contact lens focus

Addressing CL Dryness

New lens provides increased comfort and MoistureSeal technology

MATTHEW WARD, O.D.

The most common complaint we hear from our contact lens patients is that their lenses feel dry.

Research indicates current overall contact lens dropout rates at 10% to 20% annually, with dryness being the chief complaint and reason for discontinuation.

To address dryness, my practice colleagues and I have started prescribing Bausch + Lomb ULTRA with MoistureSeal technology lenses.

Overview

Bausch + Lomb ULTRA with MoistureSeal technology lenses feature a two-phase polymerization process. This process creates a highly flexible silicone matrix, which is then infused with polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP), an effective wetting agent, providing high oxygen transmissibility in a soft, low modulus, 46% water silicone hydrogel lens.

Further, the lens has a Dk/t of 163 and a low modulus (70), which provide oxygen transmission and comfort. Also, the lenses provide aspheric optics for clear vision, and the MoistureSeal technology results in decreased dehydration of the lens between blinks.

Fitting and chair time

The ULTRA lenses are fit just like any other spherical silicone hydrogel lens. To identify candidates without sacrificing chair time, we ask patients detailed questions about their contact lens experience via a questionnaire, such as:

• Do your lenses feel as good at night as they do in the morning?

• Does your vision fluctuate throughout the day?

• Do you blink or rub your eyes to try to clear up your vision?

One “yes” is all that is needed to determine if the patient would be a great candidate for the lens.

Marketing

The patient questionnaire, as well as exam room discussion, are major parts of our internal marketing. We also promote these lenses in the office with patient handouts.

Externally, we post regularly about the lenses on Facebook and Twitter. For example, “Do your lenses feel dry after a few hours on the computer? The ULTRA lens may be for you!” And recently, we debuted two electronic billboards promoting our new office, and put the ULTRA right next to our practice name.

We’ve found that the best form of marketing is word of mouth. I believe that providing this lens to my patients makes them more apt to tell friends, family, co-workers, etc., how comfortable it is.

ROI

The ULTRA lens is our most profitable monthly replacement lens. Since February, I have fit more than 200 patients in this lens, both new patients and refits from a different monthly replacement lens or two-week disposable lens. The success rate is roughly 90%, meaning 90% of the time, patients choose this lens over what they were previously wearing.

Arguably, the more important return is improved patient compliance. I continue to have patients return impressed with the comfort and vision they have achieved with the Bausch + Lomb ULTRA contact lens. OM

DR. WARD PRACTICES AT EYE CARE OF IOWA IN CENTRAL IOWA, AND HAS AFFILIATIONS WITH BAUSCH + LOMB. SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.