Apical bearing and success with the Bausch and Lomb Soflens (polymacon) contact lens

Thirty-three patients (63 eyes) were fitted with Bausch and Lomb soflens (polymacon) contact lenses. The initial lenses were selected with the mean posterior apical radius 0.45 mm flatter than the flat keratometer reading of the cornea (S.D. = +/-0.31 MM). Forty-eight eyes (76%) were successfully fitted and 15 eyes (25%) were unsuccessfully fitted. Among the successfully fitted eyes, 31 were fitted with the initial lens, 12 required steeper lenses, and 5 required flatter lenses. The final successfully fitted lenses were on the average 0.40 mm flatter (S.D. = +/-0.32 mm) than the flat keratometer reading of the cornea. The unsuccessfully fitted lenses were not significantly different than the successfully fitted lenses, being 0.47 mm flatter (S.D. = +/-O.32 mm) than the flat keratometer reading of the cornea. Although the central lens-cornea relationship is helpful in fitting the Soflens, the number of successful results are increased significantly by changing to a lens with different parameters when lens performance and patient response are not optimal.