In November 2021, CooperVision launched the MyDay daily disposable multifocal contact lens in the United States. The lenses are the first to feature the CooperVision Binocular Progressive System, a new three-add multifocal system that uses different lens designs to optimize vision for all levels of presbyopia, according to the company. As patients’ prescriptions change, they can stay with the MyDay multifocal and continue to enjoy clear vision at all distances, says CooperVision.

Here, Micaela Crowley, OD, who practices at Lexington Eye Associates, with five locations in the Boston area, and Frances Bynum, OD, owner of Northwest Tennessee Eye Clinic, PC, in Martin, TN, discuss their experiences with MyDay multifocal lenses in their practices.

Please tell us about your general experiences with the MyDay multifocal contact lenses.

Dr. Crowley notes that this contact lens is quick and simple to fit—“with satisfactory vision at both distance and reading for patients. The comfort and convenience of a daily disposable is ideal, in addition to MyDay’s oxygen transmissibility and its silicone hydrogel material.”

At Dr. Bynum’s practice, she actually began to fit the lens just when she knew it was coming out but before it was released nationally. “I had it in my mind that this would work on people with whom I tried other things that hadn’t worked well. I had this list of people, and that’s where I started,” she says.

Who are the best candidates for this product and why?

According to Dr. Crowley, the MyDay multifocal lens has been a good option for patients with early symptoms of presbyopia all the way to those in later stages of the condition. “The lens design and optical concept allow fitters to meet the visual demands at near without compromising distance vision,” she says. “It does this through the difference in design as the add power and near visual demand increases.

“For example, the low add utilizes an aspheric center-near design with a smaller intermediate zone and larger distance periphery,” Dr. Crowley adds. “The medium add utilizes the same size aspheric center-near design with a broader intermediate zone.”

Finally, she says that for a more advanced presbyope, the high add utilizes a larger spherical center-near with dual intermediate zones to meet the visual needs at near. In each of these stages, the fitter maintains a low add in the dominant eye to maintain clarity at distance.

“Any spherical or low astigmatic presbyope is a good candidate for this lens,” says Dr. Crowley. “With its wide parameter range, it even allows for highly myopic or hyperopic patients to be fitted in a daily disposable multifocal lens.”

Dr. Bynum adds that the more difficult patients are going to be myopes who are a bit more distance challenged. “I’ve definitely targeted dry eye patients with the MyDay multifocal lens. [This includes] people who might have been unsuccessful before, because this contact lens is more dry-eye friendly,” she says. “This is a personal example related to my own experience: I had my intern fit me with the lenses. I was immediately impressed when I was able to see a screw in a pair of glasses. I can’t do that with other contact lenses.”

Tell us about the prescribing, fitting, or recommendation process—and what has worked best for you.

Dr. Crowley underscores the simplicity of the MyDay multifocal lens. “This lens couldn’t be simpler or more straightforward to fit as a multifocal contact lens,” she shares. “As with any multifocal fit, it is critical to accurately determine the dominant eye and not over-minus in the manifest refraction. I always let the lens settle before taking visual acuity and make sure to check binocularly at distance and near to start. I also recommend using a reading material that is used daily by the patient (i.e., cell phone, book) to show improvement at near.”

In terms of recommending, Dr. Bynum notes that picking the right patient to put a product in makes the practitioner more successful. So, choosing the patient that might be the best fit to start with, and from there using the fitting guide.

“I can’t stress enough that this particular lens is very successful when you use the fitting guide,” she says. “Probably 90% of the time, the lenses that we pull have been the ones we ended up going with. Maybe only about 10% of the time did we have to pull a different lens, and that’s certainly not always the case with other products.”

Clearly, setting realistic expectations is important. “For example, I might not see quite as well at night versus with my glasses, but it’s worth it,” says Dr. Bynum. “On the other hand, I can wear my sunglasses over them.

“It’s like shoes. There’s a time for everything,” she explains. “Tennis shoes most of the time, but there’s a time for high heels, as well.

“Normally, you think about the long-standing contact lens wearer. We got old, and then we needed something else. For that patient who’s new to contact lenses, the conversation is a little bit different than for someone who is already contact lens wearer,”she says.

Dr. Bynum also emphasizes the importance of setting the correct expectations. “For previous contact lens wearers, we say, ‘We’re going to put you in this multifocal lens. It’s going to, perhaps, change your distance vision a bit, but it’s going to allow you to see up close without having to pull out readers.’ If they’ve never worn contact lenses before, they have to get used to the contact lens and having something in their eye, but there are positive expectations to share, too. For example, we say, ‘Now you can wear your sunglasses instead of your regular glasses. Also, they’re not going to fog up when you put that mask on.’”

How has the product helped with troubleshooting for particular patients?

Dr. Crowley says that the lens has been excellent for refitting patients who struggle with lack of stereopsis and range of focus at intermediate and near, and for previous monovision contact lens wearers.

According to Dr. Bynum, “When you fit people in the chair and you put them in a lens, we know that’s not the real world. They’re driving, in their office, on their golf course, on their phone, at dinner, etc. So, I duplicate some of those settings by taking them outside or to a window, or I sit them at my computer.”

Do any specific patient success stories stand out to you?

At Dr. Bynum’s practice, she shares that there have been people who made that switch, and “just because of the more comfortable lens, material wise, they were happy. I’ve actually fit the worst patient out there—the most critical, the most demanding person—and that’s myself. As practitioners, we tend to be the most critical wearer of any lens out there when we fit ourselves in it.

“On the flip side, it is a testament to a product if we end up wearing the lens and it works well for us,” Dr Bynum continues. “This was the case with the MyDay multifocal contact lens. That is when we begin to be promoters of that product.” CLS