Here are the top 5 contact lenses that I routinely prescribe.
I have found that these lenses tend to accommodate the specific needs and preferred wear modality of a majority of my patients. I'll also share with you why I generally find myself utilizing these contact lenses over the plethora of options available. Be sure to check out my favorite contact lenses from 2014.
1. My Favorite Contact Lenses for Dry Eye
Alcon's Dailies Total 1® was the first and only water gradient contact lens manufactured, with a silicone core, sandwiched between an outer and inner layer of an ultrasoft hydrophilic surface.
These contact lenses are comprised of over 80% water content, and are extremely breathable with a Dk/t of 156. With these contact lenses, you get both comfort and breathability, which addresses two major concerns for all contact lens wearers; wearability, and maintaining health of the ocular surface.
It was difficult to imagine that there could be a lens that would rival Alcon's Dailies Total 1®, until however we saw the release of ACUVUE® OASYS® Daily Contact Lenses with HydraLuxe™ Technology. We now have a major competitor to Alcon's Dailies Total 1® and maybe even a better lens.
The ACUVUE® OASYS® Daily Contact Lenses with HydraLuxe™ Technology has a Dk/t of 121, and water content of 38%. The secret to the comfort of these lenses can be found within the HydraLuxe™ Technology
which is tear infused. This integrates key tear components aside from water alone, and because it is not blink released, works consistently all day long.
which is tear infused. This integrates key tear components aside from water alone, and because it is not blink released, works consistently all day long.
My experience both wearing and fitting these contact lenses has been nothing short of incredible. The patients who I have fit in these contact lenses have had nothing but positive things to say about them.
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2. My Favorite Contact Lenses for Monthly Wear
Bausch & Lomb's ULTRA™ monthly modality lens was the first of its kind since Cooper released the Biofinity® lens back in 2007. It is still the newest monthly modality lens that has surfaced in recent years.
Since the ULTRA™ lens has been available, my experience with these contact lenses has been fantastic. Patients seeking a monthly lens have a wide range of parameters available to them, +6.00 to -12.00.
The lens was designed with MoistureSeal™ technology that results in a great combination of Dk/t, water content, and modulus.
Reducing modulus but maintaining a high Dk/t has given us a very comfortable lens without sacrificing breathability.
3. My Favorite Contact Lenses for Multi Focal Wearers
As daily lenses become increasingly more popular, I have undoubtedly found myself prescribing more daily or single use lenses within my practice. In past years, there were not many daily options available to presbyopes; however, within the last few years, we've seen the emergence of new contact lenses in this realm.
One of the most exciting lenses that I had an opportunity to work with in 2015 was The 1-DAY ACUVUE ® MOIST Brand MULTIFOCAL which is part of the 1-DAY ACUVUE ® MOIST Family of products with LACREON® Technology.
I have had such great success with this particular lens. A vast majority of the patients that I have fit with this lens not only report good comfort but superior vision compared to other lenses I have utilized.
This patented technology consists of a wetting agent permanently embedded into the matrix of the lens that improves end of day comfort and doesn’t decrease with blinking.
Lens optics are unique in that it is the only aspheric, center-near multifocal design with pupil optimization. This takes into account the natural variation of pupil size that occurs with both age and refractive error.
Multifocal contact lenses are quickly becoming a good solution for young millennial patients who are spending an ever increasing amount of time on digital devices who suffer from eyestrain. Dr. Jennifer Lyerly talks a little bit about these contact lenses for this subset of patients:
https://youtu.be/QnmTg3N7imc
4. My Favorite Contact Lenses for Monthly Multifocal Wear
I have been extremely successful fitting Alcon's AIR OPTIX®AQUA Multifocal Contact Lenses.
The lens is approved for 6 nights of extended wear, and 30 days of daily wear.
One of the main reasons I have found great success with this lens has been the wide range of parameters available including three different add powers (LO, MED, HIGH).
I've quickly discovered that there are many presbyopic patients who need a medium add power who face a difficult time when they are limited to other contact lenses that only provide a "Low" or "High" option.
These contact lenses provide predictably good distance, intermediate, and near vision with use of their unique Precision Profile Design.
I relish in the idea of giving patients a true binocular profile, and avoiding a modified multifocal monovision that I seem to fall victim to orchestrating with other lenses with limited ADD powers.
5. My Favorite Contact Lenses for Extended Wear
While I am not a major advocate of extended wear modality, I along with all other practitioners out there, have a subset of patients who prefer or need this specific type of wear schedule.
I have discovered that ACUVUE OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses have been a fantastic option to not only accommodate the needs of these patients, but have fulfilled my desire to promote compliance and ensure a healthy ocular surface to the best of my ability.
Acuvue Oasys® is FDA approved for extended wear of six consecutive nights. I personally prefer this shortened extended wear modality to a 30 day extended wear lens.
Giving a patient a shortened extended wear lens provides a sort of compromise so to speak that I can support. The 54 lens packaging is also unique, helping to promote compliance with the wear schedule.
There are known harmful effects of UV radiation on the eyes, and ACUVUE OASYS® offers Class 1 protection against ultraviolet light, offering >90% protection against UVA and >99% protection against UVB. This is yet another bonus, and reason I really like prescribing these lenses.
My Favorite Contact Lenses for High Prescriptions
Unchanged from my list in 2014, Cooper Vision® is still the company offering contact lens options to this class of patients.
Cooper has several lens options available to patients with high prescriptions.
For high ammetropes, Cooper Biofinity XR® is the clear choice with power ranges from -20.00 to +15.00.
For those high ammetropes who are also lucky to have astigmatism (>2.25D), my go-to for these patients is still the Cooper Proclear Toric XR®. These contact lenses range from spherical powers of +10.00 to -10.00 with cylinder from 2.25 to 5.75 in 5 degree axis steps.
That is an impressive range of parameters without getting into the strictly specialty contact lens manufacturers.
The Cooper Proclear Multifocal XR® is also a fantastic option for high ammetropes who happen to be presbyopic.
A big thank you to Cooper Vision for taking care of these particular patients who without these contact lenses, would have very few options and would have to rely on "custom" lens alternatives.
Everyone has their "go-to" contact lenses and these are some my favorites and the lenses I frequently call upon! What are yours?
