I'd say yes, try them by trial lens. They have the best gas permeability
available.

w.stacy, o.d.

Yes, not because you can sleep in them but because the N&D is stiffer and
the optics may vary less. It may or may not be as comfortable as your
current lenses.

Yes, some people can wear newer lenses for longer intervals. That doesn't
mean it's advisable. Sleeping in lenses increases the incidence of problems,
no matter which lens.

-MT

Sure. If you're not completely satisfied with the performance of your
current lens and/or desire a different wearing schedule, try something
new.  You may or may not find it to be both "new and improved."

Advertised is, well, advertised. The use of continuous wear lenses is
based on whether your eye health is uncompromised during lenses were. I
have patients going 30 days but the majority wear them a week or so
between cleaning/disinfecting or simply replacing them (O2Optix is
priced for two week replacement). And a goodly number of wearers are
using them for daily wear and occasional overnight use. I have some
patients who use a daily disposable while surfing and a monthly the rest
of the time.  Whatever works!

FYI, there are a number of brands of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses.
The choice can often have to do with where you live as all of them are
not available in some countries or in all parameters.  At least not
quite yet!

--LB, O.D.

There is a gathering consensus that silicone-hydrogel lenses ought to
be the lenses of first choice even in daily wear.  I refer to a recent
article in the January edition of Eye and Contact Lens: Science and
Clinical Practice.  The article, entitled Corneal Oxygen Deficiency by
Desmond Fonn, Ph.D., Deborah Sweeney, Ph.D., Brien Holden, Ph.D., and
Dwight Cavanagh, M.D., Ph.D. concludes that hypoxic effects of contact
lenses are present even during daily wear, and that corneal physiology
showed improvement with silicone-hydrogel lenses under all conditions.
These authors are represent some of the top clinical researchers in the
contact lens field.

With respect to oxygen permeability, they rank in descending order:
Focus N&D, O2Optix, Purevision, Acuvue Advance.  The Ciba, B&L, and
Vistakon products also differ slightly in the surface chemistry and the
way the lenses are treated to become hydrophilic.  They also differ in
the elastic modulus depending on the silicone vs. water content.  These
physical parameters create individual differences causing individual
patients to prefer one over the other in terms of comfort and duration
of wear.

Of the current silicone-hydrogel lenses on the U.S. market, only Focus
N&D and Purevision are FDA approved for 30 day continuous wear.
O2Optix is approved for two weeks, and Acuvue Advance is approved for
daily wear only.

DrG

Hi,
I've worn Acuvue (-3.75 and -4.00) for about 15 years and was happy with
them. I'd worn them at a 30-day continuous wear cycle (sometimes
more)...never a problem. I know it's definitely not the right thing to do.
But, to be honest, they were so good for so long, I'd forget about them
99.9% of the time. Vision and comfort always were top-notch.

Since I'd heard good things about O2Optix, I tried them at my last eye
exam. At first, the vision they gave me was about 80% as 'clear' as the
Acuvue's. And, they were nowhere near as comfortable. I kept them in for 7
days, soaked them overnight and reinserted. I did this for about 45 days
before I decided that I just couldn't take them any more. I had to blink
constantly to maintain any sort of visual clarity and they constantly
reminded me that they were there. My Doc sat me several times..said all was
normal. So.......

I then tried Focus N&D's. These were a bit better visually, but they
produced a burning sensation several times throughout the day. I had to
blink or put in drops to get rid of it. I kept these for about 25 days
before I threw in the towel and made another trip to the Doc.

In go Acuvue Advance and...WOW!. They were really comfortable. They
produced great vision. Not one problem.

That's my story, your mileage may vary.  :)

Jim