title: [Quality of life in patients wearing scleral lenses].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the contribution of scleral lenses in terms of improving the quality of life in the treatment of astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty or in keratoconus.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an observational retrospective study, evaluating quality of life (QOL) of patients who failed to adapt to RPG lenses, fitted with SPOT(®) scleral lenses between October 2007 and March 2011 in the University Hospital of Besançon Department of Ophthalmology. QOL was assessed before and after scleral lens adaptation with the French version of the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (NEI-VFQ 25).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 47 patients (83 eyes) fitted with scleral lenses on one or both eyes: 56 eyes with keratoconus and 27 post-keratoplasty eyes. The average duration of wearing scleral lenses was 18±10months and the average wearing time was 14±3hours per day. The rate of participation in the survey was 86.5% (41 patients). Visual acuity in the better eye progressed from 0.68±0.46 to 0.15±0.17 logMAR at the 6th month after scleral lens adaptation (P<0.0001). The average scores on the NEI-VFQ 25 questionnaire of patients fitted with scleral lenses for at least 6 months were significantly higher than those without scleral lenses, with a global score of 80.2/100 with, versus 48.1/100 without, scleral lenses (P<0.0001). The global score increased by an average of 32.1±4.6 points (-28, 82) (P<0.0001). Statistical analysis found no significant difference in global score between patients in the keratoconus and keratoplasty groups (P>0.05). Scleral lenses showed a significant improvement in quality of life for patients who had failed or are intolerant to conventional rigid gas permeable contact lenses. In our two main optical indications, keratoconus and keratoplasty, they represent an alternative or a step prior to surgery.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie, CHU Jean-Minjoz, 2, boulevard Fleming, 25030 Besançon cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Picot
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie, CHU Jean-Minjoz, 2, boulevard Fleming, 25030 Besançon cedex, France. Electronic address: asophiegauthier@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: A-S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gauthier
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie, CHU Nord, avenue Albert-Raymond, 42270 Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Campolmi
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie, CHU Jean-Minjoz, 2, boulevard Fleming, 25030 Besançon cedex, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delbosc
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007640:Keratoconus / Q000150:complications; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014792:Visual Acuity
keywords: Gas permeable scleral contact lens (SPOT(®)); Keratoconus; Keratoplasty; Kératocône; Kératoplastie; NEI-VFQ 25; Quality of life; Qualité de vie; Verre scléral perméable à l’oxygène SPOT(®)