CONTACT LENSES TODAY
December 18, 2005
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.
CooperVision’s New Contact Lens Category
At last week’s AAO meeting, CooperVision introduced PC Hydrogels, a new category of contact lens material for daily wear. All lenses in the
category exceed the minimum acceptable oxygen necessary for safe daily wear and are made of the company’s omafilcon A material. PC Hydrogel lenses are available in five
different designs including Proclear sphere, Proclear toric, Proclear multifocal, UltraVue and the new Biomedics XC, the first lens in this category to be offered in a
two-week modality. Biomedics XC will available in mid-January 2006.
The company also introduced a new silicone hydrogel lens, Biofinity. A molded, rounded edge design
helps minimize conjunctival interaction and the aspheric surface design reduces spherical aberration, according to the manufacturer. CooperVision also says Biofinity’s
physiologically friendly back surface design distributes pressure across the surface for additional wearing comfort. It will be available in the U.S. in 2006.
CIBA Release Results of Night & Day Study
The results of a comprehensive, three-year study on CIBA Vision’s Night & Day silicone hydrogel lenses were released last week. The study
began in 2002 and followed 317 patients at 19 practices, wearing the lenses for up to 30 nights of continuous wear. Results indicate patients who wore the lens showed
signs of improved limbal redness by as much as 23%, improved conjunctival redness by 21% and improved neovascularization by 13%. The frequency and severity of contact
lens related problems was improved by 26% during the day, and end of day dryness improved in 22% of patients. An independent review board of consulting investigators
served as advisors and assisted in the study design, data analysis and presentation throughout the study.
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.
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NEI to Study Retaane for AMD
Alcon Inc. has executed a clinical trial agreement with the National Eye Institute (NEI), in which the company will provide Retaane suspension
for a multi-center, randomized, prospective clinical trial for wet AMD. The study will investigate the long-term safety and potential efficacy of Retaane in patients with
all forms of wet AMD who are undergoing intravitreal Avastin therapy.
FDA Warning on Miracle II Neutralizer Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises consumer against the use of Miracle II Neutralizer and Neutralizer Gel products by Tedco
Inc. The manufacturer markets the products for the treatment of cataracts, pink eye and for use as eyewash. However, the products do not meet FDA sterility requirements for
ophthalmic products. Due to the substantial risk for infection, the FDA says the solution should never be used on the eyes. FDA investigators have revealed bacterial
contamination and poor manufacturing conditions. The company declined to voluntarily remove the products from the market.
Abstract:
Contact Lenses or Refractive Surgery?
The Ophthalmic Research Group at Aston University’s School of Life and Health in Birmingham explored patient demographics and motivations
for choosing refractive surgery (RS) or contact lenses (CL), as well as factors influencing their choice of practice. A questionnaire was presented to 212 RS patients at
four RS centers and 115 CL patients at three CL centers. There was no statistical difference between RS and CL groups in terms of gender, though more women than men
presented in both groups. The mean age of RS patients was 39 (+/-10), and 32 (+/-12) for CL patients. There were significant occupational differences between RS and CL
patients. The primary motivations for either form of correction were cosmesis and the inconvenience of spectacles. The main reason RS patients did not choose CL correction
was inconvenience, while the main reasons CL patients did not choose RS were lack of information and apprehension. Both groups selected the respective treatment centers
based on reputation. The researchers conclude that refractive surgery is increasingly a lifestyle choice. The popularity of cosmesis as a factor for RS and CL patients,
together with a few patients citing minor CL complications, suggests CL clinicians may be able to hold on to patients through better management.
Gupta N, Naroo
SA. Factors influencing patient choice of refractive surgery or contact lenses and choice of center. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2005 Dec 6;[e-pub ahead of
print].
Editor's Commentary:
Choosing your refractive surgeon
At last week's American Academy of Optometry meeting we had a symposium on modern refractive (including IOL) surgery and optometric
collaborative management of these patients. It is more clear to me than ever that we need to seek out surgeons who look at the whole patient, their age, their
refractive care needs and eye/systemic health, of course their corneal topography and thickness and who use all the options for both corneal and IOL procedures.
The more versatile the surgeon and the better they communicate with the optometrist and patient, the better off we all are.
Fitting Tip:
Allergy or Dry Eye?
The difficulty in differentiating whether irritation is caused by allergy or by dryness in a soft contact lens wearer was discussed a
few weeks ago. Another tip I have found quite helpful is to ask whether the patient's eyes itch more than they burn or vice-versa. Dr. Greg Nixon mentioned this while
I was a student at the Ohio State University College of Optometry. If it burns more, the eyes are dry. If itching prevails, it is allergy.
Julie Belanger, O.D.
Berkeley,
Calif.
This month at http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, read part two of our BCLA synopsis and
learn more about toric silicone hydrogels, including guidelines for comparing the performance of different toric silicone hydrogels, a comparison of corneal swelling
with toric and spherical silicone hydrogels, and one patient‚s experiences switching to 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.
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