The infant aphakia treatment study contact lens experience:  one-year outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
We describe our experience correcting a cohort of infants with contact lenses in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study.


METHODS
Fifty-seven infants 1-6 months of age were randomized to contact lens wear. An examination under anesthesia was performed at the time of enrollment and at approximately 1 year of age. A traveling examiner assessed visual acuity at approximately 1 year of age.


RESULTS
Forty-two treated eyes (74 %) were fitted with silicone elastomer (SE) contact lenses; 12 eyes (21 %) with rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses, and 3 eyes (5%) wore both lens types. Median visual acuity was +0.80 logMAR in both lens type-wearing groups. The mean (± SD) keratometric power of the treated eyes was 46.3±2.8 D at baseline and 44.6±2.3 D at 1 year of age for a mean decrease of 0.2±0.2 D/mo. Keratometric astigmatism of treated eyes was 1.98±1.37 D at baseline and 1.62±0.98 D at 1 year of age for a mean decrease of 0.05±0.2 D/mo. The mean RGP lens base curve at baseline was 47.62 D±2.62 D versus 47.00 D±3.50 D at 12 months after surgery. Children wearing SE lenses required a mean of 10.9 replacements (range 2-24) compared to 16.8 replacements (range 8-32) for children wearing RGP lenses. Three adverse events occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Contact lenses were worn successfully with relatively few adverse events by a cohort of infants with unilateral aphakia. The visual acuity results were identical independent of the contact lens material or modality. RGP lenses needed replacement more often than SE lenses.
Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. buddy.russell@emoryhealthcare.org
Buddy
B
Russell
Michael A
MA
Ward
Michael
M
Lynn
Lindreth
L
Dubois
Scott R
SR
Lambert
D001036:Aphakia, Postcataract / Q000628:therapy*; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003261:Contact Lenses; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology