PURPOSE: To describe initial experiences with patients wearing rigid escleral contact lenses. METHODS: Retrospective study of 13 eyes of 7 patients, 11 fitted with polymethylmethacrylate and two with rigid gas-permeable scleral contact lenses. Age, sex, diagnosis, initial and final visual acuity (VA), time of daily wear, complications and follow-up were recorded. RESULTS: Keratoconus was diagnosed in 6 patients, one was submitted to radial keratotomy. Mean follow-up lasted 8 months. Visual acuity of all eyes improves with scleral contact lenses. CONCLUSION: Visual acuity improvement observed in corneal ectasia and after radial keratotomy, in patients awaiting corneal graft, suggests that scleral contact lenses can be considered clinical treatment alternative.
Contact lenses; Sclera; Visual acuity; Vision disorders; Corneal diseases; Keratoconus; Equipment design
