Quality-of-Life Improvement After Scleral Lens Fitting in Patients With Keratoconus.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To assess the quality-of-life improvement after scleral lens fitting in patients with keratoconus.

METHODS:

We conducted a prospective observational study of all consecutive patients with keratoconus starting scleral lens fitting in 2019, from January 2 to December 27, at the Dijon University Hospital, France. Quality of life was assessed before and after wearing scleral lenses for 3 months through the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (NEI-VFQ 25) questionnaire. We investigated factors potentially influencing quality of life: final visual acuity, keratoconus stage, and maximum keratometry reading.

RESULTS:

In total, 41 eyes of 24 patients were successfully fitted with scleral lenses, 92.9% were 18 mm in diameter and 7.1% were 17 mm. The visual acuity improved by -0.4±0.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (P<0.001) after scleral lens fitting. Visual gain increased with keratometry and keratoconus severity (P<0.001; P<0.01). The NEI-VFQ 25 score increased by 19.5±19.1 points on average (P<0.001). No association was found between the factors under study and improvement in quality of life.

CONCLUSION:

Our study confirms the functional improvement in patients with keratoconus fitted with scleral lenses, especially in patients with more advanced disease. Moreover, it suggests a major role of these lenses in improving quality of life, independently of the severity of the disease and the visual gain.

• Authors: Florian Baudin, Alicia Chemaly, Louis Arnould, Elsa Barrénéchea, Lolita Lestable, Alain M Bron, Catherine Creuzot-Garcher
• Journal: Eye & contact lens (Eye Contact Lens) Vol. 47 Issue 9 Pg. 520-525 (Sep 01 2021) ISSN: 1542-233X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34261868 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists.

Topics

• Contact Lenses
• Humans
• Keratoconus (therapy)
• Prosthesis Fitting
• Quality of Life
• Retrospective Studies
• Sclera