What can happen if a patient does not attend follow-up care after lens fitting?

When a patient does not attend follow-up care after a lens fitting, the risk of complications becomes significant. Follow-up appointments are crucial for several reasons. They allow the practitioner to assess how well the lenses fit and determine whether there are any adverse effects on the patient's eyes. During these visits, practitioners can monitor for issues such as discomfort, corneal abrasions, or infections, which could arise from improperly fitted lenses or inadequate lens care.

If patients skip these checks, they might not receive timely interventions for any problems that develop, leading to potential vision issues, discomfort, or even serious eye conditions. Proper follow-up ensures that the patient’s ocular health is maintained and that the lenses are providing the intended vision correction without causing harm.

While loyalty or the notion that lenses will adjust on their own might sound appealing to some, they do not accurately reflect the necessity of follow-up care from a health perspective. Additionally, the assumption that a patient might not need lenses anymore ignores the therapeutic implications of proper lens fitting and ongoing evaluation. Thus, the potential for complications is a critical reason why follow-up care is essential after fitting contact lenses.