Indications and complications of therapeutic disposable Acuvue contact lenses

Although therapeutic hydrogel contact lenses have been used for many years, there have been few reports on the therapeutic use of disposable lenses. We evaluated lens fit, duration of wear, efficacy of therapy, complications, and concurrent treatment in patients with corneal or anterior segment problems who were managed with Acuvue contact lenses for therapeutic purposes.

We managed 38 patients with corneal or anterior segment disease during 1992-1994. The duration of lens wear ranged from several days to 12 months. Six patients were fit for mechanical reasons, six were fit for symptomatic relief, and 26 were fit as an adjunct to healing. Technical failures included lenses with inadequate movement and lenses that fell out of the eye. Therapeutic failures occurred when lens use did not help resolve the anterior segment problem.

Seventy-one percent of patients were fit successfully, and 66% of patients were therapeutic successes. Complications with contact lens fitting included lens loss, discomfort, corneal ulceration, and tight lens syndrome.

Although we found some difficulty in lens fitting, Acuvue lenses may provide a useful, disposable, and less expensive alternative to the traditional bandage contact lens.