The effect of radial edge lift variation on the speed of RGP lens adaptation

Abstract

This project was designed to determine if the speed of adaptation to rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses could be increased by initially fitting low edge lift lenses to reduce lid sensation, and subsequently switching the subject to the higher edge lift lens for long term wear. Thirty-two subjects were dispensed lenses and twenty-nine successfully wore the lenses for the entire eight week period. Half of the subjects wore a low edge design for four weeks, followed by a high edge design for the final four weeks. The remaining subjects wore identical pairs of high edge lift designs for both four week periods to serve as the control group. There were no significant differences in the speed of adaptation between the groups as measured by responses to a questionnaire completed by the subjects at each visit; however, large variations in staining and fitting performance for individual patients demonstrated the importance of customizing the peripheral curve system and the edge lift for each patient