Gregory P. Kracher

Keratoconus. Contact lens or keratoplasty

The success rate of contact lens fitting and rate of progression to keratoplasty were evaluated for 115 consecutive patients with keratoconus. Of 190 nonoperated eyes that needed to be fit, 25 (13%) could not be fit, whereas 165 eyes (87%) could be fit. Most of these eyes had been referred for keratoplasty after previous contact lens fittings had no longer been successful. Of the 165 eyes that could be fit, 51 (31%) ultimately needed keratoplasty after an average of 38.4 months of lens wear, and 114 eyes (69%) did not require keratoplasty over an average follow-up interval of 63 months of wearing contact lenses. The average initial keratoplasty reading in these two groups was 56.8 and 51.8 diopters (D), respectively. Special design, bispheric lenses were required in 125 of these 165 eyes (76%) and frequent lens changes were necessary. Of 88 postoperative eyes, 53 (60%) wore contact lenses for best vision. Keratoplasty can be delayed or avoided in many keratoconus patients by using contact lenses, especially special design, bispheric lenses. Also, keratoconus eyes often need contact lenses after keratoplasty.

Therapeutic Contact Lenses

Therapeutic contact lenses are useful in a variety of ocular surface disorders. Their efficacy was evaluated in 40 consecutive patients presenting for therapeutic contact lens fitting for pain due to depressed surface disorders (14 patients), raised surface disorders (11 patients), corneal decompensation (7 patients), trauma (5 patients), and disorders of corneal wetting (3 patients). The therapeutic contact lens was successfully fit and worn, with achievement of the therapeutic objective in 37 of the 40 patients. Corneal wetting disorders and corneal decompensation require only intermediate-term contact lens wear. Thus, therapeutic contact lenses are usually effective for relief of pain due to corneal surface disorders.

Extended-Wear Contact Lenses and Intraocular Lenses for Aphakic Correction

We evaluated extended-wear soft contact lens use in 128 aphakic eyes of 113 patients, 44 of whom had been unable to wear conventional contact lenses; 116 eyes (91%) have been successfully fitted and have worn the extended-wear lenses without significant complication. Eleven patients were unable to wear the lens or had to be discontinued for transient lens-related problems. In 103 eyes successfully fitted the lens is removed for cleaning less often than monthly. Ninety six of the 116 eyes fitted have visual acuity as good as, or better than, with aphakic correcting spectacles. The results obtained with the extended-wear soft contact lens are similar to those obtained with intraocular lenses, except for the recent high incidence of inflammation seen after intraocular lens insertion when using ethylene-oxide-sterilized lenses.

Contact lenses for visual rehabilitation after corneal laceration repair.

A contact lens fitting was tried after corneal laceration repair in 26 eyes. The mean patient age was 25 years; 22 eyes were aphakic and there were 23 males. Many patients had been referred for penetrating keratoplasty. Intact sutures in 13 eyes did not hinder contact lens fitting which was performed within 6 months in 12 cases. A contact lens was fit and successfully worn in 21 eyes (81%) and was fit in the remaining five patients, but not worn because of suboptimal vision (4 eyes) or an unsatisfactory fit (1 eye). Success rates were higher for small, peripheral lesions and in younger patients. Visual acuity was at least 20/30 in 12 patients and follow-up averaged 10.1 months. A contact lens can usually be fit after corneal lacerations, despite aphakia, with good visual results, thereby avoiding penetrating keratoplasty and intraocular lens implantation.

Extended wear contact lenses for aphakia.

Abstract The current modality for correcting unilateral aphakia is by the use of daily wear hard and soft contact lenses and by the use of intraocular lens implants. The use of the Cooper Permalens soft contact lens as an extended wear lens for correction of aphakia was investigated in 177 eyes. The relative merits of the extended wear lens are discussed with emphasis on fit, visual function, and contact lens‐related problems.

Visual correction following penetrating keratoplasty.

Postoperative visual correction following penetrating keratoplasty usually includes spectacles, but for some patients optimal vision may be obtained using contact lenses. We studied 126 eyes of 101 patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty to determine the frequency of postoperative contact-lens use, its clinical associations, its effect on the risk of corneal graft rejection, and its potential effects on topical medications. A total of 20 patients (16%) wore contact lenses postoperatively for maximal optical correction. Among eyes with good macular potential, 17 of 63 (27%) wore contact lenses. Contact-lens wear did not preclude the use of chronic postoperative topical medications, nor did it increase the risk of corneal graft rejection. We conclude that contact lenses may be useful for optimizing vision after penetrating keratoplasty, especially when macular potential is good.

Aphakic Extended-Wear Contact Lenses after Penetrating Keratoplasty

Fifteen aphakic eyes in 15 selected patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty were successfully fitted with extended-wear contact lenses three to 42 months postoperatively. After an average follow-up of 17 months, there was no graft edema, no microbial corneal ulcers, and no episode of graft rejection. Three eyes developed minor (1 to 2 mm) graft neovascularization; the neovascularization was stable and did not require discontinuation of the contact lenses. Fourteen of the 15 patients had postoperative visual acuities of 20/70 or better; the one patient whose visual acuity was worse than 20/70 had a clear graft but also had senile macular degeneration.