Assessing Scleral Contact Lens Satisfaction in a Keratoconus Population

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Keratoconus management often involves specialized contact lenses.
• Previous lens modalities may have limitations in comfort and vision for keratoconus patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the comfort and subjective experiences of keratoconic patients wearing scleral contact lenses.
• To compare these experiences with prior contact lens use.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of 24 keratoconus patients.
• Informed consent and Institutional Review Board approval.
• Administration of a survey and a dry eye questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Overwhelming preference for scleral lenses' comfort and vision over previous lenses (soft, piggyback, hybrid, gas permeable).
• Patients reported reduced dryness with scleral lenses, despite some being dry eye suspects.
• Midday fogging occurred occasionally in over half of the participants.

Conclusions:

• Scleral contact lenses demonstrate excellent patient acceptance due to enhanced comfort and vision.
• These lenses can alleviate dry eye symptoms for many keratoconus patients.
• Midday fogging is a notable limitation requiring further investigation.