Fitting gas-permeable contact lenses after penetrating keratoplasty

Between Sept. 1, 1981, and Jan. 31, 1984, 74 eyes (70 patients) were fitted with gas-permeable Polycon contact lenses and monitored for at least six months (range, six to 33 months; mean, 14 months). The major indications for hard contact lens fitting were astigmatism and anisometropia. Astigmatism in this series ranged from 0 to 17.50 diopters (mean, 7.7 diopters). Most patients achieved visual acuities of 20/40 or better (67 of 74, 90%) with contact lenses. Contact lenses were discontinued in 18% (13 of 74), because of graft rejection in four cases and because of contact lens intolerance in nine cases. Our results demonstrated that gas-permeable hard lenses can be fitted successfully in most patients unable to achieve optimal vision with spectacle correction after penetrating keratoplasty.