hav@dual.UUCP (Helen Anne Vigneau) (08/04/84)
It would probably depend on the anomaly in your eyes. I've had extended wear (*SOFT*) lenses since about a year ago and am as delighted with them as when I first got them. They are supposed to last 6-12 months; my first lasted 11 months. (One lens fell out while I was in a bar. My boyfriend and I looked around on the floor but never found it. We assume it disappeared on the bottom of someone's shoe. The other lens developed protein deposits after ~8 months, which blurred my vision slightly but did not make it unwearable.) You are supposed to take these things out and clean them every one to two weeks, but I have gone as long as 1+ month with no adverse side effects (I wouldn't recommend doing this *too* often though.). Be wary of potential allergies to some of the chemicals used to clean and store the lenses. One of these is thimerosal which contains mercury. I developed severe redness and itching in both eyes, but after this had been diagnosed I found that I could do quite nicely with "homemade" saline solution (NaCl tablets plus distilled H2O) or the non-preserved saline such as Bausch & Lomb's "Sensitive Eyes" formula. These lenses are probably somewhat more expensive than the lenses you mentioned. Mine cost $300.00, which included the lenses, fitting, care kit, and all follow-up visits. A replacement pair was $100.00. After having worn glasses for over half my life and *HATING* them, the extended wear contacts were truly a worthwhile investment. Think about it. Helen Anne Vigneau Dual Systems Corporation
alle@ihuxb.UUCP (Allen England) (08/04/84)
+ > Be wary of potential allergies to some of the chemicals used to clean and > store the lenses. One of these is thimerosal which contains mercury. > I developed severe redness and itching in both eyes, but after this had > been diagnosed I found that I could do quite nicely with "homemade" saline > solution (NaCl tablets plus distilled H2O) or the non-preserved saline > such as Bausch & Lomb's "Sensitive Eyes" formula. > These lenses are probably somewhat more expensive than the lenses you > mentioned. Mine cost $300.00, which included the lenses, fitting, care kit, > and all follow-up visits. A replacement pair was $100.00. After having > Helen Anne Vigneau A friend of mine had the same red-eye reaction to the thimerosal solution. When I got my extended wear lenses, my doctor recommended the Lensept (TM) disinfecting system with Bausch & Laumb's "Sensitive Eyes" saline solution. I have never had any problems with redness from the disinfectant. My friend switched and his problems disappeared also. My lenses cost me $130 + $40 for the visit and followup visits. However, my doctor sold me something called Replacement Lense Insurance (RLI) which allowed me to buy my first pair of lenses for $100 + $30 for the insurance. All replacement lenses cost $50 each. However, I have seen Bausch & Laumb soft lenses advertised for as low as $45 per pair at some of the optical hack shops (no opthamalogist). --> Allen <-- ihnp4!ihuxb!alle