ABSTRACT
A. CONTACT LENS VS REFRACTIVE SURGERY 1. History of Contact Lens Why would anyone choose contact lenses over refractive surgery? Contact lenses have been around for decades and are therefore true, tried, and tested. Surgical procedures, on the other hand, are still considered innovative, and no long-term follow-up data are yet available. Contact lenses were first described and used well over a century ago but came into popular use after World War II, where the first hard contact lenses, made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), were introduced. In the 1960s the advent of soft lens materials made of hydroxy-ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) led to the widespread use of contact lenses in the United States. In the 1970s rigid gas-permeable lenses were introduced, and in the 1980s astigmatic and presbyopic connecting lenses became available. Flexibility of lens use increased with the introduction of extended-wear contact lenses in the 1980s and disposable lenses that can be replaced weekly, monthly, and even daily. The last decade has seen advances in contact lenses for correcting presbyopia, including bifocal and multifocal contact lenses.
