Abstract
Purpose :
Scleral lenses (SLs) have become an effective treatment option for patients (pts) with irregular corneas (IC) and ocular surface disease (OSD). While their popularity has increased over the last decade, the average (avg) lifespan of a SL remains unknown.
Methods :
A retrospective study was conducted at the USC Department of Ophthalmology to determine the avg lifespan of a SL. SL wearing pts were identified through evaluation of clinical visits from 01/01/2019 to 12/12/2019 via electronic medical records (EMR). Inclusion criteria included established SL pts fit at USC who had reordered a SL at least once in at least one eye. SL order histories were evaluated to determine the number of SLs ordered and avg days between orders during the pt’s duration of care between 12/2009 and 09/2021. Data for OD and OS lenses were combined, and a multivariable mixed methods linear regression model was used to evaluate the effect of independent variables of interest while controlling for other variables. All tests were two-sided and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. All analyses were done in R version 4.1.2.
Results :
251 pts (120 males, 131 females; avg age = 57.1±17.4 yrs) and a total of 445 eyes (IC 199, 44.7% and OSD 246, 55.3%) were included in the analysis. The avg lifespan for a SL in this pt cohort was 728.4 ± 434.3 days (1.99 ± 1.19 years; min 5 days, max 7.2 yrs). The avg number of lenses ordered per patient was 2.16 ± 1.47 and the avg duration of care was 2152.0 ± 1033.5 days (5.90 ± 2.83 yrs). There was no statistically significant correlation between avg SL lifespan and gender (p = 0.67), primary diagnosis (p = 0.46), or brand of SL (p = 0.14). Pts with greater SL experience had a statistically significant increase in their avg SL lifespan; for every one year of additional experience wearing SLs, the avg lifespan of SLs increased by 1 month (32.1 days) (p = 0.001). The exact reason for lens reordering could not be determined, but included need for updated fit or prescription and lens breakage/loss.
Conclusions :
Many factors may affect SL lifespan, including medical indication and individual pt handling and care. The avg SL lifespan in this cohort of IC and OSD pts at a tertiary care hospital was 728.4 ± 434.3 days. There was no significant relationship between SL lifespan and gender, primary diagnosis, or SL brand.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.