Retrospective case series of therapeutic applications of lotrafilcon a silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses.

OBJECTIVE

To report a series of consecutive cases for which a lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel soft contact lens was used in therapeutic applications.

METHODS

Three practitioners in Spain, Denmark, and Germany supplied 41 consecutive case reports of 39 patients for whom a lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel soft contact lens was used in therapeutic applications. Applications included erosion or recurrent erosion, bullous keratopathy, corneal edema, corneal dystrophy, neurotrophic corneal ulcer, entropion, and use after corneal surgeries. Practitioners reported their judgments of pain relief, change in corneal signs by slitlamp evaluation, additional complications, and success of therapeutic lens treatment. Twenty cases of completed treatment and 21 cases of ongoing treatment were reported.

RESULTS

Complete pain relief was reported for 78% of all cases, with 94% of all cases reporting pain relief of 50% or higher. Corneal signs were restored to normal for 74% of all cases, with 100% of all cases showing at least partial improvement. No additional complications were reported in 83% of all cases. Therapeutic contact lens application was judged fully successful for 71% of all cases, with 93% of all cases showing at least partial improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The high-oxygen permeable (Dk) lotrafilcon A lens met or exceeded the outcomes reported from historic reports of therapeutic applications of low-Dk soft contact lenses. Although the case reporting conditions vary among the historic studies and from the current study, this study indicates that success may be improved with the lotrafilcon A high-Dk lens.