Rae wrote:
I have monthly wear multifocal contact lenses.  I don’t wear them every day, maybe once or twice a week.  It seems a waste to through them out once a month when I’m not wearing them every day all day long.  I’m wondering if I can replace them every 6 or 7 weeks rather than every 4 to 5 weeks.

ANSWER

Dear Rae

Thak you for your interesting question. It is never a good idea, based on the ocular health, to stretch any replacement scheduled that was prescribed by your eye care practitioner. On the other hand, I can understand that you feel that the lenses are waisted by disposing them after 5-6 uses only. They still are a month old and they have to be discarded.

My recommendation would be to ask your optometrist to fit you with daily disposable lenses which could be more appropriate to meet your needs. These lenses are manufactured for a single use and are cheaper, based on your use, than the monthly disposable. They are also safer considering that each lens, while used, is new and delivers more oxygen to the eye. You do not have to deal with chemicals to store and clean them, which can alleviate allergic/toxic reactions. A pair of lens that is stored in a case is no longer sterilized after 5 to 6 days. If not used, you have to re-sterilize them before to wear them.

Daily disposable lenses are available in multi-focal lenses or in mono-vision with one lens fitted for far and the other one for near.

In summary, you have to comply with the recommended schedule of wear that was prescribed but there is another more convenient solution for you that are daily disposable lenses, the safest mode of contact lens wear in the market.

Thanks for your interest.

Dr. Langis Michaud, OD, MSc, FAAO
Associate Professor
Université de Montréal, School of Optometry