CONTACT LENSES TODAY

August 14, 2005

Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches more than 11,000 readers in 74 countries.

Preventing Sports-Related Eye Injuries
The Coalition to Prevent Sports Eye Injuries was formed as a result of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 Vision Objective. Its goal is the increase awareness and utilization of protective sport eyewear and to help prevent needless loss of sight. The purpose of the coalition is to bring together advocacy initiatives, such as position papers by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the resolution on protective eyewear by the American Optometric Association and pending legislation in New Jersey.
Largest Award for LASIK Suit
The Manhattan Supreme Court in NY has awarded Mark Schiffer $7.25 million in damages for vision impairment he says was caused by LASIK surgery he underwent at TLC Laser Eye Center. This is the largest jury award to date involving this procedure. Mr. Schiffer claims he suffered distorted and blurred vision, particularly in the left eye, because doctors failed to diagnose preexisting keratoconus. He was awarded $4.5 million in lost income and $2.75 in pain and suffering.
UH Students Receive Ezell Fellowships
Students at the University of Houston’s (UH) College of Optometry received five of the eight William C. Ezell Fellowships from the American Optometric Foundation (AOF). The awards are granted to encourage talented graduate students in physiological optics and vision science programs to pursue full-time careers in optometric research and education. The UH awardees are Joy Martin, Jason Marsack, Lisa Ostrin, Ling Chi Huang and Danielle M. Robertson. All are currently working on their Ph.D. degrees from UH.
ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses for ASTIGMATISM are now available in a much wider range of parameters.
 As of mid July, this expansion of parameters is wide enough to match the prescriptions of approximately 98% of astigmatic patients. The roll out is as follows:

JULY PARAMETER ROLL-OUT
2190 skus = Approx. 98% of Astigmatic fits

Powers

Cylinders

Plano to -6.00D in 0.25D steps

0.75, -1.25, -1.75; Axis: 10 to 180, 10 degree steps

-6.50D to -9.00D in .50D steps

-1.25, -1.75; Axis: 90 & 180 +/- 20 (no obliques)

+0.25 to +6.00D in 0.25D steps

-0.75, -1.25, -1.75; Axis: 90 & 180 +/- 20 (no obliques)
Check http://www.ecp.acuvue.com for details.
--ADVERTISING
Industry Vet Launches Consulting Firm
Neil Gailmard, O.D., M.B.A., announces the creation of Gailmard Consulting, a new management-consulting firm for eye care practitioners. The firm then uses the information to create a Comprehensive Practice Report and Management Action Plan for the practice. Gailmard Consulting uses “teleconsulting,” which utilizes phone, e-mail and photography and saves clients thousands of dollars by not requiring an on-site visit by the consultant. Dr. Gailmard is chief optometric editor for Optometric Management. Visit http://www.gailmardconsulting.com.
Abstract: Incidence of Vision Loss Due to Corneal Infiltrates
A study from the University of Manchester examined the incidence of vision loss for contact lens patients who presented to a hospital with corneal infiltrative events (CIEs). They also looked at the incidence of CIEs with different lens types and materials. Over a twelve-month period, no patient suffered significant vision loss as a result of CIE. The researchers concluded the risk of developing CIEs is eight times greater for patients who sleep in their lenses compared with those who wear them only during waking hours. Silicone hydrogels were also found to be the best option for those patients who choose to routinely or intermittently sleep in their lenses because CIEs are less severe than with other lens materials.
Efron N, Morgan PB, Hill EA, Raynor MK, Tullo AB. Incidence and morbidity of hospital-presenting corneal infiltrative events associated with contact lens wear. Clin Exp Optom. 2005 Jul;88(4):232-9.
Editor's Commentary: Safety First
Just as the award in the case of post-LASIK complications mentioned above will cause refractive surgeons to redouble their efforts to prevent problems and assure safety, so too have past and recent cases of infection caused contact lens practitioners to work to prevent corneal damage and vision loss in overnight contact lens wearers. Keep in mind that daily and overnight contact lens wear are risk factors for microbial keratitis, just as a thin a cornea or undetected keratoconus can cause ectasia as a rare outcome in refractive surgery. A careful pre-treatment examination and ongoing education — for both doctor and patient — can’t be emphasized enough to keep these treatments as safe as possible.
Correction:
In last week’s edition of CLToday, the wrong study was referenced under the abstract, "Refractive and Biometric Changes with Silicone Hydrogels." The correct reference for this study is: Santodomingo-Rubido J, Gilmartin B, Wolffshohn J. Refractive and biometric changes with silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Optom Vis Sci 2005;82(6):481-9. CLToday regrets the error.
Fitting Tip: Determining Dominance
The recent tip for keeping quiet during dominance testing is very true. I go one step further: I hand the patient my brother-in-law's old Instamatic camera and ask the patient to take a picture of the letters on the chart. Sighting through a camera is more instinctive and requires far less explanation than trying to sight through a rolled-up or torn piece of paper or any of the other methods we all use for such testing. The patient invariably looks at me like I'm nuts, but goes right to the dominant, aiming eye. Same one every time. They even second-guess themselves after I explain what I'm trying to determine. The patient never believes that their dominant eye is different than their dominant hand.
--Dennis DeLee, O.D.
Chicago
This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, review potential adverse responses to the daily wear of silicone hydrogels, with a focus on contact lens-induced papillary conjunctivitis, and read about one practice’s success with silicone hydrogel bandage lenses in a patient with epithelial basement membrane disease and corneal erosion.
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.
Visit Contact Lens Spectrum ( http://www.clspectrum.com ) for interactive clinical posters and issue archives. Visit Contact Lenses Today for our Best Fitting Tips.
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