Fitting contact lenses after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for myopia

To compensate for undercorrection, regression, or irregular astigmatism, contact lenses are sometimes fit after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). We fit 13 eyes (eight patients) with aspheric rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses following PRK. Patients were fit for various reasons, and they were all previous RGP contact lens wearers. Eight of 13 eyes could not be corrected with spectacles to the same acuity as before PRK. With RGP contact lenses, all patients were corrected to the same acuities as before PRK. The mean base curve of the preoperative RGP lenses was 7.98 +/- 0.36 mm (SD); the mean power was -5.92 D +/- 2.88 D (SD). Postoperative lenses had a mean base curve of 8.03 mm +/- 0.41 mm (SD) and mean power of -5.5 D +/- 3.08 D (SD). Fitting RGP lenses after PRK was uncomplicated, and all lenses were as well tolerated after PRK as they had been before the procedure.