Rigid gas permeable contact lens fitting after radial keratotomy.

PURPOSE

The purpose of our study was to determine whether radial keratotomy (RK) patients could be fit with rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses based on postoperative keratometry measurements.

METHODS

Thirteen eyes from eight post-RK patients were fit with RGP lenses for residual refractive errors. Since these patients were self-referred and were operated on elsewhere, preoperative keratometry readings were not available. We used postoperative keratometry readings for base curve selection; and spherical polymethylmethacrylate diagnostic lenses were used for fitting.

RESULTS

Visual improvements averaged 3.85 Snellen lines (range: 1-8 lines). Prefitting visual acuities were: 20/30 (5 eyes); 20/40 (1 eye); 20/ 50 (1 eye); 20/60 (1 eye); 20/70 (3 eyes); 20/150 (1 eye); and 20/200 (1 eye). Final visual acuities were 20/20 (7 eyes), 20/25 (4 eyes), 20/30 (1 eye), and 20/40 (1 eye).

CONCLUSION

We found that when fitting post-RK eyes with RGP contact lenses preoperative keratometry was unnecessary, and an empirical fitting method based on postoperative keratometry was successful.