The inability to tolerate visual disturbances caused by residual astigmatism is a major reason why many patients abandon soft contact lenses, experts have said in a new industry update that says toric soft contact lenses should be standard for low and moderate astigmatism.
Prescribing soft toric contact lenses the focal point of Issue 78 of Contact Lens Update. Published by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), the bi-monthly publication is available at no charge by visiting ContactLensUpdate.com.
Left uncorrected when eyecare providers instead prescribe spherical soft lenses, astigmatism can lead to reduced visual acuity, visual fatigue, poor overall vision quality, and dropout, the report stated.
“The benefits of prescribing toric soft contact lenses for low to moderate astigmatism are important to consider, given that 45% of our patients have 0.75 D or more of refractive astigmatism, and 35% have 1.00 D or more,” said Dr Daddi Fadel, a clinical scientist at CORE.
“The inability to tolerate the visual disturbances caused by residual astigmatism is a major reason why many patients abandon soft contact lenses. Recognising the advantages and surmounting obstacles like visual performance, comfort, cost, and chair time are essential for patients’ well-being.
“When assessing the cost-effectiveness of soft toric lenses compared to spherical ones in astigmatic individuals, practitioners should note that toric lenses provide significant advantages, often surpassing wearers’ expectations despite the increased cost. Prescribing toric soft contact lenses for low and moderate astigmatism should become a standard practice.”
Professor Philip Morgan, head of optometry, deputy head of the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, and director of Eurolens Research at The University of Manchester, wrote an editorial highlighting evidence indicating some patients who could benefit from toric soft contact lenses are not receiving appropriate fitting.
Additionally, his piece debunks conceived barriers such as poor visual performance, reduced comfort, and increased cost and chair time.
Dr Melissa Barnett is the director of optometry at the University of California, Davis, and a globally recognised expert in specialty and scleral lenses, dry eye disease, keratoconus, and presbyopia. She has authored a feature article examining the willingness to pay for soft toric lenses versus spherical contact lenses in patients with astigmatism, shedding light on consumers’ perceived value of the attributes of these lenses.
Ms Doerte Luensmann, a senior clinical scientist at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education, is involved in clinical trial management for multisite studies conducted in Canada and worldwide to support the development of study designs and management of clinical sites.
Her clinical insight presented a case report illustrating the ineffectiveness of spherical lenses in correcting corneal astigmatism, emphasising the significance of prescribing toric soft contact lenses for even low levels of astigmatism.
The conference highlight is shared by Micheal Read, the new technologies manager at Eurolens Research, The University of Manchester, where he liaises with the contact lens industry and manages clinical and laboratory research projects. His poster presents the findings of their study on the visual effectiveness of soft toric contact lenses in cases of mild to moderate astigmatism.
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