Comparison of the balafilcon A and samfilcon A lenses on postoperative pain control and epithelial healing time after photorefractive keratectomy: a contralateral eye study

To compare the effects of balafilcon A and samfilcon A silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses on postoperative pain control and epithelial healing time after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Seventy-four eyes of 37 patients who underwent bilateral PRK were included in this randomized clinical trial study. In the end of the surgery, a balafilcon A lens was used in one eye and a samfilcon A lens was used in the fellow eye randomly. Pain, blurred vision, epiphora, photophobia, and foreign body sensation were assessed on the first and third postoperative day using a visual analogue scale (0 = no ocular pain or discomfort, 10 = highest level of ocular pain and discomfort). For balafilcon A and samfilcon A lenses, mean scores for pain were 6.22 +/- 2.81 and 3.11 +/- 2.90 on first postoperative day (p < 0.001) and 1.57 +/- 1.65 and 0.68 +/- 0.85 on third postoperative day (p = 0.001), respectively; mean scores for foreign body sensation were 6.11 +/- 2.53 and 3.19 +/- 2.72 on first postoperative day (p < 0.001) and 3.16 +/- 1.92 and 1.35 +/- 1.43 on third postoperative day (p < 0.001), also respectively; and mean scores for epiphora were 6.46 +/- 2.64 and 5.46 +/- 3.40 on first postoperative day (p = 0.007) and 1.68 +/- 1.60 and 1.32 +/- 1.31 on third postoperative day (p = 0.065), again respectively. No significant difference in blurred vision or photophobia emerged between the lenses on first and third postoperative day after PRK. On the third postoperative day, reepithelialization was complete in 83.7% of eyes with the balafilcon A lens and 89.1% of eyes fitted with the samfilcon A lens. Wearing samfilcon A lenses after photorefractive keratectomy can significantly manage pain, decrease foreign body sensation on first and third postoperative day, and reduce epiphora on first postoperative day.