Objectives: To evaluate neophyte contact lens wearers’ fitting to rigid gas
permeable (RGP) contact lenses in terms of wearing time, tear volume,
stability, corneal staining, and subjective ratings, over a 1-month period
of time.
Methods: Twenty-two young healthy subjects were enrolled for wearing
RGP on a daily wear basis. The participants included in this study never
wore contact lenses and showed a value under 10 in McMonnies
Questionnaire. Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scales,
Schirmer test, tear film break-up time (BUT), and corneal staining grading
were performed. Follow-up visits were scheduled at 1, 7, 15, and 28 days.
Results: Six subjects dropped out due to discomfort from the study before
1 month (27% of discontinuation rate). Successful RGP wearers (16
participants) achieved high levels of subjective vision and reported comfort
scores of approximately 9 of 10 between 10 and 15 days. They reported
wearing their lenses for an average of 10.1262.43 hr after 1 month of wear.
Conversely, unsuccessful wearers discontinued wearing the lenses after the
first 10 to 15 days, showing comfort scores and wearing time significantly
lower compared with the first day of wear. Schirmer test showed a signifi-
cant increase at 10 days (P,0.001), and the BUT trends decreased after the
first week of wear in unsuccessful group.
Conclusions: Symptomatology related with dryness and discomfort, detected
during the first 10 days of the adaptation, may help the clinician to predict
those participants who will potentially fail to adapt to RGP lens wear
