Optometric Management Special Edition

2015

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50 S P E C I A L E D I T I O N 2 0 1 5 • O P T O M E T R I C M A N A G E M E N T . C O M BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY C ONTACT LENS technol- ogy has come a long way, allowing O.D.s to ft more patients than ever before. But fnding the right con- tact lens for each patient can be tricky. With the availability of lens materials and designs formulated for eye health, we must look deeper into the intricate details of our pa- tients' corneas and anterior segments to ensure a healthy ft. Are you investing in and utilizing the available technology needed to properly select a lens for a patient? Here, I outline three technologies to help you do so. CORNEAL TOPOGRAPHY Corneal topography is not just for specialty contact lens fts; it can be benefcial for regular contact lens wearers as well. Today's topographers can detect corneal irregularities, such as irregular astigmatism and corneal ectasias. Tey also enable O.D.s to assess whether a patient's current contact lenses are reshaping the cornea or harshly bearing on the corneal surface. For example, I had a patient who is afected with astigmatism and was also a contact lens wearer. Every year, I would use topography afer he re- moved his contact lenses. Eventually, he decided he wanted to proceed with refractive surgery. In preparation, he refrained from wearing his contact lenses for two weeks. Afer those two weeks, I uti- lized topography again, which re- vealed he had a signifcant amount of irregular astigmatism, thereby nullifying his refractive surgery can- didacy. Troughout the years, his sof lenses had molded and reshaped his corneas. Had it not been for this technology, the outcome of his re- fractive surgery could possibly have been poor. In addition, topography can also aid in detecting early anterior seg- ment diseases, acquire tear flm break-up time, tear interferometry and, to a certain extent, the oxygen transmissibility of sof contact lenses. SPECULAR MICROSCOPY Specular microscopy is a valuable tool to care for contact lens patients. Tis technology allows O.D.s to mea- sure corneal integrity. It ofen yields pachymetry readings, and provides measurements of corneal thickness. Specular microscopy can be used to help diagnose corneal disease, as well as other anterior segment diseases. With these results, O.D.s are able to assess the corneal health of their patients and prescribe more appro- priate contact lens materials. For ex- ample, using this technology, O.D.s can determine whether a patient would do just as well in a hydrogel lens as he or she would in a silicone hydrogel lens. FITTING CL PATIENTS THESE TECHNOLOGIES AID IN CONTACT LENS SELECTION AND MONITORING LIPIVIEW Finally, assessment of the eyelids and eyelashes are paramount to con- tact lens wear. Without proper moni- toring of the meibomian glands, the lens surface and its surface treat- ments become broken down and may cause contact lens intolerance and discomfort — and lead to contact lens dropout. Te LipiView Interferometer (TearScience) allows for the analysis of the tear layer supplied by the mei- bomian glands, which is an essential meibum to help prevent evaporation of the tears. Further, with contact lenses, it is a component to the bio- flm that interacts with the contact lens surface to keep it smooth and clear as the wearer blinks. Although not routinely accepted yet, this tech- nology is essential to keeping my patients happy and satisfed in their contact lenses. AHEAD OF THE CURVE By staying abreast of the latest contact lens innovations we have at our disposal and utilizing the avail- able technology outlined above, we, as O.Ds, are better able to retain our patients through thorough and inno- vative care. OM KEVIN GEE, O.D., practices in Houston and is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, an ABO Diplomate and an OCRT member. Also, he's on Allergan's advisory board and is a consultant for Solution Reach. Visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to com- ment on this article. ARE YOU UTILIZING THE AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY?

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