March 25, 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.

Johnson and Johnson Vision Care's Vistakon announced the launch of its new Customer Development Group, which it says is dedicated to meeting and satisfying the needs of a growing customer base of eye care professionals, retailers and distributors.
    Pat Cummings, O.D., formerly Vice President, Professional Affairs, has been appointed Vice President, Professional Group and Customer Development and will lead the company's efforts to develop and implement strategies and programs that focus on professional practice development for eye care professionals. John Rawle will lead the group as Senior Director, Customer Development. Working with Mr. Rawle as Directors will be Bryan Pinciaro and Derrick Artis, O.D., F.A.A.O., formerly Director, Professional Affairs for Vistakon.

---

WCO Honors O.D.s
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) will present two optometrists with awards at is General Delegates Meeting in Mexico City in April 2007. Professor Kovin Naidoo will receive the International Optometrist of the Year Award, recognizing his outstanding commitment and contribution to the profession of optometry and the community at large. And Antonio Joson, Jr., will receive the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his outstanding, life-long international contributions to the betterment of humankind's eye and vision welfare and the advancement of optometry.
    Prof. Naidoo is credited with placing and promoting public health issues in optometry's global agenda. A former Fulbright Scholar, he was recently named an Ashoka Fellow for his social entrepreneurial efforts in addressing the needs of the underprivileged. Dr. Joson is a co-founder of the Asian-Pacific Council of Optometry. As a past member of the Board of Optometry, Professional Regulation Commission, he was instrumental in enforcing the regulations governing the practice and ethical standards of the profession in the Philippines.

---

CooperVision Introduces Proclear Toric XR
CooperVision has extended the parameters of its Proclear Toric contact lenses with an XR range that offers cylinder powers up to -5.75D. The company says its Proclear Toric line is designed to enhance the wearing experience of soft lens wearers with astigmatism. The line features two base curves of 8.8mm and 8.4mm; sphere powers from 6.00D to -8.00D; cylinder powers of -0.75D, -1.25D, -1.75D and 2.25D with axis powers of 10¢ª to 180¢ª in 10¢ª steps.

---

A Lens for Comfort from Dryness Are some potential contact lens wearers frightened away from contact lenses after witnessing friends or family who experience lens discomfort in dry, challenging environments? Do some of your contact lens dropouts long to return to the convenience and crisp vision of lens wear, but are afraid to try again because of the discomfort that ended their previous attempts at lens wear? The latest breakthrough in the ULTRA COMFORT SERIES™, ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ Plus, offer exceptional comfort, wettability and crisp vision to these potential and former lens wearers. With ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses, many of these patients can successfully return to or begin contact lens wear.
--ADVERTISING

---

SECO Expands Online CE Programs
SECO International has expanded its Internet Education offering to include three types of multimedia presentations: live-recorded and visual educational presentations, ePosters and interactive Digital Grand Rounds (DGR). SECO offers all three online CE options with the support of the Southern College of Optometry (SCO), Eyefinity and CIBA Vision. Courses ranging from COPE-approved CE with exams to interactive case studies are offered at http://www.secointernational.com

---

Durban Declaration of Refractive Error
The Chairs of the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE) and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) signed the Durban Declaration at the ICEE's World Congress on Refractive Error. The Declaration aims to advocate public health strategies for an end to unnecessary blindness from uncorrected refractive error. Among other goals, the Declaration resolves to create global awareness of the impact of refractive error and to strive to overcome the barriers that prevent those with refractive error and low vision from obtaining the necessary services.

---

Abstract: Axial and Instantaneous Topography in Fitting Rose-K CLs
Researchers from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research's Department of Ophthalmology in Chandigarh, India, recently reported on their clinical experience in fitting Rose-K contact lenses for moderate to severe keratoconus, and the comparative value of axial and instantaneous topography data in the fitting. They fit 32 eyes of 23 patients with keratoconus with Rose-K lenses and followed them for at least six months. Investigators measured visual acuity with habitual correction and recorded axial and instantaneous maps for each eye. Patients graded subjective comfort using a ten-point scale every three months.
    Clinicians successfully fit 14 (100%) eyes with moderate keratoconus and 23 of 24 (96%) of eyes with severe keratoconus wit Rose-K lenses. Average simulated corneal curvature on axial maps predicted final fit contact lens base curves significantly better than instantaneous maps. A total of 33 of the 37 eyes fit maintained wearing comfort over the average follow-up period of 13 months.
The researchers conclude that the Rose-K rigid contact lenses were successful at visually rehabilitating 100% of moderate and 96% of severe keratoconic eyes in this study. They also say that most patients maintained contact lens comfort. Finally, corneal curvature on axial maps is a better predictive value of base curve on final fit contact lenses.
Jain AK, Sukhija J. Rose-K contact lens for keratoconus. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2007 Mar-Apr;55(2):121-5.

---

Editor's Commentary: Getting Your Feedback: What we Don't Know
The old adage says, ¡°Be careful what you ask for.¡± But we really do want to hear form you. So I am attempting to stir-up some controversy with these statements:
• We really don't know what myopic creep is!
• We really don't know if switching from hydrogel lenses to silicone hydrogel lenses results in fewer infiltrates, less infection, or improved endothelial structure and function!
• We really don't know if patients benefit from spherical-aberration-correcting lenses in general!
What do you think?

---