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By Thomas P. Arnold, OD, FSLS
March 3, 2021
When patients become presbyopic, they may feel frustrated with everyday tasks suddenly becoming more complicated. Those who have happily worn contact lenses for years find that they have to start taking reading glasses with them everywhere. Luckily for these patients I have a solution, with NaturalVue® Multifocal 1 Day Contact Lenses, that enables a return to more normal visual acuity, near and far.
A Growing Universe of Patients
As many clichés contain an element of truth, the one about your patients growing older with you is no different. As I begin my 37th year of practice, I estimate that 60 percent of my patients are now presbyopic. In the coming years that number is sure to increase.
I estimate that at least 30-40 percent of my patients (because of their age) require presbyopic correction. We fit multifocal contacts (soft, corneal GP, sclerals), as well as monovision daily.
As Easy for the Doctor to Fit as It is for the Patient to Wear
NaturalVue is a great product because it is very easy to fit, accommodating a wide range of corneal curvatures. The algorithm provided in the NaturalVue Multifocal fitting app is impressively accurate, often resulting in “first fit” success. The extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) design is simple and obviates the requirement to stock lenses of different add strengths (e.g., Low, Medium, High). Additionally, this lens being a daily disposable makes it easy for patients to wear on an occasional basis.
Making Patient Satisfaction & Success More Likely
For any lens to be successful, it is important that the optics of the lens be centered over the line of sight. Topographic images taken over the eye with the lens in-situ will locate the line-of-sight, the pupil center and the area of maximum power in the lens. With this information, adjustments can be made, if necessary, to improve centration.
One of the advantages of the EDOF design of NaturalVue Multifocal is that because it does not have a static addition power, it is less sensitive to decentration.
A Patient-Pleaser AND a Practice-Builder
It is a definite asset to have a product that is not available to the mass market. In order to be a “specialty lens provider” a practice needs “specialty lenses” that are not available everywhere. Knowing these wonderful lenses are only available through us ensures that patients will be compliant in returning for their annual comprehensive vision examination. This helps enforce our posture of providing complete eyecare.
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We thoroughly educate our patients that vision is much more than just a new pair of spectacles or another box of contact lenses. The aging presbyope is rightfully concerned about cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, dry-eye disease, glaucoma and other threats to their eye health and vision. Every time these patients return to our office for an annual examination and renewal of their NaturalVue prescription, we are able to provide all of the other services that protect their eye health. Our role as the providers of total eye health and vision care is reinforced.
Talk Lifestyle with Every Patient
The opportunity to change the lives of presbyopic patients is huge. Talk to every presbyope about their visual needs, hobbies and desires. Ask if there are times when they might want to forgo spectacle wear in favor of contact lenses.
With the NaturalVue Multifocal’s generous 10-pack of trial lenses and wide power range, almost every patient who desires it can experience the benefit of freedom from spectacles.
My patients have a pathway to comfortable, adaptable, youthful vision. They remember the practice that restored this for them and return year after year for care.
Thomas P. Arnold, OD, FSLS, is a partner with Memorial Eye Center at Sugar Land. To contact him: tarnold@memorialeyecenter.com
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