title: Efficacy of 2 types of silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses after photorefractive keratectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of 2 types of silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses with high oxygen transmissibility after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).
  
  
  METHODS
  Institute of Vision and Optics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, 1 eye of patients having bilateral PRK was randomly fitted with a bandage contact lens of lotrafilcon A (Night & Day) and the fellow eye, with a bandage contact lens of lotrafilcon B (O(2)Optix). The patients and the examiner were masked to which bandage contact lens type was in which eye. Patients were examined on the day of surgery and 1, 3, and 5 days postoperatively. Postoperative examinations included uncorrected distance visual acuity and slitlamp biomicroscopy to assess epithelial defect size. Subjective evaluation of pain and vision was recorded 1, 2, 3, and 4 days postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study enrolled 44 patients (88 eyes). The mean epithelial defect size immediately after surgery was 47.0 mm(2) with both types of bandage contact lenses. There was no statistically significant difference in epithelial defect size between the 2 lenses at any postoperative visit. Three days postoperatively, reepithelialization was complete in 75.0% of eyes in the lotrafilcon A group and 72.7% of the eyes in the lotrafilcon B group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no differences in corneal reepithelialization or subjective measurements after PRK between the 2 types of silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vision and Optics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece. mgrentz@gmail.com
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grentzelos
authors.forename: Sotiris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plainis
authors.forename: Nikolaos I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Astyrakakis
authors.forename: Vasilios F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Diakonis
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kymionis
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kallinikos
authors.forename: Ioannis G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Pallikaris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D047070:Bandages, Hydrocolloid; D003261:Contact Lenses; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000601:surgery*; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012828:Silicones; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult; D005466:Fluorocarbons
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D012828:Silicones; C481129:lotrafilcon A; D005466:Fluorocarbons