Practical experience with a daily wear silicone hydrogel lens

Although the first generation of silicone hydrogel lenses were developed and marketed for continuous use, a significant proportion of these lenses have been prescribed for daily wear. A survey of European practitioners in 2002 found that around one in four were instructing patients to use the lenses on a daily wear re-usable basis.1 Acuvue Advance with Hydraclear was the first in a new generation of silicone hydrogel lenses specifically designed for daily wear. Its material properties were said to combine the desirable features of traditional hydrogels, such as ease of fit, low complication rate and reproducibility, with the increased oxygen performance of silicone hydrogels. Studies have shown that these properties provide improved comfort and longer wearing times,2 and satisfy the unmet needs of the consumer.3 So, six months on, has the lens fulfilled the manufacturer's promise and delivered the expected benefits to patients and practitioners? To find out, optician interviewed eight eye care practitioners in four European countries working in a variety of practice environments (Table 1). The practitioners were part of a large European Advisory Panel that had been working with the lens for at least six months prior to the first market launch. The number of patients they had fitted ranged from fewer than 20 to around 80. We asked the practitioners how they introduced the lens in their discussions with patients, what type of patients they were fitting, how they positioned the lens and how it performed. We also asked them to share their tips for fitting Acuvue Advance successfully (Table 2).