Contact Lens Wearers and Non Compliance

Recent results from two on-line surveys sponsored by VISTAKON®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. indicate contact lens wearers are significantly non-compliant in many areas of contact lens wear and care. One survey addressed the frequency of lens replacement and the other posed questions regarding disinfection of the lenses, hygiene and the storage case replacement.

JoAnn C. Chang, M.D., Corneal Specialist at D’Ambrosio Eye Care, Inc. was not surprised by the results of these surveys. Dr. Chang states “the cornea is the window of the eyes, it must remain clean and clear for optimal vision.” Recently, Dr. Chang saw a young woman in the Lancaster office of D’Ambrosio Eye Care from over-wearing contact lenses. While Dr. Chang was able to save her patient’s eye, unfortunately this young woman has lost a significant portion of her vision in one eye. The contact lens was left in place too long and managed to mask the abrasion on her cornea and became a bacterial breading ground. The infection spread into her eye. “It is critical for contact lens patients to remove their lenses as directed by their eye care professional and to maintain proper hygiene and replaces lenses when instructed to attain good eye health” according to Dr. Chang.