Effectiveness of Lotrafilcon B and Balafilcon A bandage contact lenses on epithelial healing and visual symptoms after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy in the hyperopic patients

After laser treatment, a protective bandage contact lens (BCL) is placed over the eye to promote healing. During this period, patients may experience discomfort, including pain, light sensitivity, and blurred vision. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two types of silicone hydrogel BCLs in promoting postoperative epithelial healing and reducing patient discomfort following transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (T-PRK). In this randomized, double-masked observational study, patients with pure hyperopia or compound hyperopic astigmatism in both eyes who had undergone bilateral T-PRK were assigned to wear either Lotrafilcon B (Group 1: 62 eyes) or Balafilcon A (Group 2: 64 eyes) contact lenses. Patients were assessed on the day of surgery and daily from postoperative days 1 to 10 until re-epithelialization was confirmed via slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Corneal healing investigated objectively using slit-lamp biomicroscopy and visual symptoms like photophobia, irritation, foreign body sensation, sudden wake-ups during sleep, and pain were collected through a questionnaire once re-epithelialization was complete. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age (35.55 ± 10.72 vs. 37.38 ± 11.97 years, p = 0.52), gender distribution (58% vs. 65% male, p = 0.60), preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (0.02 ± 0.05 vs. 0.02 ± 0.07 LogMAR, p = 0.95), or spherical equivalent refraction (+ 3.29 ± 1.19 vs. +2.98 ± 1.30 diopters, p = 0.31). There were no significant differences between the two groups in photophobia, corneal healing, irritation, foreign body sensation, overall questionnaire scores, or reports of sudden wake-ups during sleep ( p > 0.05 for all). However, statistical analysis revealed that eyes fitted with Lotrafilcon B lenses had significantly lower pain scores than those fitted with Balafilcon A lenses ( p < 0.05). Lotrafilcon B bandage contact lenses are more effective than Balafilcon A lenses in reducing ocular pain during the postoperative period of T-PRK.