Vista Optics defends quality of IOL product

Contact lens materials company Vista Optics has hit back at rumours of alleged problems with its intraocular lens materials.
The Cheshire-based firm says that there have been issues with the packaging Ð for which it is not responsible Ð contributing to the opacification of a very small number of implanted lenses.
There have also been opacification problems which occurred with other competitive hydrophilic acrylic IOL materials, and the packaging materials were highlighted as the cause in these cases as well.
Managing director David Walker said: ÔWe are happy to say that there is no evidence that indicates any fault in the Vista material.Õ
Mr Walker explained that Vista had been unable to present its evidence for legal reasons, adding that it was still limited in what it could present.
He added that contact lens laboratories had even been told that Vista was incapable of producing medical grade polymers.
ÔThese stories do not reflect the true situation. Vista is the market leader in the production of hydrophilic acrylic IOL materials and has been ever since the company was the first to develop the formulation.
ÔWhat is more we still continue to develop polymers for both the IOL and the contact lens industries and our sales in both IOLs and contact lenses have dramatically increased over the past 12 months.Õ
Vista has produced papers outlining its scientific evidence, the first of which, ÔOpacification of Hydrophilic Intraocular LensesÕ, is available from the company.