[Contact lens fitting as a possibility for visual rehabilitation in patients after open globe injuries].

INTRODUCTION

Visual rehabilitation after open globe injury may be a challenging process because of ametropia following aphakia, corneal scarring with high or irregular corneal astigmatism or loss of contrast sensitivity due to traumatic aniridia. We report on contact lens fitting for visual rehabilitation in patients after open globe injury.

PATIENTS: From 2000 to 2003, contact lenses were fitted unilaterally for the visual rehabilitation in 13 patients after open globe injury. In three patients we found unilateral aphakia, in 8 patients a high or irregular astigmatism after penetrating or autorotation keratoplasty and in two patients a traumatic aniridia, in one case combined with aphakia.

RESULTS

11 rigid contact lenses were fitted with different designs of the front and back surface as well as two iris-print lenses. In 11 patients (86 %) a good visual rehabilitation was achieved with an increase of visual acuity up to 9 lines while obtaining a good contact lens tolerance. One patient wearing an iris-print contact lens was unable to tolerate the contact lens due to its thickness and its weight. In another patient fitting of a contact lens was not possible because of the complicated corneal condition. We did not observed severe contact lens complications at any time.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to operative procedures for visual rehabilitation after open globe injuries, the use of contact lenses is another possible procedure for refractive correction. Different problems such as ametropia following aphakia, irregular or high astigmatism or aniridia can be solved with good visual results, good tolerance and less complications.