Twenty first century trends in silicone hydrogel contact lens fitting: An international perspective

Morgan, Philip B.; Efron, Nathan; Helland, Magne; Itoi, Motozumi; Jones, Deborah; Nichols, Jason J.; van der Worp, Eef; Woods, Craig A.

doi:10.1016/j.clae.2009.12.011

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Volume 33, Issue 4 , Pages 196-198, August 2010

Twenty first century trends in silicone hydrogel contact lens fitting: An international perspective

Philip B. Morgan
- Eurolens Research, The University of Manchester, Moffat Building, P.O. Box 88, Manchester M60 1QD, United Kingdom
Nathan Efron
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, and School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +61 7 3138 6401; fax: +61 7 3319 6974.
Magne Helland
- Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Buskerud University College, P.O. Box 235, N-3603 Kongsberg, Norway
Motozumi Itoi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Hongo 3-1-3, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan
Deborah Jones
- School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
Jason J. Nichols
- College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, 320 W. 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210-1280, United States
Eef van der Worp
- University of Maastricht, P. Debijelaan 25, 6202 AZ Maastricht, the Netherlands
Craig A. Woods
- Centre for Contact Lens Research, School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

published online 07 January 2010.

Abstract

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses were introduced into the market in 1999. To assess prescribing trends of this lens type since then, up to 1000 survey forms were sent to contact lens fitters in Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK and the USA each year between 2000 and 2008. Practitioners were asked to record data relating to the first 10 contact lens fits or refits performed after receiving the survey form. Analysis of returned forms revealed a rapid increase in the prescribing of silicone hydrogel lenses over the survey period. In 2008, silicone hydrogel lenses represented 36% of all soft lenses prescribed. The categorization of the majority of lenses prescribed as ‘refits’ is primarily attributed to the mass conversion of lens wearers from hydrogel to silicone hydrogel lenses. Silicone hydrogels may soon represent the majority of soft contact lenses prescribed.

Keywords: Contact lens, International, Silicone hydrogel contact lenses, Fitting, Survey