Treating Contact Lens Discomfort With Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology has yet to be fully explored for the treatment of contact lens discomfort
(CLD), though some support for this practice exists in the literature. Carracedo et al.,
Lipson et al., and Garcia-Porta et al. found that orthokeratology resulted in better ocular
comfort than soft contact lenses. Nevertheless, all three studies excluded subjects who had
been diagnosed with dry eye and all three studies used symptoms surveys that were not
specific to assessing CLD. Garcia-Porta et al.'s study was also limited by including both
neophytes and established contact lens wearers. Yet, these studies overall suggest that
orthokeratology could be used as a treatment for CLD, and one case report has even found that
orthokeratology is a viable option for treating contact lens intolerance.

To date, there has yet to be a study fully investigating orthokeratology as an alternative to
soft contact lens use in patients with CLD. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to
formally investigate if orthokeratology is a good alternative to soft contact lenses for
patients who are experiencing CLD or for patients who have dropped out of contact lenses
because of CLD. This study will also simultaneously evaluate the neophyte orthokeratology
wearing experience with hopes of finding additional means for improving contact lens comfort.
Knowing the success of orthokeratology in wearers with CLD will allow practitioners to better
help and prescribe for those who may have experienced or at risk for experiencing CLD. It may
also be a way to allow patients additional years of contact lens wear.

Inclusion Criteria:

- A completed comprehensive eye exam within the past two years

- Contact lens discomfort or discontinuation of contact lenses because of discomfort
within the past 6 months

- Able to wear the Emerald™ Contact Lens (Oprifocon A, Euclid Systems Corporation)

- Refractive error better than -5.00 diopters with less than 1.50 diopters of cylinder

- Keratometry values between 40.00 D and 46.00 D

Exclusion Criteria:

- Past orthokeratology use

- Ocular surgery within the past 12 months

- History of severe ocular trauma

- Active ocular infection or inflammation

- Ocular disease other than dry eye

- Accutane or ocular medication use

- Pregnant or breast feeding

- A condition or situation that may put the subject at significant risk, confound the
study results, or may significantly interfere with study participation