A study recently found 75% of patients with refractive astigmatism preferred large-diameter gas permeable (GP) lenses compared with soft toric contact lenses.

Researchers investigated the clinical performance of large-diameter GPs in asymptomatic contact lens wearers with low-to-moderate (0.75D to 2.75D) refractive astigmatism in a multisite, prospective crossover clinical study. Group 1 wore soft toric lens for two weeks and then switched to a 14.3mm overall diameter miniscleral GP design. Group B initially wore the GP lens and then switched to a soft toric.

Investigators performed low-contrast and high-contrast visual acuity (VA) at distance for each type of lens worn. At the conclusion of the two-month study, all subjects completed a questionnaire that included questions regarding their lens preference and the vision quality of each lens.

The researchers found three quarters of the subjects preferred the vision of the GP compared with the soft toric lens. Additionally, 52.7% expressed a preference to continue with this modality despite only 38.8% reporting that the GP lenses were easy or very easy to handle. Wear time, subjective comfort and subjective vision ratings exhibited no significant difference between the two groups, researchers said.