When the cornea has been injured, it can be more easily injured again. In this case, a tree branch caused a corneal abrasion over a year ago, but has caused episodes of tearing and pain at night time. A bandage contact lens worn during the day and nigh, seems counter-intuitive, but helps immensely with corneal healing and discomfort. It protects the corneal epithelium from the shearing force of the eyelids. Nonpreserved artificial tears help to flush inflammatory debris and improve comfort. Topical antibiotic drops are used to decrease the risk of bacterial infection, which which may be caused by overnight use of bandage soft lenses.
Despite treatment of acute episodes, some patients will continue to have minor and major Recurrent Corneal Erosion, Surgical intervention may be necessary and helps to prevent further recurrences by stimulating new and stronger epithelial adhesion complexes.
Los Alamos Family Eyecare, P.C. 