Piggyback: An Alternative Correction for Irregular Corneas

Abstract

The contact lens system known as piggyback consists of a combination of a rigid, gas permeable lens superimposed on a soft lens. This combination aims to reduce the discomfort caused by using rigid lenses, especially in patients with corneal ectasia and irregularities, for whom it is a fact that the adaptation of a rigid lens is ideal and will provide the best possible optical image, even better than soft contact lenses, but in most cases the discomforts, particularly when blinking, hinder the process of adaptation in these patients. The Piggyback system is of great importance in the field of contactology, because it is through such system that it is possible to develop the designs and possibilities of correcting irregular astigmatisms and the different types of corneal ectasia in a more comfortable way, providing excellent vision and allowing the patient to see well, feel good and look good, without needing to think about future surgeries. Therefore, this bibliographic review aims to inform visual and ocular health professionals about this adaptation technique, its applications, the determining factors for their adaptation, the advantages and disadvantages of this lens system and, finally, recent developments to improve this technique.