-related quality-of-life performance in patients with keratoconus who had intolerance or treatment failure of conventional correction methods such as the use of soft silicone-hydrogel or rigid gas-permeable contact lenses.
Methods: Twenty-eight patients with keratoconus (42 eyes) were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Airflex (Swisslens) lenses were fitted in the patients' eyes in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction. Ophthalmologic examinations, including manifest refraction, best-corrected distance visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (NEI-VFQ-25) assessment, were performed at baseline and the 6-month visit.
Results: An adequate fit was achieved in 39 eyes (92.9%) of 26 patients. Six eyes of 3 patients were excluded from the study owing to discontinuation of lens wearing. The mean age of the successful wearers was 20.3 ± 4.9 years. The mean best-corrected distance visual acuity was statistically significantly improved from 0.62 ± 0.30 to 0.11 ± 0.06 logMAR with the Airflex hybrid contact lenses (p<0.001). The mean overall composite NEI-VFQ-25 score statistically significantly increased with the Airflex hybrid contact lenses at the 6-month visit as compared with that at baseline (from 77.1 ± 16.3 to 90.9 ± 7.3, p=0.036). Statistically significantly better scores were obtained with the Airflex hybrid contact lenses in all the NEI-VFQ-25 subscale items (all p<0.05). No significant adverse effects were observed.
Conclusions: New-generation hybrid contact lenses can be used as an effective alternative for correction of irregular astigmatism in patients with keratoconus who have intolerance or treatment failure of conventional methods. Significant improvement in vision-related quality-of-life in patients with keratoconus can be achieved with these lenses.