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Temporal changes in geometry of the corneal anterior surface after soft contact lens wear:the importance of discontinuation before refractive surgery

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First Author: B.Kaluzny POLAND

Co Author(s):    J. Stachura   P. Mlyniuk   A. Jimenez-Villar   I. Grulkowski           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Contact lenses, both soft and rigid, cause temporal changes of the anterior surface shape, mainly due to its influence on the thickness of corneal epithelium. The aim of this paper is to measure the amount of those changes for plus and minus power silicone hydrogel soft contact lens (SiH SCLs) continuous wear.

Setting:

Division of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Department of Ophthalmology, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University

Methods:

This prospective, pre-post interventional study included 64 eyes in total: 42 eyes with myopia of -3.0 D (group I) and 22 eyes with hyperopia of +3.0 D (group II). All patients underwent general ophthalmic examination, corneal topography/tomography, total corneal and epithelial thickness mapping before and after wearing period. SiH SCLs made of senofilcon A (Acuvue Oasis, Johnson and Johnson, USA) were worn continuously for 7 days on all eligible eyes.

Results:

Mean central keratometry and central corneal thickness did not change in either group. A significant decrease in central epithelial thickness by 2.36 µm was observed after wear of +3.0 D lens. In both groups epithelial thickness increased in midperiphery. Epithelial thickness variations resulted in changes of corneal aberrations: a decrease of spherical aberration in group I and an increase of coma in group II.

Conclusions:

Continuous wear of SiH SCLs results in rearrangement of epithelial thickness leading to significant changes of the shape of anterior surface of the cornea, which are much more marked in hyperopic patients.

Financial Disclosure:

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