Biomicroscopy signs and subjective symptoms through 6 months among patients wearing a lotrafilcon A high Ok silicone hydrogel soft contact lens

Joseph Barr, Bill Long, Sally Dillehay, Peter Bergenske, Peter Donshik, Glenda Secor, John Yoakum

To report changes in a range of biomicroscopy signs and subjective symptoms through 6 months among patients dispensed to wear lotrafilcon A high oxygen permeable (HDk) silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses (SCL). Nineteen sites in the US filled and dispensed 317 patients for bilateral wear of HDk silicone hydrogel SCLs.

Biomicroscopy grades for nine signs using a standardized protocol were documented at dispensing, 1-week, 1 and 6-months. 286 patients were habitual, current contact lens wearers and 31 patients were either former or new wearers. On average, reductions were seen for seven of nine biomicroscopy signs among habitual contact lens wearers and six of nine biomicroscopy signs among non-wearers. Biomicroscopy signs of conjunctival redness and limbal redness showed the greatest change among habituated wearers.

Average biomicroscopy signs among new wearers increased 0.1 through 6 months. Reductions in frequency for nine of 10 subjective symptoms were reported by experienced wearers while reductions and increases in frequency were equally balanced for new wearers. The average reduction in frequency of subjective symptoms for experienced wearers was greatest between dispensing and 1-week follow-up.

The largest change in frequency of symptoms for both experienced and new wearers was for tearing or watering. Reductions in severity for nine of 10 subjective symptoms were reported by experienced wearers with equal increases and decreases in severity reported by new wearers. On average, experienced wearers reported more changes between dispensing and 1-week than at other visits. Severity of subjective symptoms were stable over six months with an average improvement of 0.1.

Thirty seven (12%) patients discontinued the trial over six months. Improvements for a wide range of clinical signs and subjective symptoms may be seen among patients dispensed in HDk lenses. The effect of improved corneal oxygenation for soft contact lens wearers may benefit eye health and patient satisfaction.