Safety and Efficacy of Intraocular Phakic Contact Lens Implantation in Keratoconus Patients

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of toric implantable phakic contact lens (IPCL) use in the treatment of patients with keratoconus.

We included 17 eyes from 10 consecutive keratoconus patients who underwent toric IPCL implantation (IPCL V.2, Care Group Sight Solutions, India) in this study. The primary measures were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected distance visual acuity (BCVA), sphere, astigmatism, and intraocular pressure (IOP). These parameters were assessed preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were also evaluated.

The mean age of the patients entering the study was 36 ± 8.8 years. The preoperative BCVA was 0.75 ± 0.21 diopter, improving to 0.86 ± 0.11 diopter postoperatively (P = 0.017). The mean UCVA improved significantly from a preoperative measurement of 0.09 ± 0.11 diopter to 0.78 ± 0.15 diopter postoperatively (P < 0.001). The mean spherical equivalent (SE) showed an enhancement from -6.8 ± 2.1 diopters preoperatively to -0.7 ± 0.3 diopters at the postoperative assessment (P < 0.001). The mean IOP increased from 15.3 mmHg to 16.2 mmHg (P = 0.007) which was statistically significant but clinically insignificant. Additionally, none of the patients experienced postoperative complications such as endophthalmitis, uveitis, IPCL rotation, cataracts, or cystoid macular edema (CME) within the six months following the procedure.

The implantation of IPCL in patients with keratoconus appears to be safe and effective. However, further studies with longer follow-ups and larger sample sizes are recommended to validate these findings.