Bandage contact lens soaked in 0.1% diclofenac to relieve early postoperative pain and foreign body sensation after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy

Purpose To study the effects of a bandage contact lens immersed in 0.1% diclofenac on pain management for patients undergoing transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TPRK). Methods In a prospective, comparative, contralateral, randomized, double-masked study, we assessed a total of 51 patients. The eyes of each patient were randomly divided into two groups. After TPRK, a normal soft bandage contact lens was placed on one eye as the control group, and a bandage contact lens soaked in diclofenac was placed on the other eye as the experimental group. When the bandage contact lens was not removed, postoperative pain and other ocular discomforts were compared at 2, 18, and 24 h and 2, 3, 4, and 5 postoperative days. Patients were then examined after 1 month. Visual acuity and subepithelial haze were also evaluated. Results The mean pain score was 2.69 ± 1.96 in the control group, which was significantly higher than that in the experimental group, which received the diclofenac-soaked bandage contact lens at 2 postoperative hours. The statistical difference between the two groups’ mean foreign body sensation at 2 postoperative hours was detected (p = 0.035). No differences were detected between the two groups’ subepithelial haze scores or visual acuity. Conclusion A bandage contact lens soaked in 0.1% diclofenac solution can be used as a potential drug-delivery system to relieve early postoperative pain and foreign body sensation after TPRK.