contact lens management

On-The-Go Lens

Lens provides welcome option for adherence-challenged and busy patients.

MICHAEL GOLDSMID, O.D., F.A.A.O.

Getting our contact lens patients to comply with their wear and replacement schedules can be challenging, particularly with those patients who have busy lifestyles, such as young adults and new parents.

Fortunately, a new lens is available that's specifically designed for these patients. It's called the Air Optix Night & Day Aqua lens, from CIBA Vision.

Here, I discuss why you should consider prescribing this lens.

Patients may extend their wearing schedule

Every contact lens patient will inevitably sleep in his or her lenses sooner or later. In fact, statistics show that a sizeable portion of daily lens wearers intentionally or inadvertently sleep in their lenses sporadically or continuously.

On-the-go patients are even more likely to sleep in their lenses by virtue of their hectic lifestyles or time-consuming schedules. And, even if these patients do comply with removing their lenses prior to bedtime, many often accidentally fall asleep wearing their lenses. Or, they maintain wear for up to 18+ hours a day, again due to their busy agendas. So as a practitioner, it gives me additional peace of mind that I'm prescribing a high oxygen permeable soft lens.

Prolonged wearing schedules can often result in a plethora of adverse responses, such as protein or lipid deposition with resultant tarsal inflammation, such as giant papillary conjunctivitis; as well as corneal hypoxia-induced edema and neovascularization. These findings can then translate to a patient's subjective symptoms, such as reduced vision, itching, lens awareness, photophobia, dryness and overall decreased wearing time.

Air Optix™ Night & Day® Aqua MATERIAL: Lotrafilcon A DK/T: 175 at -3.00D WEARING SCHEDULE: 30 nights continuous wear RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE: Monthly BASE CURVE: 8.6mm and 8.4mm DIAMETER: 13.8mm PATIENT COST: MSRP $69.99

The Air Optix Night & Day Aqua lens, which has replaced the original Night & Day lens, enables patients to nap or sleep while wearing their lenses, as it's comprised of a deposit-resistant coating and offers a high level of oxygen transmissibility (Dk/t = 175 @ -3.00 D). Furthermore, a rigorous worldwide post-marketing study confirmed the Night & Day's relative safety and efficacy for up to 30 nights of continuous wear for which it received and maintains its Food and Drug Administration approval for both the original and new platforms.

It goes without saying that extended contact lens wear requires rigorous monitoring as well as appropriate patient selection and patient education on the part of you, the practitioner.

It offers increased comfort

Like its predecessor, Night & Day, the Air Optix Night & Day Aqua lens is made of lotrafilcon A material and retains the same surface plasma treatment. It differs from the Night & Day lens, however, in that it includes the Aqua Moisture System. This system is comprised of an agent that binds with the lens surface. The result: improved surface lubricity that translates into less friction between lens and lid interaction.

Further, the lens' 22° contact angle allows for more complete moisture coverage across the lens surface, as assessed by in vitro measurements. This helps to reduce lens dehydration for continued comfort.

Finally, the lens' blue visibility tint and readily seen inversion indicator help to promote comfortable lens wear as well.

When I fit patients in the Air Optix Night & Day lens, I'm confident that I'm offering them an excellent opportunity to maintain or even improve their corneal health. This is because the additional oxygen content compensates for potential overwear issues. OM