Latest Eye Treatments

 

CURRENT CLINICAL TRIALS

We are often involved in research with new products from multiple companies.  This means that when appropriate our patients have access to new generation products even before the marketplace gets them.  The following are the current clinical trials in progress:

1) Contact lens solution with advanced wetting agents to promote better comfort of soft contact lenses.

2) Next generation dry eye drops aimed at oil layer deficiency.

3) Multifocal contact lenses - new material new design.

4) Soft toric contact lenses - new material new design.

5) Keratonus and post graft (penetrating keratoplasty) fitting with OCT (optical coherence tomography) modelling on sag and apical clearance.

 

Myopia Control 

BREAKING NEWS IN MYOPIA CONTROL - PRESENTED AT ARVO (The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) 2011

Changes in Axial Length and Refractive Error During Overnight Orthokeratology for Myopia Control

Helen A. Swarbrick, Ahmed Alharbi, Edward Lum and Kathleen Watt

LINK: http://abstracts.iovs.org//cgi/content/abstract/52/6/2837?sid=61ec13d6-5740-4d3e-b820-341c1c676290&eaf

Mark Hinds has been fitting orthokeratology contact lenses since 2003.  Practitioners who fit orthokeratology lenses sometimes comment that the normal increase or progression of myopia in children is slowed when these lenses are worn. Although these anecdotal reports are encouraging, at present there is no scientific proof of myopia control with orthokeratology lens wear.

A recent study from Hong Kong suggested that myopia progression may be slowed by up to 50% during overnight orthokeratology. Similar results have also been reported from a study conducted at Ohio State University. However, the authors of these studies found that there was no way to predict the effect for individual children. There were also a number of scientific weaknesses in the design of these studies, and because of these limitations the results are not definitive.

Further research is currently underway to determine whether orthokeratology lenses can reduce the rate of progression of childhood myopia, using more rigorous study designs. The MCOS study, being conducted in Spain, is comparing two groups of children wearing overnight orthokeratology versus spectacles, while the SMART study in the US is comparing orthokeratology with silicone hydrogel contact lens daily wear. A different approach is being taken in a study in Sydney, in which children wear an overnight orthokeratology lens in one eye, and a conventional daily wear rigid lens in the other. Results from these studies are expected in the next year or so, and are awaited with interest.

We also have access to the MyoVision™spectacle lenses from Zeiss.  

ZEISS produces the innovative MyoVision™ lenses – indicating a reduction of myopia progression by an average of 30 % in East and Southeast Asian children between 6 and 12 with history of parental myopia.  Across the Asian continent, myopia is widespread – every second child living in urban populations suffers from myopia. The number of myopes globally is expected to grow from the current 1.6 billion to 2.5 billion by 2020.  Until recently, the treatment strategies for myopia have concentrated on merely correcting vision. Latest studies have changed the understanding of myopia: correcting both central and peripheral vision is indicating to be an effective way of slowing down eye growth.  

Soft disposable (myopia control) contact lenses with peripheral defocus stabilisation properties may be out shortly to help with the myopia control epidemic and we look forward to providing that for our younger patients and being a part of that clinical trial in the market place.

QUICK REFERENCES

Sankaridurg et al, Optometry and Vision Science, Vol 87, No. 9, September 2010; pp 631-641.

Wallman J, Winawer J. Homeostasis of eye growth and the question of myopia. Neuron. 2004;43:447-468.

Ashton GC. Segregation Analysis of Occular Refraction and Myopia. Human Heredity 1985; Vol. 35; No. 4:1415-1435 / Mutti DO, Zadnik K. The Utility of Three Predoctors if Childhood Myopia: a Bayesian Analysis. Vision Res. 1995;35:1345-1352 

Hammond CJ, Snieder H, Gilbert CE, Spector TD. Genes and Environment in Refractive Error: The Twin Eye Study. IOVS 2001;42:1232-1236

Smith El III, Hung L-F. The role of optical defocus in regulating refractive development in infant monkeys, Vision Res. 1999;39;1415-1435.

Zhu X, Winawer JA, Wallman J. Potency of myopic defocus in spectacle lens compensation. Invest Ophtalmol Vis Sci. 2003;44;2818-2827.

 

 

NEW BREAKTHROUGH CONTACT LENS - ACUVUE TRUEYE!

Acuvue TruEye is the world's FIRST daily disposable contact lens that comes in a new breathable, silicone hydrogel material.  If you want to use the best daily disposable contact lens possible you may well be looking at them.  

This special material is truly remarkable as it delivers 98% oxygen flux to the eye!  Its super hydrated and super smooth surface means that you will still have white, comfortable eyes at the end of the day.  

This is great news for contact lens wearers experiencing red eyes!  To trial the new Acuvue TruEye lens book your contact lens eye exam on 07-3358 6566 or send email to orders@brunswickoptical.com.au.

LATEST GENERATION MULTIFUNCTION VISION TESTER 

This instrument is state of the art and accurately measures auto-refraction, corneal curvature, intra-ocular pressure and corneal thickness.  This not only gives allot of useful and accurate data but takes all of the guess work out of a tricky refraction for the patient - helps with the decision of which is better "one or two" because it is so close to the final result at the very beginning.  The central corneal thickness measurement is invaluable for Glaucoma management and these results have been found to be very reliable when compare to the Zeiss OCT corneal thickness measures.  The Topcon TRK-1P is part of our standard consultation and helps us provide an accurate and precise refractive endpoint with the end goal of providing every patient with their very best vision correction.

New Keratoconus and Post-Graft RGP Contact Lens Options

We are proud be pioneers in our field with new developments in contact lenses implemented into practice.  We offer corneo-scleral, mini scleral and scleral contact lenses in new hyper-D/k oxygen materials.  These lenses give us the option to treat very irregular corneas and we fit patients that have failed before.  Giving superior vision and comfort.   If you have failed in the past please book to make an appointment all hope is not lost!  20% of keratoconic patients have poor vision in only one eye below is the happy example of a lens in a patient with poor vision in one eye only - now both eyes have 20/20 vision.