Evaluation of Pollen Adhesion to Verofilcon-A Soft Contact Lenses

Purpose: A new 1-day disposable soft contact lens (SCL), verofilcon-A, constructed of silicone hydrogel material, has recently become available in Japan. This SCL has a very smooth surface produced by using the SMARTSURFACE ® Technology, and it was expected that pollen particles and protein components would not adhere easily to its surface. We examined the degree of pollen adhesion to the surface of the verofilcon-A material SCL and compared the results with those of other 1-day disposable SCLs (1DSCL). Methods: To determine the number of pollen grains attached to the surface of different types of SCLs, 0.01 mg/ml of cedar pollen solution was dropped onto the surface of 13 types of 1DSCL. After 24 h, each 1DSCL was rinsed in a shaker and washed five times with saline (n = 10 for each 1DSCL type). The number of pollen particles adhered to the 1DSCL and the percentage of surface area occupied by pollen was determined. Results: The number of pollen particles on the 1DSCLs ranged from 0 to 185 in the 200 × 200 µm area. The number of particles was lowest in the delefilcon-A and verofilcon-A SCLs with 0 particles, and the number was higher in the other 11 1DSCLs. The number of pollen particles was negatively correlated with the water content (r = −0.48), oxygen permeability (Dk; r = −0.43), oxygen transmissibility (r = −0.42), and center thickness (r = −0.33) of the 1DSCLs. The pollen adhesion area ranged from 0.0% to 3.1% and was lowest in the delefilcon-A and verofilcon-A 1DSCLs. There were significant differences in the pollen adhesion area between colored 1DSCLs (2.73 ± 1.97%) and clear 1DSCLs (1.03 ± 1.01%, P<0.001) and between hydroxyethyl methacrylate-based 1DSCLs (1.84 ± 1.45%) and silicone hydrogel-based 1DSCLs (0.05 ± 0.16%, P<0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the verofilcon-A 1DSCL processed with SMARTSURFACE™ Technology is an excellent option for SCL users with allergic conjunctivitis during the high pollen season.

Perception of Soft Contact Lens Usage Among Health Sciences and Bussiness Management Students

Contact lens complications were mainly caused by improper contact lens hygiene and maintenance. The awareness and education on contact lens care can enhance the positive attitude of the wearers, especially among university students. This study investigated and compared the perceptions of contact lens use and care among university students of different backgrounds. A cross-sectional survey was carried out of 142 university students aged 20 to 25 who wore spectacles or contact lenses. The Perception and Practice of Contact Lens Use Questionnaire was distributed to the participants via an online platform. The perception of contact lens use as an optical device between spectacle and contact lens wearers among health sciences and business management students was statistically significant (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the perception of contact lens awareness of soft contact lens wearers between health sciences and business management students (p>0.05). Results indicated that both groups agreed contact lens complications had the most significant impact on perceptions of contact lens use, followed by the perception in general and cost. Regardless of educational field background, whether health science or business, all contact lens wearers have the same behavioural assessment of contact lens awareness. It is unaffected by the nature of one's education. Hence, it is essential to avoid any problems that can threaten eye health regarding contact lens usage. Proper guidelines and awareness of contact lens use through physician-provided education will help to protect public health. Nonetheless, this study has limitations where the data regarding the refractive error, contact lens type, and method of purchasing contact lenses were not collected. Investigation on the perception of contact lens use in multiracial settings should be considered for a comprehensive approach. This research is believed to contribute to behavioural science knowledge and practice as the conducted behavioural assessment experienced by most university students. Keywords: behaviour, contact lens usage, knowledge, awareness. eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i18.3058

A novel temporary keratoprosthesis technique for vitreoretinal surgery

AIM: To investigate the safety of vitreoretinal surgery when using a soft contact lens as a temporary keratoprosthesis (TKP) in patients with severe corneal opacifications. METHODS: Three patients with simultaneous corneal and vitreoretinal pathology were treated with a soft contact lens that was used as a TKP to facilitate vitreoretinal surgery. The soft contact lens was fixated with sutures onto the globe so that no leakage was possible. RESULTS: Vitreoretinal surgery with excellent fundus view was possible in all cases. The soft contact lens allowed safe central and peripheral vitrectomy. Surgery was successful in all cases. CONCLUSION: A soft contact lens properly fixated on the globe can successfully replace a TKP. This surgical procedure has several advantages like one size fits all, low costs, and easy access to the material.

Treatment of Rapid Progression of Myopia: Case Series and Literature Review

This retrospective case series demonstrates the combination of 0.05% atropine with MiSight^® 1 day (Cooper vision, Sar Ramon, CA, USA) in rapid progression of myopia of 4 children. MiSight^® 1 day is a peripheral defocus, center-distance soft contact lens and is effective at controlling moderate progression of myopia during the course of 1 year. The current case series included 2 females and 2 males with an average age of 9.68 ± 0.26 years and an average axial length of 24.81 ± 0.92 mm. Their myopic progression during the previous year was −1.45 ± 0.27 D. The children had not attempted any myopia control thus far. This relatively high increase prompted a combination treatment of daily instillation of 0.05% atropine and MiSight, a daily replacement soft contact lens. Cycloplegic refraction and a slit-lamp evaluation were performed every 6 months to confirm no adverse reactions or staining was present. The 8-item contact lens dry eye questionnaire (CLDEQ-8) score of these children was 10.66 ± 1.52. The average myopia progression at the end of 1 year decreased to −0.41 ± 0.11 D, and the average axial length increase was 0.28 ± 0.08 mm. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first published study showing a combination of 0.05% atropine and peripheral defocus soft contact lenses indicating efficacy at controlling moderate myopia progression.