CONTACT LENSES TODAY
March 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.
Detecting Parkinson's with Cocaine Eye Drops?
Researchers in Japan conducted a small study of 38 Parkinson's patients, 20 controls and 10 individuals who have multiple
system atrophy. After recording a baseline pupil diameter for all participants, the researchers then gave them phenylephrine solution in both eyes. The
researchers again recorded the subjects' pupil diameter 60 minutes later. After at least 72 hours, the researchers placed the same amount of a 5%
cocaine solution in each participant's eyes and recorded the pupil diameters one hour later. They claim that they could accurately identify people
who have Parkinson's disease by comparing the amount of pupil dilation caused by the ophthalmic eye drop to dilation from the cocaine eye drop. At
present, there is no clear way to diagnose Parkinson's and the researchers admit that their findings are far from definitive, but their eye drop
test could serve as a potential tool for Parkinson's disease.
Eye Care Professionals Embracing ACUVUE ADVANCE with HYDRACLEAR Report Rapid Practice Growth
Eyecare professionals that have quickly begun using ACUVUE ADVANCE Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR as their lens
of choice report the new lens has fueled practice growth, improved referral and retention rates, and strengthened relationships with patients. In a
survey of 150 ECPs who participated in a market test on ACUVUE ADVANCE with HYDRACLEAR, 86% agreed that the lens contributed to the growth of their
contact lens business, with as many reporting that it increased new patient referrals (85%) and played a role in the growth of their overall
practice (87%). The ECPs who proactively recommended ACUVUE ADVANCE to their patients saw their practices grow an average of 10 percent, compared
to an average of only five percent among those who did not proactively recommend it.
Offering your patients the opportunity to experience
all-day comfort with ACUVUE ADVANCE will help you strengthen these relationships while helping build your practice.
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 an 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.ecp.acuvue.com.
ACUVUE, ACUVUE
ADVANCE, HYDRACLEAR and VISTAKON are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. © JJVCI, 2005.
--ADVERTISING
Vistakon Launches New National Campaign
Vistakon recently announced the launch of a "worry-free" trial and purchase opportunity for Acuvue Advance Brand Contact
Lenses with Hydraclear. The company says that the offer guarantees patients 100% product satisfaction or Vistakon will refund the product purchase price
and the fitting fee -- up to a $90 value. Plus, when patients purchase two or more boxes of Acuvue Advance with Hydraclear, they'll receive a $10 or $30
rebate when purchasing an annual supply of eight boxes. Vistakon is supporting the program with national network, cable and online advertising as well as
in-office point-of-purchase materials. The "worry-free" trial promotion will run through June 30, 2005, but the $10 rebate offer is valid only until March
31, 2005. To learn more, contact your local sales rep or call (800) 843-2020.
CIBA Researches Consumer Interest in O2Optix
In late 2004, CIBA Vision conducted interviews with 141 wearers of O2Optix silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
According to the company, 81% of the interviewed wearers who had previously worn other brands of soft lenses rated O2Optix better than their
previous lenses and 91% indicated an intent to purchase the lenses again when they ordered replacements. Also, 29% of O2Optix wearers said that
they sleep in their lenses overnight, even though O2Optix are primarily worn on a daily regimen.
Abstract:
GP Lens Wear and Filtering Blebs
A researcher concluded that GP contact lenses can be successfully worn in eyes with filtering blebs after looking at a
retrospective review of charts evaluating patients wearing a GP contact lens a minimum of two months after trabeculectomy surgery. Optometrists and
ophthalmologists submitted data on 20 eyes (15 subjects) in which they evaluated success of the contact lenses on the eyes as well as patient history
and ocular complications from the contact lens. GP lenses were successfully fit and worn on 17 of 20 eyes with a functioning filtering bleb (85%). Two
of the 17 eyes terminated GP lens use after a few years for reasons unrelated to lens wear. Three eyes (15%) were unsuccessful and discontinued GP
contact lens wear as a result of fitting difficulties. Two eyes were treated for bleb laceration and staining of the bleb. The researcher reviewing
these cases concluded that to reduce the risk of complication and infection, proper fitting guidelines should be followed and patients should return
for evaluations at intervals of six months or less.
Pederson, K. Enhance Postoperative Filtering Bleb-Induced Vision Difficulties with
Well-Fitted GP Contact (Oxygen-Permeable) Lenses. Optometry 2005 Feb;76(2):115-122.
Editor's Commentary:
Enough Contact Lens Courses at CE Meetings?
Recently it was brought to our attention that some of our readers feel that many well-known continuing education meetings
and symposiums do not offer enough contact lens courses these days. Certainly in optometry there has been a trend toward more continuing education courses
on diagnostic capabilities and the treatment of ocular disease. We would like to know if you, our readers, think that continuing education courses offer
enough information on new contact lenses. And if you feel that the meetings and symposiums do not address this area adequately, what areas do you think
they should cover at these meetings?
Fitting Tip:
Prescribing for Myopia
When fitting contact lenses for myopia for a patient who is new to me, I will always undercorrect the patient
by -0.25D to -0.50D. I frequently am able to reduce contact lens sphere powers from the expected powers in new patients who already present
with habitual contact lenses or patients who are new to contact lenses. Being able to reduce the myopic prescription from the previous lenses
or from the expected vertex correction results from contact lenses, incorrect vertex distance assumptions (especially for high myopes), and less
issues with spectacle minification. On follow ups, I have frequently seen vague binocular vision complaints resolve and overall visual comfort to
improve in previous contact lens wearers. Additionally, on over-refraction, it has always been easier to correct an under-minusing instead of an
over-minusing.
--Jason Ng, O.D.
Oakland, Calif.
Start Thinking About the Global Orthokeratology Symposium (GOS)
(July 28 to 31, 2005 in Chicago, Ill. -- for the first time in the U.S.A.)
Get the tools to implement
orthokeratology in your practice. Register by April 30, 2005 to save $50 off the full symposium price.
--ADVERTISING
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.
Send your favorite tips
to tips@cltoday.com -- if your tip is selected as 'Best of the Month,' you'll receive a free golf
shirt (see http://www.CLToday.com for details). Please include your full name, degree or title and
city/state/country.
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