Essilor’s Stellest lens for myopia performed well in a recent study.

Essilor’s Stellest lens for myopia performed well in a recent study. Photo: Essilor. Click image to enlarge.

A recent evaluation of myopia progression with highly aspherical lenslet (HAL) spectacles vs. conventional single-vision (SV) spectacles found that the former option was effective in slowing progression of the condition, with no rebound effect reported upon discontinuation.

HAL spectacles are comprised of a clear central zone with lenslets arranged beyond it in a contiguous ring format on the lens. There are 11 rings from the center to the periphery of the lens, and the lenslets are meant to impose a volume of myopic defocus in front of the retina while correcting for the distance refractive error of the eye.

The prospective, double-blind, single-center, randomized, crossover trial—funded by Essilor, manufacturer of the lenses—included 119 children aged seven to 13 years old with a spherical equivalent refractive error (SE) range of -0.75D to -4.75D who were randomized to wear either HAL or SV spectacles and after six months (stage one) crossed over to the other lens for another six months (stage two). At the end of stage 2, both groups wore HAL for a further six months. Group one was designated HSH (HAL-SV-HAL), and group two was SHH (SV-HAL-HAL).

Myopia progressed slower with HAL than SV during stages one and two (ΔSE stage one: -0.21D vs. -0.27D, stage two: -0.05D vs. -0.32D; Δaxial length (AL) stage one: 0.07mm vs. 0.14mm, stage two: 0.04mm vs. 0.17mm). Change in SE and AL with SV was not different between the HSH and SHH groups (ΔSE: -0.33D vs. -0.27D; ΔAL 0.17mm vs. 0.13mm).

“In this crossover trial, inter-group and intra-group comparisons indicate that HAL slows myopia,” the study authors wrote in their paper. “Children were compliant with lens wear, and data was not suggestive of rebound when switched from HAL to SV.”

Sankaridurg P, Weng R, Tran H, et al. Spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets for slowing myopia: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over clinical trial. Am J Ophthalmol. November 5, 2022. [Epub ahead of print].