contact lens management
New Solutions for New CL Materials
Peroxide solution increases patient success with silicone hydrogels.
KEN DANIELS, O.D., F.A.A.O.

The success of contact lens wear is often affected by lens care solutions. A major concern for most of us is patient compliance with care products. When a patient presents with acute or delayed sensitivity, or complains about these "great new lenses" you prescribed, it's important to ask which care product the patient is using. Frequently the response is, "Whichever is on sale." But some products are not compatible with the newer materials. New technology lenses mandate prescribing new technology care products as well. I've found that a single-bottle peroxide solution system, such as Sauflon Pharmaceuticals' One Step Peroxide Solution, helps increase success with contact lens wear.

Sauflon's One Step system features a wetting agent to increase comfort.

Peroxide does the job

Many studies regarding ocular safety and effectiveness of disinfection favor simple peroxide systems over multi-purpose systems. Peroxide systems can effectively clean the intra-matrix and surface of the contact lens. This system utilizes a coated platinum disc as the catalyst to decompose the peroxide to an isotonic solution. Any residual peroxide is neutralized by the natural peroxidase of the tear film. The manufacturer supplies the disc, as well as a case, with each new supply of solution. This helps to ensure compliant disinfection.

Silicone hydrogels have high levels of lipid uptake, which can lead to reduced wettability and subsequent microbial contamination, so thorough cleansing is important. Researchers at the University of Waterloo have demonstrated that lipid proteins adhere to the front and back portions of the silicone hydrogel lens surface.

Immersing lenses in a simple peroxide solution will allow for proper disinfection and lipid-protein cleaning and thereby provide optimization of material performance on the eye.

It benefits your practice too

Several patients have commented that this peroxide solution eliminates the irritation previously associated with their contact lens wear and allows them to wear their lenses longer. This is partly because the system is made more comfortable with an added wetting agent. We also prescribe and sell the solutions in our office. The manufacturer then mails the next shipment of solutions automatically to the patient and reminds the patient before the solutions run out. So they're less likely to change from the solutions we recommend.

Additionally, these solutions are not available in stores or online. We provide them at a lower cost than other peroxide solutions found in stores. We make as much as $48 profit per patient, per year on the solutions alone, which is sometimes more profit than on the contact lenses themselves.

This new simple peroxide system provides an easy first step to increase successful contact lens wear, which translates into better patient retention.

DR. DANIELS IS ADJUNCT ASSISTANT CLINICAL PROFESSOR AT THE PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY AND IS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE AT HOPEWELL-LAMBERTVILLE EYE ASSOCIATES IN NEW JERSEY.