contact lens management
Is Oxygen the Answer?
Understanding the daily-wear patient.
ELLIOT LASKY, O.D.

In a CooperVision study, patients rated the comfort of their prior contact lenses and Biomedics XC lenses based on a 10-point scale — 10 being most comfortable.

When looking to keep our contact lens patients happy, is it really worth risking comfort-related dropouts (and the related extra chair time and re-fits) all in the name of oxygen?

Use what makes sense

Silicone hydrogels make sense for the patient who truly wants an extended-wear lens. But what about the daily-wear patient, who represents 92% of new soft contact lens sales. For these "bread and butter" patients, perhaps it's time to go back to the fundamentals of successful contact lens wear: crisp vision, comfort and health.

I have found that the Biomedics XC from CooperVision satisfies each of these fundamentals. It is made of an advanced hydrogel material, which offers sharp vision, outstanding health and, most importantly, delivers a comfortable wearing experience many patients prefer even when compared with silicone hydrogels — an important consideration, as discomfort remains the number one reason for lens dropout.

The lens is made of omafilcon A, a material that accommodates a wide range of cleaning regimen options. This is very important in light of the recent discussions surrounding silicone hydrogels and their compatibility with certain multipurpose solutions. While it is appropriate to recommend solutions, it is simply impossible to know, in every instance, which solutions your patients are using.

Biomedics XC aspheric

SPHERE POWERS: +6.00D to -10.00D (0.50D steps after -6.00D) MATERIAL: Omafilcon A DK/T: 44 DIAMETER: 14.2mm BASE CURVE: 8.5mm CTR THICKNESS: .075 @ -3.00 WATER CONTENT: 60% REPLACEMENT SCHED: 2 weeks.

Wide-ranging approval

Recent studies have shown that this lens performs incredibly well in areas key to patient satisfaction: sharp and clear vision and overall comfort. One study indicates an overall preference for this new PC Hydrogel lens over a popular silicone hydrogel lens and another popular hydrogel two-week replacement daily-wear lens (see chart below)

With a renewed focus on compliance, wear schedule and keeping the eye healthy, this two-week, planned-replacement lens enhances any practice's product line with an outstanding new choice, which even beats silicone hydrogels for comfort and overall patient preference.

DR. LASKY IS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE IN NASHUA, N.H.