CONTACT LENSES TODAY
July 2, 2006
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.
Vistakon Launches New Consumer Web Site
Vistakon announces the launch of its Click-to-be-Contacted website, a complimentary online service designed to facilitate appointment
scheduling for new contact lens patients. Consumers who respond to a free trial offer on
http://www.acuvue.com are provided with a list of doctors in their area. When they choose the Click-to-be-Contacted icon, they enter
their contact information, which is sent immediately to the doctor’s office. The office then contacts the patient to schedule an exam.
Vistakon
says nearly 64% of consumers who visited the site said they were interested in an eye exam failed to schedule an appointment. Consumers cited the inconvenience of
scheduling an appointment as the main deterrent. Doctors who wish to participate in the program should
visit http://www.ecp.acuvue.com.
CIBA Introduces Interactive Clear Care Site
CIBA Vision has launched a new interactive Clear Care website at
http://www.clearcaresolution.com. It’s designed to demonstrate the unique features and benefits of Clear Care. The site
features a virtual demonstration of how the system works to clean, disinfect and remove dirt, protein and deposits from contact lenses. Consumer can download coupons for
Clear Care and sign up for CIBA Vision product news and promotions.
VSP Names 2006 People First Award Recipient
VSP honored Benna Daugherty, O.D., of Harrisburg, Ill., with its 2006 national People First Award for her humanitarian efforts to provide
eye care in her local community and abroad. Dr. Daugherty’s contributions include regular visits to homebound patients and local nursing homes. She is also affiliated with
the AOA’s InfantSEE program, VISION USA and the local Lions Club. She also travels to Bulgaria to provide eye care and free glasses to impoverished local
residents.
Regional winners of the 2006 People First Award include Brian Van Dunsen, O.D., Yucaipa, Calif.; Jack Zarybnisky, O.D., Burley, Idaho;
John Andren, O.D., Harrisburg, Pa.; Leonard Cherdack, O.D., Miami; and Bruce Ousley, O.D., Highland Village, Texas.
Real-world feedback from eye care professionals now supports pre-launch claims of ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses for
ASTIGMATISM.
When compared to Soflens66® Toric, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ for ASTIGMATISM clearly provides more predictable orientation and crisper, more stable vision; the
advantage comes from the Accelerated Stabilization Design. Less lid interaction leads to superior performance versus the traditional prism-ballast design such as found
in Soflens66® Toric. Also, because of HYDRACLEAR™ Technology, the lens delivers significantly better comfort both upon insertion and at the end of the day.
--ADVERTISING
Correction
Last week’s CLToday featured a story on recently proposed federal contact lens legislation. This story reported that the American Optometric
Association (AOA) and American Academy of Optometry (AAO) objected to the bill. This information is incorrect. The story should have stated that the AOA and American
Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) object to the legislation. CLToday regrets the error.
Transitions Highlights Impact of Medications on Sight
Transitions Optical has created a new medications database,
http://www.transitions.com/medications, that will allow practitioners to determine which types of medications may cause
adverse ocular effects. Users can search for drugs by name in the database, which includes a listing of brand name drugs and details the quantity and quality of vision
affected by each.
The company also offers in-office counter cards and patient newsletters that encourage patients to talk to their eye doctor about
medications and other health factors such as medical conditions, family history and exposure to UV radiation. A Medications Awareness Toolkit explains how to learn more
about the potential vision risks of medications, incorporate those discussions into your exams and use patient education tools to reinforce the message.
Global Keratoconus Congress 2007
Mark your calendars for the first-ever Global Keratoconus Congress to be held January 26-28, 2007 in Las Vegas. The Global Keratoconus
Congress is an assembly of experts in the field of patient care, teaching and research. They will share the latest information on this chronic sight-threatening condition
that affects one in 2,000 people. Attendees will learn about the latest approaches to contact lens fitting, surgical techniques, clinical research and appropriate
third-party reimbursement for medically necessary contact lens care. Manufacturers and laboratories that support the care of these patients will assist in demonstrating
the usefulness of their latest products and treatments. More information will be coming soon.
Abstract:
The Effect of CRT on Quality of Life
Researchers at the Ohio State University’s College of Optometry recently aimed to determine the effect of corneal refractive therapy (CRT)
on refractive error-specific quality-of-life. They administered the National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life Instrument (NEI-RQL-42) to 20 myopic patients
between the ages of 21 and 37, both before and after one month of successful wear of Paragon CRT lenses. They also measured high- and low-contrast best-corrected visual
acuity (BCVA). They found statistically significant changes in three of the 13 NEI-RQL-42 subscales. They saw improvements in the subscales of symptoms and dependence on
correction. They also found a significant reduction in the glare subscale. They saw no significant changes in clarity of vision, expectations, near vision, far vision,
diurinal fluctuations, activity limitations, worry, suboptimal correction, appearance or satisfaction with correction subscales.
Researchers conclude
that CRT may improve a patient’s perception of their visual independence, decrease the amount of ocular symptoms they report and increase glare. They suggest a larger,
well-controlled clinical trial to verify these results. They also note that an increase in patient-reported glare is likely due to the measurement increases in higher-order
aberrations after CRT, especially spherical aberration under mesopic and scotopic conditions.
Berntsen DA, Mitchell GL, Barr JT. The effect of
overnight contact lens corneal reshaping on refractive error-specific quality of life. Optom Vis Sci. 2006 Jun;83(6):354-9.
Editor's Commentary:
GP Binding
When I worked on silicone lens research at Dow Corning, we called binding by a gentler term, non-movement. Drs. Ken Polse and Helen Swarbrick
have written on the subject in a very careful way in the past. This past week, two trusted colleagues pointed out that binding seemed more likely with lenses that were more
flexible and this does seem to hold true in some cases. Nevertheless, the common observation is that dehydration of the pool of tears behind the lens causes the mucin or
mucus (lipid and other tear components) to "glue" the lens to the ocular surface in a kind of hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction. We have received many comments on this
topic and will share them with you in the coming issues. Many thanks to all who have commented on this topic!
Fitting Tip:
High Riding GP Lenses
In my years of consulting and manufacturing gas permeable lenses, one of the most frequent problems I’ve seen is the high riding lens. My
first question to the practitioner or contact lens technician is how long has this patient been wearing rigid lenses? Many long-term patients, post-PMMA and GP wearers
build up a superior shelf on the cornea that causes the lens to position high. In many cases the lens may simply be too flat and a combination of a tight lid and/or flat
lens may also cause the lens to ride high.
In either case, try this simple test: Carefully pull the upper lid away and observe the lens as it drops
easily or freely with a slight nudge. If the lens centers properly or slightly below center, a tightening of the lens is in order. If the lens centers properly during this
test and tightening the lens does not help, a prism ballast is a good option. Many practitioners refrain from using prism due to comfort concerns. However, in most cases,
the lens will drop only to center and not cause any lower lid irritation. High riding lenses may look steep due to their off-centered position. This simple test will help
you determine just that. Incorporating prism is an option that can help center a lens and eliminate many residual problems related to high riding lenses.
Patrick
McDonnell, N.C.L.C.-A.C.,
Consultant, Aero Contact Lens, Inc.
This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, review a study investigating epithelial barrier function and learn more about
the appearance and significance of ‘conjunctival epithelial flaps’ – including a case study with video footage.
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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