Disposable contact lenses vs. contact lens maintenance for extended wear.

We compared a disposable extended wear contact lens modality with conventional extended wear over a 6-week period. To do so, we refit 31 patients who had successfully worn conventional extended wear contact lenses for more than 1 year. One eye was fit with the AcuvueR disposable contact lens, and a new extended wear lens of the type the patient had been wearing was placed on the other eye. At weekly intervals the disposable lens was discarded and a new disposable lens inserted. At the same time, the conventional lens on the fellow eye was cleaned, disinfected, and reinserted. After 6 weeks the ocular response, subjective impressions, and condition of the lenses in the two eyes were compared. Both lenses were then cultured. Three subjects had to discontinue disposable lens wear because of adverse reactions to trapped cellular debris and corneal microcysts. Although the results were not statistically significant, the Acuvue lens appeared to perform better than or equal to the conventional lens in biomicroscopic observation, visual acuity measurement, and subjective patient preference. Eighty-seven percent of patients preferred to continue with the disposable system. There were no differences found in the type or degree of microbial contamination of the lenses.