Rigid gas permeable lens binding: significance and contributing factors

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Corneal Physiology

Background:

• Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses are widely used for vision correction.
• Lens binding, a complication of overnight RGP lens wear, can cause discomfort and visual disturbances.
• Understanding the factors contributing to RGP lens binding is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze the incidence and contributing factors of RGP lens binding during overnight wear.
• To identify specific lens parameters, patient characteristics, and fitting factors associated with RGP lens binding.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 279 cases of overnight RGP lens wear.
• Statistical analysis to correlate lens binding with lens design, fitting parameters, and patient factors.

Main Results:

• An overall incidence of 22% for RGP lens binding was observed.
• Lens binding was frequently associated with nasal positioning, spontaneous resolution within 1 hour, central corneal staining, and inferior conjunctival staining.
• Corneal indentation rings were present in 53% of bound lens cases.
• Binding occurred more frequently with large diameter lenses, flat base curves, minimal axial edge lift, 'on-K' or flat fittings, and suboptimal pre-closure lens movement.

Conclusions:

• Overnight wear of RGP lenses is associated with a significant incidence of lens binding.
• Specific lens design and fitting characteristics are strongly linked to an increased risk of RGP lens binding.
• Optimizing lens parameters and fitting can potentially reduce the occurrence of overnight RGP lens binding.