Disposable lenses and the marginal dry eye patient

The patient with marginal dry eye can experience difficulty wearing soft contact lenses. Various lens types have been prescribed for the marginal dry eye patient. The introduction of disposable soft lenses adds another lens type that may be useful for this patient population.

This double-blind pilot study involved 10 subjects. The marginal dry eye subjects were fit with thin (0.07 mm at -3.00) and standard (0.105mm at -3.00 thickness), high water content (58 percent) disposable soft contact lenses. The lens type was alternated on a weekly basis for 3 weeks. Patient preference regarding acuity, comfort, and overall impression was determined. Corneal response was also evaluated.

If there was a preference, the marginal dry eye subjects preferred the thinner lens, which also produced the least adverse corneal response. The average daily wearing time was 9 hours, and lens lubricants were used an average of three times per wearing period.

This pilot study indicates that high water content, disposable soft lenses used on a daily wear basis can be worn by the marginal dry eye patient. Although individual variation exists, the thinner lens design was more readily accepted.