The Efficacy of Prismatic Bifocal Spectacle Lenses in Controlling Myopia Progression in Children.

Abstract

Objective: Progression of myopia can lead to vision impairment and increase the risk of sight-threatening complications. Various strategies were described to control the progression of myopia, including the use of specialized spectacle. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the efficacy of prismatic bifocal spectacle lenses in controlling the progression of myopia in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two eyes of 26 patients using prismatic bifocal spectacle lenses were retrospectively analyzed. Both eyes of each patient with a cycloplegic objective refraction measurement of ≥-2.00 D were included. Demographic data of the patients such as age and gender were investigated. The increase in objective spherical equivalent and axial length over the one year of single-vision spectacle use was compared with the increase observed one year after the prescription of bifocal prismatic spectacle. Results: The mean age of the patients was 11.65 ± 2.70 years. Sixteen patients were male, and 10 patients were female. The increase in mean spherical equivalent in eyes using single vision spectacles over one year was 1.25 ± 0.76 D, compared to 0.24 ± 0.14 D with prismatic bifocal spectacles, which was statistically significant). Similarly, the increase in mean axial length was 0.66 ± 0.31 mm with single vision spectacles and 0.014 ± 0.015 mm with bifocal spectacle, also statistically significant Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that baseline higher myopia and baseline shorter axial length were significantly associated with the treatment effect. Conclusion: The findings suggest that bifocal prismatic lenses have the potential to be an effective intervention for managing myopia in children, particularly those with high rates of progression. However, further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods is needed to fully understand the long-term impacts of this treatment approach.