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What harm can be done if I don’t have regular check-ups with
my doctor or I order lenses without a valid prescription?
- At your check-up, your eye doctor will re-evaluate the
fit of your contact lenses and observe any changes in your
cornea caused by your lenses. You will benefit by having a
correct, current prescription and you may avoid serious
problems, especially if you wear your lenses on an extended
or overnight schedule.
- Though infections of the cornea are rare, severe
cases can cause loss of vision and even blindness.
During regularly scheduled visits, your eye doctor looks for
irregularities that, if left untreated, may lead to severe
problems. These irregularities often have no symptoms and
you may be totally unaware of them.
- Contact lens wear causes many changes to cells and
tissues of the eye, and sometimes wearing contact lenses can
damage the cornea (the clear window of the eye). Even if
you are currently experiencing no problems, the lenses may
be causing damage to your eyes. Regular check-ups will
reduce the likelihood of damage going undetected.
- Contact lenses that are not properly fitted by an eye
doctor might not work well, or even worse, may harm your
eyes.
- Ask your eye doctor how often to have a check-up.
Will regular check-ups help prevent me from having problems
with my contact lenses?
- Anyone wearing contact lenses runs an increased risk of
corneal infection. Regular check-ups will help reduce your
chances of having a problem. At your check-up, your doctor
may find something that requires refitting with a new lens
or requires modifying your wearing schedule.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a plastic
lens that is permanently implanted into the eye to correct
moderate to severe nearsightedness.
The lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL), is similar to the
type of lens implanted in the eye to restore vision following
cataract surgery.
Manufactured by Ophtec USA Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla., the new
lens is intended to reduce or eliminate nearsightedness in
adults, and will offer people another alternative to glasses,
contact lenses and laser surgery such as LASIK.
The new IOL, called the Artisan, is intended for use in
healthy eyes, in people with stable vision. It should not be
used in people who have more than minor (2.5 diopters)
astigmatism (distorted vision caused by an uneven curvature of
the cornea).
Unlike the IOL implanted during cataract surgery that
replaces the eye's natural lens, the new IOL for nearsightedness
does not replace the natural lens but is implanted in front of
it.
FDA approved the new lens based on a review of clinical
studies of safety and effectiveness conducted by the
manufacturer and on the recommendation of the Ophthalmic Devices
Panel of FDA's Medical Devices Advisory Committee.
Ophtec studied use of the IOL in 662 patients with moderate
to severe nearsightedness at 22 medical centers in the U.S.
After three years, 92 percent had 20/40 or better vision
(considered standard vision necessary to obtain a driver's
license), and 44 percent had 20/20 or better.
One potential concern raised by the study was the loss of
endothelial cells in the corneas of patients who received the
implants. The endothelium is a layer of cells that line the
undersurface of the cornea and are essential to keeping the
cornea clear. The three-year data showed a continual steady loss
of endothelial cells of 1.8 percent a year. At this point, it is
not known whether this loss will continue at the same rate, or
what the long-term effect of this device on the cornea's health
might be. To minimize any potential long-term effects of the
device on the corneal endothelium, FDA is requiring the labeling
for the new lens to specify that it should be used only on
patients whose corneal endothelial cells are dense enough to
withstand some loss over time.
Other adverse events reported in the study included retinal
detachment (0.6%) and cataract development (0.6%).
FDA is requiring Ophtec to conduct a five-year post-
marketing study to better assess the rate of cataract
development, retinal detachment and other eye problems.
The Artisan lens is intended to be a permanent implant.
Although it can be removed surgically, vision may not return to
what it was before receiving the lens.
The lens may not eliminate the need for glasses because the
Artisan lens does not correct astigmatism. Glasses may need to
be worn for night driving or other activities performed in low
light. They may also be needed for reading.
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