Efficiency of visual rehabilitation with scleral lenses in patients after keratoplasty

Objective. To analyze the efficacy and safety of SCL in patients after keratoplasty, both penetrating and layer-by-layer, and other concomitant conditions. Methods. The study included 114 patients (144 eyes) after keratoplasty (78 men and 27 women) aged 39.18 years (range, 18 to 75 years). In 23 cases fitting of SCL was refused. For the remaining 127 eyes, SCLs from the SkyOptix laboratory were selected according to the standard method. Scleral lenses were adapted in 127 eyes (100 patients): 81 patient in one eye and 23 patients in both. The average age of the corneal graft is from 1.7 to 32 years (11.2±11.4 years). Results. After fitting of scleral lenses in all patients visual acuity in the lens averaged 0.9±0.03, that is, it has increased compared to the maximum corrected visual acuity before fitting. It follows from the study that in the vast majority of patients with corneal scarring, the type of optimal lens design was Oblate (89.6 %). Conclusions. Scleral lenses can be successfully used for visual rehabilitation in patients after various types of keratoplasty, both penetrating and layered, as well as in other surgical interventions on the graft. Key words: scleral contact lenses; visual rehabilitation; keratoplasty.