Vision Made Possible: 2025 Contact Lens Leaders’ Summit

The summit explored everything from lens design evolution to patient communication, offering a platform for collaboration, critical thinking, and the shared pursuit of better contact lens outcomes for patients. Across each session, the message was clear: we’re not just advancing technology – we’re enhancing lives through personalised vision care.

The key to success with MFCLs is understanding your patient’s lifestyle, and accepting that 40 is the new 30. Patients want their freedom back

Working With the Blink

Dr Giovanna Olivares, Global Director of Specialty Platforms Research and Development at Johnson and Johnson Vision Care, opened her session, ‘Astigmatism correction: Basics to breakthroughs’, by revisiting toric lens development. From the thick, prism ballast designs of the past to the advanced Eyelid Stabilised Design (ESD) we have today, Dr Olivares highlighted how modern lenses now harmonise with the eye’s natural movements – especially its 14,000 daily blinks.

Her message: “Don’t fight the blink – harness it”. Unlike older designs that interfered with comfort, ESD features a smooth, tapered transition for both comfort and rotational stability – even during head tilts and off-axis eye movements.

She also highlighted anatomical variations across ethnicities, including Japanese, Asian, and Caucasian lids and orbits. ESD’s inclusive design accounts for these differences, which is particularly relevant in culturally diverse regions like Australia and the South Pacific.

Rethinking Astigmatism Correction

John Meyler, Global Head of Professional Education and Development at Johnson and Johnson and a UK-trained optometrist, delivered ‘Reimagining astigmatism’. His focus: challenging the outdated tendency to leave -0.75D astigmatism uncorrected.

“Leaving -0.75D uncorrected is an old habit that doesn’t serve today’s patients,” Mr Meyler said. Once seen as difficult to fit, toric lenses are now engineered with precision and fit almost as easily as spherical lenses. He dismissed the outdated belief that low levels of astigmatism can be “masked” with spherical lenses, referencing research from the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) in Waterloo, Canada, that confirmed otherwise.

Mr Meyler encouraged practitioners to check lens rotation in multiple gaze positions – not just the primary gaze. Real-life scenarios, like reversing a car or watching TV, involve various head and eye movements, which can affect lens stability and cause inconsistent blur. In some cases, these non-primary movements require additional blinking to return the lens to proper alignment.

Key Practical Takeaways

• Always correct low astigmatism with contact lenses.
• Assess lens rotation in all positions of gaze, not just primary.
• Be aware of vertical prism that may be induced when correcting astigmatism monocularly; some lenses are prism-free while others can induce up to 0.75D of prism.
• Use digital fitting guides to streamline initial lens selection.
• Consider the lens material and design when fitting toric lenses.

Communication Tips

• Use evidence-based research to shift mindsets – patients report greater satisfaction when their astigmatism is fully corrected.
• Not correcting astigmatism causes contact lens dropouts.

On evaluating lens stability in the non-primary gaze:

• Ask patients to look in cardinal directions.
• Observe axis markers for rotation exceeding 10°, which can degrade vision, especially with moderate-to-high astigmatism.

Turning Back Time: Presbyopia in Focus

Dr Jeff Tang, from Berlin Optical and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, addressed presbyopic correction in ‘Turning back the clock for presbyopes’. While monovision still has a place, Dr Tang’s research showed patients consistently preferred the balanced, functional vision of multifocal contact lenses (MFCLs) – even if monovision scored better on high-contrast acuity charts.

His top advice: “Trust the technology, trust your manufacturers, and follow the fitting guides”. Each brand’s multifocal design philosophy differs, and using the wrong guide for the lens selected can contribute to failure and frustration.

Mastering the Patient Conversation

In my session, ‘Mastering the patient conversation’, I shifted the spotlight from technical parameters to the art of communicating with presbyopic patients. It’s not just about prescribing the right lens – it’s about preparing the patient for the journey.

Key Communication Strategies

Reframe expectations: Emphasise what patients gain with MFCLs, rather than what they may lose compared to spectacles.

Simplify the optics: Use patient-friendly language. For example, explain how pupil size changes with distance and near focus, working with the lens design to deliver clear vision.

Handle objections early: Address short-term adaptation challenges upfront, which builds confidence and trust.

Optimise conditions: Recommend sunglasses outdoors and increase brightness for near tasks to enhance MFCL performance.

My central message: “With the right technology and the right communication, we transform presbyopia from a disruption into an opportunity”.

Panel: Multifocal Masterclass

The session, ‘Unravelling the complexities of multifocal contact lens fitting’, featured diverse perspectives from across Asia-Pacific delivered by Lee, Young Wan (Chris) – Senior Manager Professional Education, Vision Care (Korea), Johnson and Johnson; Noh Hyun Chul – Practice Owner and Head Optician, New Eden Optical, Seoul; Gavin Swartz – Optometrist, Researcher, Lecturer at University of Western Australia; and Lee Kang Lian – President, Singapore Optometric Association.

The panel reinforced a strong preference for MFCLs over monovision or undercorrection, especially when lifestyle freedom is prioritised.

Key points communicated by the panel included:

• “Understand how people use their eyes. That’s the key.” Gavin Swartz.
• “Be upfront – MFCLs won’t be as sharp as specs, but they give back independence.” Noh Hyun Chul.
• “One patient told me it felt like regaining his youth – that’s the kind of impact we can have.” Lee Kang Lian.

Lee Kang Lian concluded, “The key to success with MFCLs is understanding your patient’s lifestyle, and accepting that 40 is the new 30. Patients want their freedom back.”

Closing Thoughts

Ashish Kohli, Senior Director of Commercial Operations and Strategy at Johnson and Johnson, closed the summit with gratitude and a forward-looking message: “It’s about freedom – providing personalised solutions by listening to patients’ lifestyle needs”.

He acknowledged the contributions of each speaker – from Dr Olivares’ lens mechanics to Dr Tang’s guide-driven MFCL fitting, to the engaging panel that brought clinical realities to life.

Final Reflections

Reflecting on the Seoul skyline, the 2025 Contact Lens Leaders’ Summit was a celebration of how far we’ve come in contact lens care – and how collaboration across cultures continues to elevate patient outcomes.

And it was packed with learning for attendees, regardless of their level of professional experience. As one online attendee, Vivian Van from Australia remarked, “I learned that the Eye Stabilised Design is the best design that has been made utilising technology to overcome the shortcomings of the prism and peri-ballast designs. I also learned how important it is to be mindful of my language when explaining and encouraging multifocal contact lens wear, and to use positive and reassuring language when trying to demystify preconceptions and poor patient experiences…”

Armed with new insights and renewed purpose, we move forward, bringing better lens designs, improved patient comfort, and more effective communication to clinical practice.

Dr Margaret Lam BOptom UNSW Post Grad OcTherapy practises optometry at 1001 Optometry in Bondi Junction in Sydney and teaches at the School of Optometry at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer. She is the immediate past National President of Optometry Australia.