CONTACT LENS FOCUS

BATTLE CONTACT LENS DROPOUT

DAILIES TOTAL 1 MULTIFOCAL OFFERS A SOLUTION

JESSICA CROOKER, O.D.

MAURA, A woman in her mid-40s is a long-term contact lens wearer who struggled with presbyopia. She works at the local coffee shop, where I often run into her. More than 20 different combinations of monovision, multifocals and modified monovision contact lenses have failed her, because of ocular dryness, lack of visual clarity or overall discomfort. Some mornings I witnessed Maura with her glasses on, lenses fogged from the steam coming from the espresso machine, and, I wished there was something I could do to help. With the availability of Alcon’s Dailies Total 1 Multifocal lenses, I no longer have to wish!

OVERVIEW

The Dailies Total 1 Multifocal lens features water gradient technology. With a silicone hydrogel center composed of 33% water, the lens is designed to deliver exceptional oxygen transmissibility. Toward the edge of the lens, the water content increases while the amount of silicone decreases, culminating with a soft hydrophilic surface gel. This gel allows the lens to reach almost 100% water at the outer surface, according to the company. Because of the lens’ breathability, it also allows for whiter, younger-looking eyes.

Additionally, the lens has the same center-near design as its sibling, the Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus Multifocal lens, and is available in “lo” (up to +1.25D), “med” (+1.50D to +2.00D) and “hi” (+2.25 to +2.50D) add powers. Powers range from -6.00D to +3.00D.

PRACTICE BENEFITS

This lens has been a huge success in my office. Offering the lens to all patients, I have found, tends to uncover new patients who never thought contact lenses were an option for them, especially dry eye patients and emerging presbyopes.

To determine whether established contact lens wearers could benefit from the lens, I have my technicians ask wearers to rate their lens comfort, both at the beginning and end of the day, on a scale of 1 to 10. Any patients who express end-of-day discomfort are educated about the lens. In the first month, about 20 previous multifocal or monovision patients were switched to this lens. For my part, I ask patients who have dropped out of contact lens wear the reasoning behind their abandonment. Oftentimes, this sparks the conversation that this lens may be an option for them.

GAME CHANGER

Today, Maura is comfortably wearing Dailies Total 1 Multifocal lenses. She is just one example of a patient success story with this lens at my office. It is a combination of exceptional all-day comfort and crisp optics at all distances — a game changer. OM

DR. CROOKER is an optometrist at Scituate Harbor Vision Source in Scituate, Mass. If you have any further questions or feedback, please contact at jcrooker@gmail.com. Visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.