contact lens focus

My Go-To Toric Contact Lens

Lens provides comfort, stability and ease of fitting.

Scott L. Philippe, O.D.

Of the 7.6 million 12- to 39-year-old contact lens wearers who have astigmatism, almost half (3.4 million people) are currently wearing spherical lenses that don't fully correct their vision.¹ The reasons: Many eyecare practitioners think these lenses are easier to fit than toric lenses, and, historically, patient satisfaction with toric lenses vs. these lenses has been low as a result of few options in comfortable lens materials and parameters. Something else to keep in mind: Almost one-third of spectacle wearers who have astigmatism in this age range (3.3 million people) say they would "definitely" or "probably" consider contact lens wear if given the option.¹ That's a lot of people who could benefit from a comfortable and stable (clear-vision-producing) toric lens.

Acuvue Oasys Brand Contact Lenses for Astigmatism, from Vistakon, fits this description, and they're easy to fit. Here, I explain.

MATERIAL: Senofilcon A with Hydraclear Plus WATER CONTENT: 38% WEARING SCHEDULE: daily wear or six nights/seven days of extended wear RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE: Two weeks (daily wear) BASE CURVE: 8.6mm DIAMETER: 14.5mm PARAMETERS: Plano to −6.00D (in 0.25D steps) Cylinder Powers: −0.75, −1.25, −1.75 Axis 10° to 180° (in 10° increments) Cylinder Power −2.25 Axis 10°, 20°, 70°, 80°, 90°, 100°,110°, 160°, 170°, 180° High Minus Powers −6.50D to −9.00D (in 0.50D steps) Cylinder Powers: −0.75, −1.25, −1.75 Axis 10° to 180° (in 10° increments) Cylinder Powers: −2.25 Axis 10°, 20°, 90°, 160°, 170°, 180° Plus Powers +0.25D to +6.00D (in 0.25D steps) Cylinder Powers: −0.75, −1.25, −1.75 Axis 10°, 20°, 70°, 80°, 90°, 100°,110°, 160°, 170°, 180° Cylinder Power: −2.25 Axis 10°, 20°, 90°, 160°, 170°,180° PATIENT COST: Average of $40.96 per box

Comfort

Acuvue Oasys Brand Contact Lenses for Astigmatism are comprised of senofilcon A material with Hydraclear Plus technology. These attributes enable the lens to feel comfortable and wettable all day in situations, such as prolonged computer use, which tend to leave eyes feeling tired and dry.

Every day, many new astigmatic patients present to my practice who have been fit elsewhere with a spherical-equivalent lens. In the past when a patient presented with −0.50D of cylinder or more, I would demonstrate the full refraction vs. the spherical equivalent in the phoropter and ask the patient: "Is there a big difference or a little difference?" If the patient perceived a significant difference, I prescribed a toric lens, as a high quality of vision is worth the comfort tradeoff.

For an established wearer who had very mild astigmatism, a slight gain in acuity, in my opinion, wasn't worth the loss in comfort. With the availability of Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism, however, I'm able to provide all my new and established wearers with comfort and crisp vision (see below).

Rotational stability

The lens' Accelerated Stabilization Design harnesses the power of the eye's natural blinking action, providing rotational stability. Specifically, the lens has four stability zones that help keep it properly oriented during blinking or with head tilt or movement and re-orient it quickly if it becomes misaligned. As a result, patients fit in this design achieve consistent vision, even during sports or when lying down.

Ease of fitting

Some eyecare practitioners shy away from fitting astigmatic patients in toric lenses due to the increased chair time, high failure rates and comfort challenges often associated with these patients. Because Acuvue Oasys Brand Contact Lenses for Astigmatism stabilize quickly, orienting properly on the eye within about a minute of insertion, neither my patients nor myself experience any fitting delays. In fact, among my established contact lens wearers, at least 80% can immediately tell whether the lens is going to work for them. That predictability cuts down on time-consuming refits. Also, I've found that 90% of my astigmatic patients are successful with this lens.

Because Acuvue Oasys Brand Contact Lenses for Astigmatism provide comfort, rotational stability (allowing for clear vision) and ease of fitting, it's my go-to toric lens. An added benefit: The lens blocks more than 96% of UVA rays and 99% of UVB rays, meeting the highest UV-blocking standards for contact lenses. OM

1. Contact Lens User Generation & Engagement (CLUE), Vistakon Consumer Tracker. TNS Online Panel, nationally representative sample of 12- to 39-year olds, Q1 & Q2 2010.