CONTACT LENSES TODAY
January 28, 2007
Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches more than 12,000 readers in 74 countries.
SCO Names New President
Richard W. Phillips, O.D., former officer of SECO International, has been selected to serve as the sixth president of Southern College of Optometry (SCO). Dr. Phillips is a past president of the Tennessee Optometric Association, SECO International and the Tennessee Academy of Optometry. He will succeed William E. Cochran, O.D., SCO’s longest-serving president, who will retire after nearly 40 years of service as an optometrist, educator and leader. Dr. Phillips will begin his duties as president-elect on April 1 and assume the SCO presidency on May 14, 2007.
CMS Ruling Allows Patients to Choose Astigmatism-correcting IOL
Alcon announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a ruling that allows Medicare beneficiaries undergoing cataract surgery to choose an astigmatism-correcting intraocular lens implant (IOL). Under the ruling, patients may pay the additional charges for the correction of pre-existing astigmatism, while Medicare provides customary reimbursement for cataract surgery. CMS noted that it will issue guidance to Medicare contractors, including the specific IOLs impacted by the ruling. Alcon believes that its AcrySof Toric IOL will be included in this guidance.
B&L’s Retisert Gets Specific CMS Code
Effective Jan. 1, CMS has established a product specific J code for the Retisert fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant 0.59mg, approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a single indication, orphan drug for the treatment of chronic noninfectious posterior segment uveitis. Code “J7311 Fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant” replaces the Medicare hospital outpatient code C9225. CMS has published a payment rate for J7311 of $19,345, or 106% of the average sales price for the product.
Because the World Is a Very Dry Place
Whether they’re staring at a computer or feeling the effects of dry heat or air conditioning, contact lens wearers face daily challenges to keep their eyes comfortable. Forty-two percent of all contact lens wearers use rewetting drops at least once a day. Challenging environments can leave eyes feeling tired and dry. ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ Plus, the next step in the ULTRA COMFORT SERIES™, offers Eye Care Professionals a way to keep these sufferers and potential dropouts wearing contact lenses. The ultra breathable lens (Dk/t = 147) keeps feeling fresh even in adverse environments, leading to greater patient satisfaction.
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Abstract:
Pre-application of Carboxymethylcellulose Drop to Reduce Staining
Researchers from California State University, Southern California College of Optometry and Allergan recently conducted a study to investigate whether a pre-application drop of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) reduces polyhexanide staining related to the use of multipurpose solutions (MPS). Thirty adapted soft contact lenses wearers wore a new Group II lens (alphafilcon A, 66% water) on a daily wear basis for four weeks. Participants disinfected lenses using an MPS containing 0.0001% polyaminopropyl biguanide and applied a lens lubricant containing either CMC or povidone as the primary viscolyzer to the lens each day before lens wear. Researchers assessed the biomicroscopic signs and symptomology.
They found the cumulative staining scores for combined eyes demonstrated a significant increase over time, suggesting that staining worsened with wear for both lubricants. However, they note that the mean cumulative staining scores for CMC and povidone were 2.8 and 2.6 out of a possible 20 at baseline, increasing to 4.9 and 7.1 at four weeks, respectively. They also say the increases were significantly different, suggesting a greater increase in corneal staining for the povidone lubricant. The investigators conclude that a CMC-containing pre-application drop can reduce corneal staining resulting from disinfection with a polyhexanide MPS.
Paugh JR, Marsden HJ, Edrington TB, Deland PN, Simmons PA, Vehige JG. A Pre-application Drop Containing Carboxymethylcellulose Can Reduce Multipurpose Solution-Induced Corneal Staining. Optom Vis Sci. 2007 Jan;84(1):65-71.
Editor's Commentary:
GKC is a Huge Success
One of the most challenging patients a contact lens practitioner cares for is the patient with keratoconus. As I complete this commentary, the Global Keratoconus Congress (GKC) is underway in Las Vegas and we are sharing great information with our colleagues from ophthalmology, opticianry, optometry, academia and manufacturers about how to help these patients cope with their condition. You will be seeing reports over the next few weeks and months about what we learned at the GKC in
CLToday and Contact Lens Spectrum that will include information we gleaned from over 400 attendees from nearly 30 countries.
Fitting Tip:
Avoiding Lens Inversion
Every optometrist knows the taco test method, but
this method isn’t helpful when it comes to contemporary lenses with no more than
0.085mm central thickness. I also find patients have difficulty seeing the edge
silhouette difference when the lens is inverted.
Another method: I tell patients to place the lens on the tip of one of the fingers and look at it perpendicularly, so they can see the full circle of the edge. If the lens is tinted and not inverted, patients should see the tint color clearly. If the lens is not tinted, patients will see the edges shining with light. If the lens is inverted, the edge doesn't show much of the tint color and will look dull, regardless of tinting.
Aidin Safvati, B.S.C., Optom.
Sydney, Australia.
Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call (800) FDA-1088.
Access a reporting form for complications you've seen that were a result of contact lenses dispensed without a valid prescription at the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's (ARBO's) Web site: http://www.arbo.org/arbo.asp?dt=R&doc=Complications. Complete and send the form online or print it out and fax it to (866) 886-6164.
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