CONTACT LENSES TODAY
February 6, 2005
Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This
week CLToday® reaches more than 10,000 readers in 74 countries.
Vistakon Launches Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism
Vistakon recently launched its new Acuvue Advance Brand Contact Lenses for Astigmatism, which feature the wetting
agent Hydraclear. A proprietary technology establishes a new level of lens stability. According to the company, when Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism
lenses are in place, every blink is a smooth, natural interaction with the lens that maintains continuous stability throughout the day. Vistakon
also claims that the new design makes the fitting process for astigmatic patients easier by reducing chair time. For more information,
visit http://www.ecp.acuvue.com.
Hope for Those Suffering from Blepharospasm
Physicists at the University of California, San Diego, believe that they've identified a rat neural circuit that
coordinates sensory input and muscle activity in the rodents' whiskers -- a circuit nearly identical to that which controls human blinking.
They think that their finding could yield new treatments for blepharospasm because it gives new insights into neural "positive feedback loops." Read
more about this research in the February 3, 2005 issue of Neuron.
ACUVUE ADVANCE™ with HYDRACLEAR: The Eye Care Professional Lens of Choice
A recent survey of 150 Eye Care Professionals who have been fitting ACUVUE ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR for six months reveals that
nearly 2/3 claim ACUVUE ADVANCE™ as their lens of choice when fitting new, current and former lens wearers of all ages. Of these 150 ECPs who
participated in a market test on ACUVUE ADVANCE™ with HYDRACLEAR, 63% say it is their top choice for new teen fits; 71% consider ACUVUE ADVANCE™
with HYDRACLEAR their preferred brand for new adult contact lens wearers; 82% choose it as the best brand for contact lens drop-outs; and, 87%
select the lens over other brands when fitting wearers with comfort concerns.
Offering your patients the opportunity to experience all day
comfort with ACUVUE ADVANCE™ will help keep them happy, as well as reduce the likelihood of them joining the 2.7 million patients who drop out of
contact lenses each year. Problem solving has moved to problem prevention.
ACUVUE Brand Contact Lenses are indicated for
vision correction. Eye problems, including corneal ulcers, can develop. Some wearers may experience mild irritation, itching or discomfort. Lenses
should not be prescribed if patients have any eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye
problems. Consult the package insert for complete information. Complete information is also available from VISTAKON by calling 1-800-843-2020 or by
visiting http://www.acuvue.com.
ACUVUE, ACUVUE ADVANCE™, HYDRACLEAR and VISTAKON
are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. © JJVCI, 2005.
--ADVERTISING
Surgery for AMD
According to researchers at the Duke University Eye Center, a surgical procedure called MT360 improves quality of life
for people who have age-related macular degeneration (AMD). MT360 is a two-stage surgery. First, the surgeons rotate the retina to shift the degenerating
macula to a healthy area, away from scar tissue and abnormally growing blood vessels. Second, the surgeon rotates the eye to compensate for the ensuing
tilt in the patient's visual field. According to one of the researchers, patients have been able to improve not only their central vision, but also their
quality of life as a result of the visual improvements following MT360. A summary of two studies involving MT360 appear in the January issue
of Ophthalmology.
ChromaGen Clarification
In last week's edition of CLToday, we told you about ChromaGen ophthalmic lenses and contact lenses. Maxine Morgan, Inc.
is the U.S. supplier of these products. You can contact the company at (914) 734-8200 or visit
http://www.MaxineMMMorgan.com.
Abstract:
No-Rub vs. Organic Soil in Silicone Hydrogel Lenses
Researchers conducted a stand-alone test procedure with ReNu MultiPlus Multi-Purpose Solution (RMP) with and without the
presence of organic soil to determine the effect of a multipurpose contact lens solution on the relative survival and binding of trophozoites and cysts
of Acanthamoeba on hydrogel lenses with a no-rub regimen. They determined the survival of amoebae on hydrogel contact lenses exposed to RMP with a no-rub
care regimen. The researchers found that RMP reduced the number of recoverable amoebae by more than 95% within four hours of inocula of 10 trophozoites
and cysts, regardless of the presence or absence of an organic soil. They concluded that the efficacy of RMP for Acanthamoeba wasn't appreciably
altered in the presence of organic soil in a no-rub protocol.
Borazjani RN, Kilvington S. Effect of a Multipurpose Contact Lens Solution on the
Survival and Binding of Acanthamoeba Species on Contact Lenses Examined with a No-Rub Regimen. Eye & Contact Lens 2005
Jan;31(1):39-45.
Editor's Commentary:
PK Decisions
Many of you have no fear of or a healthy respect for a post-penetrating
keratoplasty contact lens fitting/treatment after the patient
has had a bout of rejection and the other eye is "No Light Perception" and the surgeon would prefer to not perform another PK
on this high-functioning patient. Some need to decide to manage this patient or
to refer him to an experienced practitioner. If you decide to manage this
patient, document his wishes and his surgeon's plan. Keep in mind all of your
options (GP lenses, piggyback with high-Dk lenses, semiscleral and scleral
lenses). Often,
we're only offering improved quality of vision and life for these patients and not profound visual acuity improvement, especially if they have other
retinal complications. I'll bet you have some ideas about these patients. Let me know. Do you have questions also about how to help them get reimbursed
for their contact lens care?
Fitting Tip:
Annual CL Supplies
In the January 23 edition of CLToday, a contributor lauds the dispensing of a "one year's" supply of soft lenses to the
patient when the final parameters have been confirmed by the prescribing practitioner, along with the written script for the lenses.
I candidly do
not think that this practice is in the best interest of the patient's eye health. On the contrary, I feel that it's only in the "best interest" of the
practitioner's pocketbook to deliver a one year's supply of lenses to the patient at the same time for the following reasons:
- The patient will
probably feel as though he doesn't have to be re-examined for at least one year, even if a modest problem should arise. His reasoning might be, "The
doctor gave me a year's supply of lenses, so he must not want to see me back before then. I know he said to call if there's a problem, but he probably
says that to everyone and doesn't really mean it."
- If the patient does return after several months stating that her vision isn't satisfactory or
that she's uncomfortable, for whatever reason, and you have to make a parameter change, the patient now has to purchase additional lenses and "eat the
nonrefundable year's supply" that the practitioner confidently prescribed.
- Perhaps a "better" way might be for the prescriber to say, "Your total
professional fee for my services includes a one year's supply of lenses. However, I'm only supplying you with a three-month's supply at this time. When
I re-evaluate your eye health and the fitting parameters in three months, I will prescribe the additional nine months' supply, but only if you and I are
satisfied that we've achieved the best fit and prescription. If minor changes are warranted, then I will, but for only another three-month period, at
which time I'll conduct another evaluation.
- In my opinion, this type of "patient management" increases patient loyalty and practitioner credibility
in the eyes of the patient who now truly feels that "This doc really has my best interests at heart."
--Jerry M. Garber, O.D., F.I.O.S.,
F.A.A.O.
Old Westbury, N.Y.
This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, read about the worldwide market success of silicone
hydrogels, scan the latest research presented at the American Academy of Optometry 2004 and explore novel laboratory procedures facilitating accurate
measurement of lysozyme deposited on these lenses.
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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favorite tips to tips@cltoday.com -- if your tip is selected as 'Best of the Month,' you'll receive a free golf
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