Advance vs. Night-and-day contacts

Time for my annual eye exam, and I've been in Acuvue Advance contacts
(+3.25, +2.25, BC 8.7) for the last year. I find them comfortable, but
kind of variable in terms of visual clarity.

I also like the idea of a continuous wear contact such as the Focus
Night and Day. My questions are:

1) Given the parameters of my current contacts, is it even worth asking
my doctor about the possibility of changing to the N&D?

2) I know the advertised length of the extended wear of the N&D is 30
days. What have you or your patients experienced for length of
continous wear with the N&D? One week? Two weeks? 30 days?

r

I'd say yes, try them by trial lens. They have the best gas permeability
available.

w.stacy, o.d.

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>Time for my annual eye exam, and I've been in Acuvue Advance contacts
>(+3.25, +2.25, BC 8.7) for the last year. I find them comfortable, but
>kind of variable in terms of visual clarity.
>
>I also like the idea of a continuous wear contact such as the Focus
>Night and Day. My questions are:
>
>1) Given the parameters of my current contacts, is it even worth asking
>my doctor about the possibility of changing to the N&D?
>
>2) I know the advertised length of the extended wear of the N&D is 30
>days. What have you or your patients experienced for length of
>continous wear with the N&D? One week? Two weeks? 30 days?
>
>r
>
>
>

does it take awhile to adapt to the Focus N&D lenses ? I've been
wearing the Biomdeics 55 and they're extremely compfortable. But, I
wanted to switch to a silicone hydrogel lens - and tried the O2optix
(#1 as far as comfort goes but vision wasn't good). Next was Focus N&D
- not very comfortable at first - then went back to the Biomedics. But,
I will try to adapt to them if they're better for my eyes. (I'm worried
about the scleral capillaries that have cropped up and I think they're
related to using lenses - I started wearing them a few months ago).
advice?

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> does it take awhile to adapt to the Focus N&D lenses ? I've been
> wearing the Biomdeics 55 and they're extremely compfortable. But, I
> wanted to switch to a silicone hydrogel lens - and tried the O2optix
> (#1 as far as comfort goes but vision wasn't good). Next was Focus N&D
> - not very comfortable at first - then went back to the Biomedics. But,
> I will try to adapt to them if they're better for my eyes. (I'm worried
> about the scleral capillaries that have cropped up and I think they're
> related to using lenses - I started wearing them a few months ago).
> advice?
>
It does, but not long. If you aren't used to them completely by day 2,
stick with the biomedics; its a great lens (for daily wear only) and the
new aspheric design seems to give real sharp vision.

w.stacy, o.d.

MT,

Leaving the continous wear out, would you then consider other 30 day
daily wear only soft lenses ahead of the N&D? Or is the N&D preferable
to those because of O2 perm?

In article <(E-Mail Removed). com>,
(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

> Time for my annual eye exam, and I've been in Acuvue Advance contacts
> (+3.25, +2.25, BC 8.7) for the last year. I find them comfortable, but
> kind of variable in terms of visual clarity.
>
> I also like the idea of a continuous wear contact such as the Focus
> Night and Day. My questions are:
>
> 1) Given the parameters of my current contacts, is it even worth asking
> my doctor about the possibility of changing to the N&D?

Sure. If you're not completely satisfied with the performance of your
current lens and/or desire a different wearing schedule, try something
new. You may or may not find it to be both "new and improved."
>
> 2) I know the advertised length of the extended wear of the N&D is 30
> days. What have you or your patients experienced for length of
> continous wear with the N&D? One week? Two weeks? 30 days?

Advertised is, well, advertised. The use of continuous wear lenses is
based on whether your eye health is uncompromised during lenses were. I
have patients going 30 days but the majority wear them a week or so
between cleaning/disinfecting or simply replacing them (O2Optix is
priced for two week replacement). And a goodly number of wearers are
using them for daily wear and occasional overnight use. I have some
patients who use a daily disposable while surfing and a monthly the rest
of the time. Whatever works!

FYI, there are a number of brands of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses.
The choice can often have to do with where you live as all of them are
not available in some countries or in all parameters. At least not
quite yet!

--LB, O.D.

Expense is a factor, but not the deciding one. I'm assuming that when
you say 3 times as expensive, you mean as a monthly disposable. The
difference between the Advance and the N&D is like $80 per year's
supply. If there is a good monthly with better visual clarity than the
Advance, I'd consider that as well. I have to confess that the idea of
continuous wear has appeal, but I never saw myself "pushing the
envelope" with the continuous wear thing.

r

There is a gathering consensus that silicone-hydrogel lenses ought to
be the lenses of first choice even in daily wear. I refer to a recent
article in the January edition of Eye and Contact Lens: Science and
Clinical Practice. The article, entitled Corneal Oxygen Deficiency by
Desmond Fonn, Ph.D., Deborah Sweeney, Ph.D., Brien Holden, Ph.D., and
Dwight Cavanagh, M.D., Ph.D. concludes that hypoxic effects of contact
lenses are present even during daily wear, and that corneal physiology
showed improvement with silicone-hydrogel lenses under all conditions.
These authors are represent some of the top clinical researchers in the
contact lens field.

With respect to oxygen permeability, they rank in descending order:
Focus N&D, O2Optix, Purevision, Acuvue Advance. The Ciba, B&L, and
Vistakon products also differ slightly in the surface chemistry and the
way the lenses are treated to become hydrophilic. They also differ in
the elastic modulus depending on the silicone vs. water content. These
physical parameters create individual differences causing individual
patients to prefer one over the other in terms of comfort and duration
of wear.

Of the current silicone-hydrogel lenses on the U.S. market, only Focus
N&D and Purevision are FDA approved for 30 day continuous wear.
O2Optix is approved for two weeks, and Acuvue Advance is approved for
daily wear only.

DrG

Ive tryd acuvue2, advanced and ciba focus night and days.I admit to
abusing the wearing scedules so opted for the night and days.For
safteys sake.Acuvue advanced seem more comfortable but will they ever
be approved for extended wear?Is it possible to view online what is
submitted to the FDA for consideration of approval

I think they aren't even trying for flex wear approval on the Advanced
because of its tendency to pick up oils from the tear layer, becomming
blurry. Don't know about the last question. The Purevision is
apparently coming back on the market tho'.

w.stacy, o.d.

pfleggs wrote:

>Ive tryd acuvue2, advanced and ciba focus night and days.I admit to
>abusing the wearing scedules so opted for the night and days.For
>safteys sake.Acuvue advanced seem more comfortable but will they ever
>be approved for extended wear?Is it possible to view online what is
>submitted to the FDA for consideration of approval
>
>
>