CONTACT LENSES TODAY

December 5, 2004

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.

NEI Grant Funds Study of Convergence Insufficiency
The National Eye Institute (NEI) recently awarded a $6.1 million grant to conduct a trial comparing the effectiveness of two clinical approaches for the treatment of convergence insufficiency in children. Pennsylvania College of Optometry Professor Mitchell Scheiman, O.D., is the overall study director of this multi-center trial, called the Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT). The CITT, funded by this NEI grant, will compare the effectiveness of home-based Pencil Push-Up therapy and office-based vision therapy.
Naroo to Assume Role of Editor for BCLA
Optometrist Dr. Shehzad Naroo will become the new Editor of the British Contact Lens Association's peer-reviewed journal, Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, on February 1, 2005, when the current Editor, Dr. Terry Buckingham, steps down. Dr. Naroo is currently treasurer of the British Society for Refractive Surgery, a council member of the British Universities Committee of Contact Lens Educators and a fellow of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators.
Set-up Your Patients for CL Success: Teach them the proper care system for their Silicone Hydrogels Because of the hydrophobic nature of silicone, silicone hydrogels are more prone to lipid deposits than traditional hydrogel contact lenses. However, issues with lipid deposits can easily be resolved with a reasonable care and handling procedure. Advise your patients to wash their hands before handling the lenses and institute a rub step even if the solution says that it's a "no-rub" solution. Clinical research has shown that lipid deposits affect less than 10% of patients who wear ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ and, even among those patients, changes in vision and comfort are rarely experienced.

Offer your patients the opportunity to experience all day comfort with ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR™ and set them up for success by ensuring a proper handling and care system.
http://www.ecp.acuvue.com
--ADVERTISING

CLES Pre-Registration Up by One-Third
According to the Contact Lens and Eyecare Symposium (CLES), pre-registration for its annual meeting in January 2005 is up by 33% over CLES 2004. Attendees from 45 states and 14 nations have signed up to take part in the meeting and only seven booths are left in the exhibition hall. Attendees can still save up to 25% by pre-registering before December 31. To register or to view the preliminary CLES Education Program, visit http://www.cles.info.
AQuify Approved for All Wearing Schedules
The FDA has given marketing clearance to CIBA Vision to expand AQuify 5 Minute Multi-Purpose Solution's no-rub, four-hour soak indication to use with all lens wearing schedules. Patients can use AQuify 5 Minute MPS either with a quick, 10-second rub and a five-minute soak or a four-hour soak and no rub.
Lobob Offers New Tool
Lobob Laboratories is offering its newest tool for eyecare practitioners: the Optimum GP System. According to Lobob, it's a complete system of highest quality products for patients to ensure better corneal health and compliance when fitted with GP lenses. The system includes Optimum GP lenses, Optimum hand soap, Optimum GP lens solution, OCuSOFT Lid Scrub, Optimum contact lens case and a commercial dispensing system. To learn more about the Optimum GP System, visit http://www.visioncaresurveys.com/lobob/index6.htm.
Abstract: Reconsider the Scleral Option
After conducting a retrospective study of 10 patients suffering from corneal diseases that alter vision and/or are responsible for ocular discomfort, researchers in Paris concluded that new nonfenestrated scleral contact lenses provide a good alternative for patients who are intolerant to conventional contact lenses. They fit 15 eyes (10 patients) with specially designed scleral contact lenses, which were indicated for optical and/or therapeutic reasons: keratoconus (3 eyes), corneal grafts (7 eyes), refractive surgery (2 eyes), corneal dystrophy (2 eyes) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (1 eye). The mean follow up was 16 months (range, one to 31 months) and optical results and tolerance were excellent except for one eye.
Laroche JM, Baechele F, Delcampe A, Drouin M, Ortega M, Hoang-Xuan T. Bringing Back Scleral Contact Lenses Journal Francais d'Ophtalmologie 2004 Oct;27(8):877-882.
Editor's Commentary: Keys for Compliance
We got many comments on Dr. Anderson's tip last week, and we will share them in the next few weeks. Compliance with a treatment plan requires patient education, convenience and cost -- not socioeconomic nor education level nor intelligence -- and patient bonding with their practitioners. Compliance with lens replacement is one issue. Compliance with lens care is another. Practitioner compliance with using the latest and best technology in the patient's best interest is also a major need. I am amazed how some practitioner aren't willing to tell patients that they would be better off with higher Dk/t lenses. Compliance and successful contact lens wear depends on the old saying, "It takes two to tango" -- the doctor and the patient being in synch.
Fitting Tip: Compliance a la Dr. Anderson
Regarding Dave Anderson's tip on changing lens materials to solve a patient compliance problem ("Fitting Tip," CLToday November 28), it seems to me that oxygen isn't the primary issue when we look at the consequences of not following a proper lens replacement schedule. I think the primary issue is giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC). I evert the eyelids of all contact lens wearers and briefly discuss GPC with them along with its relationship to old lenses and/or lenses that have front surface deposits. It may be that silicone hydrogels will stay cleaner than other soft lenses, but so far, I find that it's dependent on the individual.
--John M. Laurent, O.D., Ph.D.
U.S. Naval Hospital, Okinawa, Japan
This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, read about the hyperopic shift that occurs with silicone hydrogel lenses, GP-silicone hydrogel piggyback systems and a study testing the presumption that wearing inverted contact lenses decreases comfort and vision.
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, issue archives and discussion forums. Visit Contact Lenses Today for our Best Fitting Tips and Photo Clinic, sponsored by Ocular Sciences.
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Contact Lenses Today and CLToday are registered trademarks of Boucher Communications, Inc. ©2004 Boucher Communications, Inc.
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