Perspectives on the future of contact lens wear: summary.

Although most contact lens (CL) patients prefer the convenience of extended wear lenses, 85% of consumers worldwide use their lenses on a daily wear basis. This disparity between preference and practice is due largely to the association of extended wear lenses with a high rate of both short- and long-term problems. Up to 26% of hydrogel extended wear patients cease lens wear because of chronic hypoxia or ocular inflammation. Among patients using extended wear rigid gas-permeable (RGP) lenses, discomfort causes 18% of all discontinuations. These problems must be addressed and solved before extended wear can truly become a viable option for CL patients. One possible solution is the development of hydrogel materials that have high gas permeability (100 Dk), minimal water loss, and deposit resistance. In the event that such materials are not forthcoming, the use of currently available extended wear lenses on a daily wear, regular replacement basis offers the greatest chance of success for hydrophilic lenses. Finally, the discomfort associated with rigid lenses may be reduced by developing more flexible RGP materials with an optimum design.