When might a clinician choose a silicone hydrogel multifocal lens over a rigid gas permeable multifocal?

When might a clinician choose a silicone hydrogel multifocal lens over a rigid gas permeable multifocal?

• A. For comfort and ease of adaptation with adequate oxygen supply
• B. When cost is the sole deciding factor
• C. When the corneal shape is incompatible with silicone hydrogel
• D. When the patient desires a heavier lens

Answer: (A)

Silicone hydrogel multifocal lenses are favored because they combine soft, comfortable wear with high oxygen permeability. The soft material makes adaptation to multifocal optics easier for most wearers, and the high oxygen transmission helps keep the cornea healthy during wear, reducing dryness and discomfort that can accompany lens wear. When a patient can tolerate the material and the cornea receives enough oxygen, the clinician is likely to choose this option for everyday comfort and straightforward adaptation of multifocal vision. Rigid gas permeable multifocals can offer very sharp optics and hold their shape for stable vision, which some patients value, but they typically require more time to adapt to and can be less comfortable day-to-day. The other choices—cost being the sole factor, corneal shape incompatibility, or a desire for a heavier lens—do not better explain why silicone hydrogel would be chosen in most cases.

Silicone hydrogel multifocal lenses are favored because they combine soft, comfortable wear with high oxygen permeability. The soft material makes adaptation to multifocal optics easier for most wearers, and the high oxygen transmission helps keep the cornea healthy during wear, reducing dryness and discomfort that can accompany lens wear. When a patient can tolerate the material and the cornea receives enough oxygen, the clinician is likely to choose this option for everyday comfort and straightforward adaptation of multifocal vision.

Rigid gas permeable multifocals can offer very sharp optics and hold their shape for stable vision, which some patients value, but they typically require more time to adapt to and can be less comfortable day-to-day. The other choices—cost being the sole factor, corneal shape incompatibility, or a desire for a heavier lens—do not better explain why silicone hydrogel would be chosen in most cases.