Pneumatonometry through bandage contact lenses

J. B. Rubenstein and T. A. Deutsch

Bandage soft contact lenses are an effective therapy for patients with a variety of corneal diseases. These patients often require accurate measurement of the intraocular pressure, necessitating movement or removal of the contact lens for slit-lamp Goldmann applanation tonometry. Intraocular pressure was measured in 21 normal, healthy volunteers, using a pneumatonometer (Alcon). A therapeutic soft contact lens (Plano T) was then placed on the eye and the pneumatonometer was used to remeasure the intraocular pressure through the contact lens. The average intraocular pressure without the contact lens was not statistically different from the intraocular pressure with the contact lens. These data suggest that pneumatonometry is an effective way to assess the intraocular pressure in patients wearing bandage contact lenses, thus eliminating the need to manipulate the lens solely for the purpose of intraocular pressure determination.