Systane® ultra lubricant eye drops for treatment of contact lens-related dryness.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical performance of Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops in daily disposable soft contact lens wearers who experience contact lens-related dryness. METHODS: In this randomized, investigator-masked study, daily disposable lens wearers with symptoms of dryness were randomized to use Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops or to no treatment. The lubricant regimen was applied twice a day, 10 minutes before lens insertion and after lens removal, for the 2-week study period. Subjective comfort, wear time, and visual acuity were assessed at baseline and after 2 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 89 daily disposable lens wearers were randomly assigned to the Systane Ultra group (n=44) or the control group (n=45). Two weeks of Systane Ultra lubricant eye drop use resulted in a significant increase in comfortable lens wear time when compared with baseline assessment (P=0.001) and a trend toward significant improvement compared with the control group (P=0.078). End-of-the-day comfort was significantly improved in the Systane Ultra group compared with the control group (P=0.007). A significant reduction in the overall dryness (P<0.001) and end-of-day dryness (P=0.047) was observed in subjects using the Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops applied before and after contact lens wear is an effective artificial tear for alleviating symptoms of contact lens-related dry eye.