Laser eye surgeries like LASIK and especially photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) can be painful on the eyes for a few days following the procedure. To alleviate the pain anesthetic eye drops are used, which have to be regularly administered by the patient. Not only is that inconvenient, but one can actually overdose a bit on them drops.
Now researchers at University of Florida are reporting that they developed a way to load topical anesthetics into contact lenses to provide extended delivery of pain relief in a uniform fashion. And since many of the patients that undergo eye procedures have been wearing contacts prior, they’re already used to putting them on.