In August 2011, CooperVision had begun to recall 600,000 Avaira Toric contact lenses. The company is how expanding the recall to include their Avaira Sphere line, a move that involves taking more than 6.6 million total units of contact lenses off the market.
Why is CooperVision Recalling Lenses?
All of the contact lenses in question have been linked to severe pain, eye discomfort and hazy vision, symptoms that were first pointed out in August of 2011 and resulted in the original recall of nearly 600,000 contact lenses in the United States. The company believes that there was too much silicone oil residue after the manufacturing process of the lenses, so they attempted to change their manufacturing processes and increase their quality control levels.
CooperVision maintains that they upgraded their quality processes prior to customer complaints, and that is how they originally caught the excess residue and initiated the recall on their own. On November 16, 2011, they continued their collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the recall that was already in motion since August.
CooperVision is not disclosing which, and how many, lot numbers are involved in their recall, but all optometrists, eye-care specialists and other retail stores that sell contact lenses are aware of the specific lot numbers. Roughly 6.6 million contact lenses were recalled from CooperVision’s Avaira Sphere line, with over 4.9 million already in transit to consumers around the globe. Nearly 25 percent of CooperVision’s output of Avaira Sphere lenses is affected by the current recall.
How to Tell If You Are Affected
The company is urging consumers to check the lot number on the boxes of their contact lenses, found just above the barcode. If consumers no longer have the original boxes, each individual contact lens package should have the lot number clearly marked, also located directly above the barcode. Consumers may also call CooperVision at (855) 526-6737 between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm EST Monday through Friday or use the company’s recall website to see if their contact lenses are affected in the recall.
If you are currently wearing contact lenses that have been recalled, both CooperVision and doctors advise you to stop wearing the contact lenses immediately. You may return them to the retail store or eye-care specialist where they were originally purchased, and you will receive a pair of replacement contacts at no extra charge. If you have experienced any adverse effects that you believe are related to the use of the recalled contact lenses, you are advised to report them to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program by using their website or fax at 1-800-FDA-0178. You may also send a letter by regular mail using a pre-addressed, postage-paid Form FDA 3500, which you can download from the FDA’s website.
Contact Us
If you suffered eye damage because of CooperVision’s recalled contact lenses, contact our office today. Our caring, knowledgeable attorneys to work with you to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve. They will be able to answer any questions you may have about the recall and help you to take the necessary steps to get back your vision and quality of life.