Now that Acuvue recently introduced the first silicone hydrogel daily disposable contact lens approved by the FDA, wearers likely will want to know if benefits merit the extra cost of the lens material.

If you are on a budget, you may need to consider costs versus benefits of Acuvue's 1-Day TruEye daily disposable contact lenses.

Acuvue’s 1-Day TruEye daily disposables are made of what the company describes as a “breathable” type of silicone hydrogel contact lens material known as narafilcon B.

Before Acuvue offered silicone hydrogel dailies, these types of contact lenses were replaced only at intervals ranging from weekly to monthly.

But despite benefits such as extra comfort, some eye care practitioners say daily disposable silicone hydrogel contact lenses are roughly twice as expensive as other types.

And because the lenses are disposed of daily, the comfort aspect may not be as much of a factor as it is with lenses that have longer replacement schedules.

“Silicone hydrogel lenses may be overkill for daily disposables,” said Brian Chou, OD, a partner at Carmel Mountain Vision Care — a group optometric practice in San Diego.

But Larry K. Wan, OD, of Family EyeCare Center in Campbell, Calif., disagrees.

“The TruEyes silicone hydrogel contact lens provides five times more oxygen to the eye than other one-day, single-use lenses, and has the highest level of UV protection,” Wan told Contact Lens Headlines. “It may be the most comfortable and trouble-free lens option available.”

But Chou said he is inclined to wait and see if the new silicone hydrogel daily genuinely is cost effective for his patients.

“If there are two lenses that perform equivalently well but one lens is half the cost, I will prescribe the lower cost lens to serve the patient’s best interests,” Chou said.

Depending on the geographic market, Wan said TruEyes contact lenses cost about $15 to $17 more per 90-lens box than other products on the market. He said this expenditure amounts to about $1.80 per day for wearers.

“This is about the same as what a pair of high-quality eyeglasses would cost you,” Wan said. “For many patients, this is a tremendous value for the quality.”

Since disposable contacts were introduced in 1987, there has been plenty of controversy about how frequently you should replace your contacts to keep the lenses comfortable and your eyes healthy.

A consensus opinion doesn’t seem to exist among optometrists, as evidenced by a point-counterpoint discussion of the topic published in the June 2010 issue of Contact Lens Spectrum.

Colleen M. Riley, OD, vice president of professional development at Vistakon / Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, says disposable contact lenses should be replaced every two weeks for better vision, less contact lens discomfort and fewer complications.

Offering a different opinion, Peter D. Bergenske, OD, director of professional support at Ciba Vision North America, says popular and highly oxygen-permeable silicone hydrogel contact lenses make monthly replacement sufficient, and replacing contacts on a monthly basis is easier for contact lens wearers to remember than a two-week replacement schedule.

Other eye doctors prefer weekly replacement of disposable contacts. Weekly replacement is more likely to keep the lenses clear and comfortable, and a one-week replacement schedule is very easy for lens wearers to remember and comply with, they say.

Still other eye care practitioners say daily disposable contact lenses are the best choice. With daily disposables, there is no need to remember when to replace your contacts since they are discarded after a single use. Though daily disposable contacts may be the most costly option, many contact lens wearers prefer the convenience of not having to clean and disinfect their contacts at the end of the day, and there is no need to purchase lens care products.

So which contact lens replacement schedule is best for you? That may depend on your eyes as much as your personal preferences.

To determine the type of disposable contacts and the lens replacement schedule that are best for your needs, budget and lifestyle, it’s wise to discuss all options with your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Vistakon has launched 1-Day Acuvue TruEye daily disposable contacts, made of narafilcon B, a silicone hydrogel material just approved by the FDA.

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are known for their ability to allow oxygen to reach the eye; this, combined with the daily disposable modality, provides a potentially high level of eye health to contact lens wearers.

The lenses also contain Hydraclear 1, which supplies a moisture-rich wetting agent to help maintain comfort throughout the day.

In a 94-subject study, after one month people wearing 1-Day Acuvue TruEye showed no significant effect of the wear on the surface of their eyes, compared with non-contact lens wearers, in five of six contact lens-related measures associated with eye health. The lenses also provided high comfort levels all day, comparable to wearing no lenses.

1-Day Acuvue TruEye lenses also offer the highest level of UV protection in a contact lens, according to Vistakon, which is a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.

“Any contact lens you want. Anywhere in the world.”

This is the promise that CooperVision and Armed Forces Eyewear are making to members of the U.S. military on a new website at ArmedForcesContactLenses.com. (Armed Forces Eyewear is a service mark of Frames Direct, an online eyewear retailer.)

The site contains patient information about CooperVision’s portfolio of contact lenses, as well as rebate and free trial offers. And it provides access to the Armed Forces Eyewear site where patients can order the lenses and get guaranteed delivery, wherever they may be.

A percentage of each purchase of CooperVision contacts will be donated to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service fund, which supports youth services, recreation centers, and other morale and welfare programs for the military community.

A CooperVision official said in a release that the company’s wide range of contact lenses enables military eye care professionals to offer “the best fit and option for each patient.”