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Once-a-Month Contact Lenses
Excerpt
By
Veronica Holland, ABCNews.com
The FDA OKs two types
of month-long wear contacts — but are they safe?
Millions of Americans may be able to see more clearly longer
with the approval of new continuous monthly-wear contact lenses
- but some doctors advise they blink twice before using them.
The Food and Drug Administration has given the nod to two month-long
continuous wear contacts: CIBA Vision's Focus Night & Day and
Bausch & Lomb's PureVision. The lenses are now available to consumers
by prescription.
Makers say the new lenses can be worn continuously, both day
and night, for up to 30-days — a dramatic increase from the
one-week lenses previously available. Wearers can go an entire
month without having to worry about replacing their contacts,
potentially saving users money on both lenses and necessities
like cleaning and saline solutions, contact cases, as well as
saving time not having to clean or care for them.
The lenses, which are designed to be thrown away at the end
of the 30-day period, will cost approximately $30 per month, roughly
double the price tag of daily and weekly disposable lenses, but
similar to the cost of specialty tinted lenses or special lenses
for astigmatisms.
An estimated 30-40 million people wear contact lenses in the
United States, a $1.5 billion a year industry; 12-13 million may
be eligible to wear the new 30-day lenses.
Experts are Cautious
But some experts are approaching the new lenses with caution.
Dr. Jay Pepose, professor of clinical ophthalmology at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis notes that certain
problems, like eye infections, may not be seen in clinical trials
because study subjects are carefully selected and closely supervised
by physicians.
"In the real world, the epidemiological studies still suggest
that overnight use of a contact lens increases the risk of infection,
and this is compounded if the patient is a smoker," says Pepose.
Experts also note that the long-term effects of contact lenses
on the cornea can take years, or even decades to assess.
Completely New and Different Technology
Both lens makers assert these lenses use completely new and
different technology and are safer than previous month-long lenses
because they allow more oxygen to permeate the lens while the
eyelids are closed during sleep.
Low oxygen can lead to corneal swelling and other eye problems
that can seriously, and permanently, jeopardize one's eyesight.
Both companies report minimal overnight corneal swelling, and
less redness and irritation than observed in regular soft contact
lens wearers.
The FDA restricted earlier versions of month-long contact lenses
to one-week wear after concerns over eye infections and eye ulcers
were raised in the 1980s.
Both companies hope these new contacts will be a convenient
alternative to laser eye surgery. Margaret Graham, director of
corporate communications for Bausch & Lomb, notes, "There has
been a great deal of interest in refractive laser surgery, but
some don't qualify — maybe their cornea is too thin, but
they would love the convenience of these lenses and would be good
candidates."
Even for those who are eligible for laser surgery, the procedure
is very costly and often not covered by insurance plans.
Graham advises current contact lens wearers to check with their
eye doctors to see if they are eligible for the long-wear lenses,
work out a wearing schedule and as always, follow proper care
instructions.
Reference
Source 104
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