Hydrophilic Contact Lenses ‐ Their Effect on the Cornea

Abstract

Central corneal thickness and curvature were measured before and after the wearing of hydrophilic lenses. There was a consistent increase in central corneal thickness, while the curvature was not significantly altered.

Professor Emeritus Leo G Carney

“…On graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science (The University of Melbourne) and Licentiate of Optometric Science (VCO) in 1968, Leo commenced a masters degree and soon struck up a good working relationship with Ian Bailey, who had joined the VCO while Leo was in his final year of the optometry course. This turned out to be fruitful and resulted in a critically important but highly controversial publication, which pointed out that the newly‐invented soft contact lenses induced significant levels of corneal oedema 1 . Although incurring the wrath of the contact lens industry at the time, this observation alerted clinicians, researchers and contact lens manufacturers to the potential adverse physiological consequences of soft lens‐induced hypoxic oedema.…”

“…This turned out to be fruitful and resulted in a critically important but highly controversial publication, which pointed out that the newly-invented soft contact lenses induced significant levels of corneal oedema. 1 Although incurring the wrath of the contact lens industry at the time, this observation alerted clinicians, researchers and contact lens manufacturers to the potential adverse physiological consequences of soft lens-induced hypoxic oedema. The vast majority of contact lens research in the 38 years since that observation has been directed to solving the problem of soft lens-induced hypoxic oedema, which has been achieved this century only with the introduction of highly oxygen permeable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.…”