Prescribing patterns of rigid gas permeable contact lenses in Bangalore

Background: Rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses continue to play a crucial role in the management of corneal irregularities, therapeutic indications, and myopia control, despite the global dominance of soft contact lenses. Prescribing patterns of RGP lenses vary widely across regions and are influenced by practitioner experience, clinical settings, and evolving lens designs. This study aimed to evaluate current RGP contact lens prescribing practices among eye-care practitioners in Bangalore, India. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among eye-care practitioners actively involved in rigid contact lens fitting in Bangalore between March and July 2025. A validated structured online questionnaire collected data on practitioner demographics and details of the ten most recent rigid lens fittings per respondent. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board, and the study adhered to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Descriptive statistics summarized prescribing trends, and chi-square tests assessed regional associations, with significance set at p ? 0.05. Results: A total of 115 practitioners responded (response rate: 76.6%), representing 1,150 rigid lens fittings. Therapeutic indications accounted for 60.9% of prescriptions, followed by vision correction (20.0%) and orthokeratology for myopia control (19.1%). High-Dk materials (>90) were most commonly prescribed (56.9%). Corneal spherical designs predominated (34.9%), followed by scleral/corneo-scleral lenses (30.3%). Planned replacement schedules (53.4%) and daily wear modality (89.5%) were preferred. Multipurpose solutions were the most frequently recommended care system (84.6%). No significant regional differences were observed. Conclusion: RGP contact lens prescribing in Bangalore is primarily driven by therapeutic applications, with increasing use of high-Dk materials, scleral designs, and orthokeratology. Prescribing practices were consistent across regions, reflecting uniform clinical approaches and a gradual shift toward function-based rigid lens use.