Influence of a Therapeutic Soft Contact Lens on Epithelial Healing, Visual Recovery, Haze, and Pain After Photorefractive Keratectomy

Objectives: To examine the influence of a therapeutic soft contact lens (TSCL) after alcohol-assisted photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) on visual recovery, epithelial closure, pain perception, and haze formation. Methods: Prospective, randomized, single-center, contralateral eye, patient-masked study. Same surgeon treated 15 patients with bilateral PRK using a Vidaurri Fluid Retention Ring (Katena) with 8.7 mm inner diameter to apply ethanol 18% for 30 sec. Each patient received a TSCL (Balafilcon A, PureVision, Bausch & Lomb) in a randomized fashion in one eye only. Results: Without knowing which eye had a contact lens, four patients preferred the eye with TSCL so much that these patients wanted a TSCL inserted in the second eye as well. Uncorrected distance visual acuity improved postoperatively from day 1 to 3 months from 0.61 to 1.18 with TSCL and from 0.21 to 1.04 without TSCL. Uncorrected distance visual acuity was statistically significantly better on days 1 and 2 with TSCL. Epithelial defect was on average smaller with TSCL. Epithelium was closed at day 4 in all eyes except one without TSCL. Pain perception was significantly lower with TSCL on days 1 and 2. Haze levels after 3 months were significantly lower with TSCL (with 0.09/without 0.45, respectively). One eye without TSCL had haze grade 2 (Fantes). Conclusions: A TSCL had statistically significantly and clinically meaningful beneficial effects in the first days in visual recovery and pain perception and after 3 months in haze formation. Epithelial healing was slightly quicker with the use of TSCLs (not statistically, but clinically significantly).