The Clinical Performance of a Silicone Hydrogel Lens for Daily Wear in an Asian Population

PURPOSE: To evaluate slitlamp findings, frequency and severity of symptoms, and wearing time with a silicone hydrogel contact lens when used for daily wear by patients of Asian ethnicity. METHODS: This was a five-site, 88-patient, prospective, open-label study involving 1 month of daily wear of lotrafilcon A lenses (Focus NIGHT & DAY, CIBA Vision, Duluth, GA) among adapted soft lens wearers previously wearing etafilcon A (ACUVUE 2, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Jacksonville, FL) or polymacon (Optima FW, Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY) lenses. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements in conjunctival redness, limbal redness, and corneal neovascularization were reported after 1 week and 1 month of wear. Patients reported statistically significant improvements in subjective symptoms of redness, dryness during the day, and dryness at the end of the day. More patients reported increased than reduced average daily wear time and average daily comfortable wear time with the silicone hydrogel lens. CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvements in clinical signs and subjective symptoms may occur when some patients of Asian ethnicity wearing conventional hydrogel lenses for daily wear are refitted with silicone hydrogel lenses for daily wear.