International Survey of Contact Lens Prescribing for Extended Wear

Purpose. To determine the extent of extended wear (EW) contact lens prescribing worldwide and to characterize the associated demographics and fitting patterns. Methods. Up to 1000 survey forms were sent to contact lens fitters in up to 39 countries between January and March every year for five consecutive years (2006–2010). Practitioners were asked to record data relating to the first 10 contact lens fits or refits performed after receiving the survey form. Survey data collected since 1997 was also analyzed to assess EW fitting trends since that time. Results. Details for lens modality were received for 107,094 rigid and soft lens fits of which 88,392 were for soft lens daily wear (DW) and 7470 were for soft lens EW. Overall, EW represents 7.8% of all soft lens fits, ranging from 0.6% in Malaysia to 27% Norway. Compared with DW fittings, EW fittings can be characterized as follows: older age (32.7 ± 13.6 vs. 29.4 ± 12.0 years for DW); males are over-represented; greater proportion of refits; 72% silicone hydrogel; higher proportion of presbyopia and spherical designs; and higher proportion of monthly lens replacement. Of those wearing EW lenses, 80% use multipurpose solutions, whereas 9% do not use any care system. Between 1997 and 1999, the rate of EW prescribing decreased from 5 to 1% of all soft lens fits; it increased to a peak of 12% in 2006, and settled back to 8% by 2010. Conclusions. EW prescribing has failed to break through the “glass ceiling” of 15% and is unlikely to become a mainstream lens wearing modality until the already low risks of ocular complications can be reduced to be equivalent to that for DW.

[1]  L. Carney,et al.  Oxygen levels beneath the closed eyelid. , 1979, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[2]  E. C. Poggio,et al.  The incidence of ulcerative keratitis among users of daily-wear and extended-wear soft contact lenses. , 1989, The New England journal of medicine.

[3]  L. Carney,et al.  Models of Oxygen Performance for the Static, Dynamic and Closed-lid Wear of Hydrogel Contact Lenses , 1981 .

[4]  K. Dumbleton,et al.  Compliance with Contact Lens Replacement in Canada and the United States , 2010, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[5]  B. Holden,et al.  Current Australian Contact Lens Practice , 1985 .

[6]  B. Holden,et al.  Contact lens practice in Australia 1987–1988 , 1989 .

[7]  B. Holden,et al.  Hypoxic Effects on the Anterior Eye of High-Dk Soft Contact Lens Wearers Are Negligible , 2001, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[8]  M. Beach,et al.  Resistance of Acanthamoeba Cysts to Disinfection in Multiple Contact Lens Solutions , 2009, Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

[9]  P B Morgan,et al.  Incidence of keratitis of varying severity among contact lens wearers , 2005, British Journal of Ophthalmology.

[10]  P. Morgan,et al.  Oxygen Permeability and Water Content of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lens Materials , 2007, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[11]  Lisa Keay,et al.  Risk factors and causative organisms in microbial keratitis in daily disposable contact lens wear , 2008, Ophthalmology.

[12]  Nathan Efron,et al.  A decade of contact lens prescribing trends in the United Kingdom (1996-2005). , 2006, Contact lens & anterior eye : the journal of the British Contact Lens Association.

[13]  W. Stark,et al.  Extended-wear contact lenses for myopic correction. , 1981, A M A Archives of Ophthalmology.

[14]  B. Weissman,et al.  Oxygen transmissibility at various locations in hydrogel toric prism-ballasted contact lenses. , 1996, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[15]  N. Efron,et al.  Pseudomonas corneal ulcers associated with daily wear of disposable hydrogel contact lenses , 1991 .

[16]  B. Holden,et al.  Critical oxygen levels to avoid corneal edema for daily and extended wear contact lenses. , 1984, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[17]  P. Asbell,et al.  Disposable hydrogel contact lenses for extended wear. , 1988, The CLAO journal : official publication of the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, Inc.

[18]  B. Holden,et al.  Corneal swelling response to contact lenses worn under extended wear conditions. , 1983, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[19]  J. Carle.  DEVELOPING HYDROPHILIC LENSES FOR CONTINUOUS WEARING , 2008 .

[20]  E. C. Poggio,et al.  The relative risk of ulcerative keratitis among users of daily-wear and extended-wear soft contact lenses. A case-control study. Microbial Keratitis Study Group. , 1989, The New England journal of medicine.

[21]  E. B. Wilson.  Probable Inference, the Law of Succession, and Statistical Inference , 1927 .

[22]  B. Holden,et al.  Contact lens practice in Australia 1988–1989 , 1991 .

[23]  R. Newcombe.  Two-sided confidence intervals for the single proportion: comparison of seven methods. , 1998, Statistics in medicine.