Contact Lens Solution

On May 25, 2007, Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) voluntarily recalled their top-selling contact lens solution, Complete® MoisturePLUS™ after numerous reports of patients developing eye infections while using this product.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has received 138 reports of Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK), a potentially blinding bacterial eye infection, in patients who have used Complete MoisturePLUS.™

If you or a loved one has used Complete MoisturePLUS contact lens solution and developed AK, you may be able to seek compensation for your medical expenses and other losses.  Please contact our qualified and experienced attorneys today for a consultation to learn more about your legal rights and options.

What is Complete MoisturePLUS?

Complete MoisturePLUS is a multi-purpose “all-in-one” contact lens solution designed to clean and store soft contact lenses.  While on the market, this product comprised 10 percent of the market share for soft contact lens solution.  Complete MoisturePLUS is manufactured by Advanced Medical Optics (AMO), a company that develops, manufactures and markets medical products, including contact lens solutions and other eye products.

Previous Problems with Complete MoisturePLUS

In November 2006, AMO recalled 2.9 million units of Complete MoisturePLUS because they were contaminated with bacteria.  Most of these affected units of Complete MoisturePLUS were shipped to Japan and other countries in Asia, though 183,000 units of this product were recalled in the United States.

The Complete MoisturePLUS contact lens solution recall

In late May 2007, the CDC supplied AMO with data indicating that 46 patients had developed Acanthamoeba Keratitis since January 2005.  Of these patients, 39 were soft contact lens wearers and 21 of them had used the Complete MoisturePLUS product.

The CDC estimates that patients using Complete MoisturePLUS contact lens solution are at a seven times greater risk of developing Acanthamoeba Keratitis, compared to patients not using this particular contact lens product.

Advanced Medical Optics assures that this voluntary recall of all Complete MoisturePLUS products is not related to the earlier product contamination problems.  They also state that this risk of serious eye infection is not posed by its other products, such as their family of hydrogen peroxide disinfecting solutions.

What is Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK)?

Acanthamoeba is a naturally-occurring microscopic water-borne parasite that can be found in various substances such as fresh and salt water, dust, soil, air conditioning units and heating units. Acanthamoeba keratitis affects approximately one in every 30,000 contact lens wearers.  This infection occurs almost exclusively (approximately 85 percent) in people who wear contact lenses.  The parasite Acanthamoeba can invade the cornea of the eye, which can result in the potentially devastating infection known as Acanthamoeba keratitis or corneal ulcer.

The risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis is greater for patients who do not properly clean and store their contact lenses, especially after using a shower, hot tub, or swimming pool.  Patients are also at a greater risk if they use tap water to clean or store their contact lenses.  Patients who do not follow recommended contact lens handling instructions are also at a greater risk.

Symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis can include:

• Severe pain
• The feeling of something in the eye
• Watery eyes
• Blurred vision
• Redness of the eyes
• Sometimes scant discharge
• Sensitivity to light
• Swelling of the upper eyelid

Acanthamoeba keratitis can be a very serious infection that typically requires over 12 months of treatment.  Treatment of acanthamoeba keratitis typically involves use of multiple antibiotics, including antifungal medications.  Patients who develop this infection often require hospitalization.

Acanthamoeba keratitis is a potentially devastating condition, which can

• Cause severe corneal scarring
• Require corneal transplantation, even in patients whose infection has been brought under control
• Cause severe, potentially permanent, loss of vision
• Recur even after the condition has been treated.

Did you or your family use Complete MoisturePLUS?

If you or your family used Complete MoisturePLUS, it is crucial to stop using the product immediately.   For families with children, it is important to keep this product out of reach of children.  Contact lenses and lens storage containers that have been exposed to Complete MoisturePLUS should be discarded immediately.

If you or another Complete MoisturePLUS user develops any symptoms of eye infection, it is important to seek medical attention from a qualified eye care professional or health care provider.

Have you developed Acanthamoeba Keratitis?

If you or a loved one has developed Acanthamoeba Keratitis after using Advanced Medical Optics Complete MoisturePLUS contact lens solution, you may be able to seek compensation for your losses, pain and suffering.  Please contact our qualified attorneys today for a free confidential evaluation of your case.