Contact lense effect on optical corneal higher order aberrations

Abstract

The use of aberrometers to quantify ocular optic aberrations helps the health professional to have a more real knowledge of the visual optics and a more efficient optical correction of visual problems. The purpose of this study is to determine the variations of corneal aberrations induced by contact lenses. Materials and <em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> twenty four eyes which do not use contact lenses were studied and were divided in three groups: 8 eyes with keratoconus were corrected with permeable gas rigid contact lenses (material VC 59), 8 eyes with myopic refractive astigmatism between -1.25 D and -2.50 D were corrected with toric soft contact lenses (Soflens 66 Tórico®), and 8 eyes with myopia between 0.25 and 3.00 D were corrected with first spherical soft contact lenses (Soflens 66®) and then permeable gas rigid contact lenses (Boston RXD®). <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> It was found that decrease in corneal monochromatic aberrations was 68% in the first group; 25% in the second group; and in the third group with spherical soft lenses was 20% and 30% with spherical rigid contact lenses. Patients with keratoconus corrected with rigid contact lenses significantly improved corneal monochromatic low-order aberrations, and those with high-order of Coma, trefoil, secondary coma, secondary trefoil, pentafoil. Astigmatic patients corrected with toric soft contact lenses correct low-order aberrations and high-order aberrations do not vary significantly. Myopic patients corrected with spherical rigid and soft contact lenses correct low order aberrations and high order aberrations such as quadrafoil and secondary coma vary but secondary trefoil does not vary significantly.