Purpose:
Evaluate the effectiveness of PROSE therapy at the DEI of Los Angeles for patients with corneal surface disease refractive to other forms of therapy.
Methods:
Retrospective clinical chart review was performed of 58 consecutive patients (100 eyes) receiving PROSE therapy from September 2009 to November 2010 at the DEI of Los Angeles. Patient charts were analyzed for best corrected visual acuities (BCVA) in the treated eye at baseline, initial and follow-up visits. Best corrected visual function scores, number of office visits and lenses, demographics, and follow-up duration were recorded. Data was analyzed using a two-tailed t test and analysis of variance using a value of P<0.05 for significance. Changes in visual acuity were correlated with different demographics, and the correlation coefficients were calculated.
Results:
The average follow-up time of patients was 11.54 weeks ± 10.97 (range, 1,56). There was a significant difference between the patients’ BCVA at baseline and initial fitting (CI: 0.0014-0.20, t=2.0, df=98, P=0.047); between the BCVA at the initial and final fittings (CI: 0.10-0.28, t=4.3, df=98, P<0.0001), and between the BCVA at baseline and final fitting (CI: 0.0093-0.17, t=2.0, df=98, P=0.029). Baseline BCVA was moderately correlated with overall change in BCVA in the treated eye (correlation coefficient=0.78). There was a significant correlation between the number of lenses used and the reason for therapy (P<0.0001). There was also a significant correlation between number of visits and the reason for therapy (P=0.0002).
Conclusions:
The PROSE clinic at the DEI has demonstrated significant clinical improvement across a broad range of diagnoses from consult to initial fitting with continued improvement to final fitting. Findings of this study may allow clinicians at partner clinics to better advise patients about potential improvement in visual acuity and the number of visits and lenses to expect during treatment.
Keywords: cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye • contact lens • visual acuity