Survey of bandage lens use in North America, October-December 2002.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to report the findings of a survey of current modes of bandage lens (BL) use by optometrists and ophthalmologists in Canada and the United States in 2002.

Methods: Two thousand voluntary surveys were sent to ophthalmic practitioners across the United States and Canada. The survey contained a questionnaire with 15 questions about the practitioner's background and BL-prescribing trends and views. It also contained a 10-patient list with parameters such as patient profile, BL type, and pharmaceutical use.

Results: Seventy-two percent of those opthalmic practitioners who returned surveys have prescribed soft contact lenses for therapeutic purposes. BLs are most often used for corneal wound healing and for managing postoperative complications. Pharmaceuticals are concomitantly administered in more than 81% of the patients treated with BLs. The most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals are antibiotics (47.5% of patients) and antiinflammatory drugs (42% of patients). ACUVUE and Focus Night & Day lenses are the most popular choices for BLs. Most respondents (93%), regardless of whether they routinely prescribed BLs, would be interested in a BL that could deliver a topical pharmaceutical drug.

Conclusions: The results from the survey indicated that BL use is prevalent across North America. The BL-prescribing habits of North American practitioners indicate that there is a strong interest and need for a drug-delivering therapeutic soft contact lens.