J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2007 Oct;48(10):1323-1328. 10.3341/jkos.2007.48.10.1323.

Comparison of Hydrogel and Silicone Hydrogel Bandage Contact Lens after LASEK

• Jang SW
• Chung ES
• Chung TY

• KMID: 2210984
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2007.48.10.1323

Abstract

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness between wearing a conventional hydrogel vifilcon A bandage contact lens (BCL) and a silicone hydrogel lotrafilcon A BCL after laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK).
METHODS
LASEK was performed on 38 eyes of 19 patients. Each patient was fitted with a silicone hydrogel lotrafilcon A lens in one eye and a conventional hydrogel vifilcon A lens in the other eye. The patient was masked on the type of lens in each eye. General preference between the two types of lenses, subjective symptoms (pain, photophobia, tearing, dryness, and foreign body sensation; graded as 0 to 4), and the area of non-viable corneal epithelium were assessed in each eye at one and four days after surgery.
RESULTS
Patients reported preferring the lotrafilcon A lens to vifilcon A at 1 (79%) and 4 (74%) days after LASEK. The mean symptom scores of tearing and foreign body sensation at 1 day after surgery (P=0.012 and P=0.034, respectively) and foreign body sensation at 4 days after surgery (P=0.027) were significantly lower in the lotrafilcon A group. The mean area of the non-viable corneal epithelium was smaller in the lotrafilcon A lens group at 1 day and 4 days after surgery, although not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients better tolerated the silicone hydrogel lotrafilcon A BCL compared with the conventional hydrogel vifilcon A BCL. The mean symptom scores were significantly lower in the lotrafilcon A group at both 1 and 4 days after LASEK.

Keyword

LASEK; Lotrafilcon A Lens; Vifilcon A Lens

MeSH Terms

Bandages
Bandages, Hydrocolloid*
Epithelium, Corneal
Foreign Bodies
Humans
Hydrogel*
Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted*
Masks
Photophobia
Sensation
Silicones*
Hydrogel
Silicones

Figure

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  Figure 1. Slit-lamp biomicroscopic image of a patient after LASEK. Non-viable corneal epithelium is shown as gray zone within the red outline.

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  Figure 2. General preference between two types of lenses- lotrafilcon A lens vs. vifilcon A lens - at 1 and 4 days after LASEK surgery.

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  Figure 3. The sum of symptom scores in each eye of the lotrafilcon A lens and vifilcon A lens groups (19 eyes in both groups) at 1 (A) and 4 (B) days after LASEK surgery. Solid and dashed horizontal lines indicate the mean values in the lotrafilcon A lens and vifilcon A lens groups, respectively. Mean total symptom score was significantly smaller in the lotrafilcon A lens group at 1 day postoperatively (P=0.013, by Wilcoxon's rank sum test), and did not show statistically significant difference between the two groups at 4 days postoperatively (P=0.138, by Wilcoxon's rank sum test). (POD; postoperative day).

Reference

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