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Advanced technologies improve success with multifocal contacts
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by Jennifer A. Dattolo, OD, FCOVD
It’s a surprising statistic and, unfortunately, one eye care professionals know all too well.
Many of today’s multifocal contact lenses are fit successfully less than 40% of the time at the first visit, and sometimes it takes up to six visits to achieve success, according to data from Visioneering Technologies.
What’s worse, up to 85% of multifocal wearers are not satisfied due to some level of compromised vision for near (the highest level of dissatisfaction), distance or intermediate.
I have found success in my practice with the NaturalVue (etafilcon A) Multifocal 1 Day Contact Lens from Visioneering Technologies. The technological innovations incorporated into this lens are designed to work with the patient’s own brain to create an extended depth of focus and they are providing my patients with clear vision for distance, intermediate and near, often on the first visit.
The extended-depth-of-focus design moves outward from the center of the lens, rising in a smooth and continuous manner and creating an area of relative plus power on the retina.
Depending on the exact lens power, up to 20 D of relative plus power is created in the periphery of the lens design. This relative plus power area is designed to be suppressed by the brain, effectively resulting in a virtual aperture created by the visual cortex. The result is an extended depth of focus in which distance, intermediate and near vision are clear.
According to Visioneering Technologies, after 1 week of wear, patients report that 92% of their daily visual needs are met.
Here are some results from my practice:
A 53-year-old female who was dissatisfied with her current multifocal contacts and had tried “every brand on the market” was amazed at how her vision improved immediately at distance and near with NaturalVue Multifocal, achieving 20/20 acuity at all distances.
A 15-year-old whose poor visual skills were impacting his ability to read, learn and play sports had deficient convergence and accommodative abilities. After the 10-minute “settling” period for the brain to adapt to the NaturalVue Multifocal lens design, his distance acuity was 20/20, and his near acuity was 20/20. Previously, the best vision he had with reading glasses was 20/40 at near. After 1 week of wear, he no longer struggled with schoolwork, and his ability to judge distance for sports and other activities greatly improved.
There is a caveat for use of this or any multifocal contact lens. It’s not one-size-fits-all, and you can’t fit NaturalVue Multifocal the way you would other multifocal lenses. Careful attention to the manufacturer’s fitting guidelines is the key to achieving success.
The science behind contact lenses continues to change. Now is the time to explore different lens options that offer excellent vision and satisfaction for patients and are designed to lower stress and frustration for practitioners.
For more information:
Jennifer A. Dattolo, OD, FCOVD, is co-owner of Eyes on Towne Lake in Woodstock, Ga. She is also currently secretary/treasurer of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
Disclosure: Dattolo reports she is consultant to Visioneering Technologies Inc.