News

Washington, DC—A silent auction of original paintings has helped to launch the American Friends of Vision for the World Inc., the U.S. chapter of a global non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and curing of blindness in Third World countries.

Fairfax, VA—Three physicians noted for their contributions to ophthalmology have earned positions in the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery's Ophthalmology Hall of Fame.

Los Angeles—The Eye Birth Defects Research Foundation honored Robert Gavin, founder of the Center for Keratoconus, during its first gala dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Santa Ana, CA—A jury has ordered Alcon Laboratories Inc. to pay Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) $94.8 million for what it found to be willful infringement of two patents for phacoemulsification equipment used during cataract surgery.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is working to transform medicine in the 21st century in order to change the way it is practiced. The burden of public health has shifted from an acute to a chronic disease pattern, the population is aging rapidly, and the cost of healthcare is growing at an unprecedented rate.

Washington, DC—Results of the 2004 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) survey of infectious keratitis after refractive surgery show there has been an end to the epidemic of atypical mycobacterial infections.

The Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services (CMS) rulingon May 3 sets forth CMS policy concerning the requirements fordetermining payment for insertion of presbyopia-correcting IOLs following cataract surgery under thefollowing sections of the SocialSecurity Act (the Act):

Washington, DC—Medicare patients may now choose to pay extra to correct presbyopia with an IOL after cataract surgery under a new ruling by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), opening a vast, untapped market for IOL manufacturers and cataract surgeons.

Who gets VKH disease, and what are the historical and clinical clues that help make the diagnosis? Can VKH disease occur without serous retinal detachments? Does it always have to be granulomatous?

In the world of eye care, therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) presents as an urgent medical need both now and for future generations. Neovascular AMD accounts for 20% of total AMD cases, but 90% of the severe loss of vision that is associated with the disease, and there are more than 200,000 new cases of neovascular AMD each year.

Who gets VKH disease, and what are the historical and clinical clues that help make the diagnosis? Can VKH disease occur without serous retinal detachments? Does it always have to be granulomatous?

The world of electronic medical records (EMRs) may seem daunting as ophthalmologists try to determine the best way to apply emerging technology to medicine.

Salt Lake City—Transient monocular visual loss, amaurosis fugax, is a common complaint that ophthalmologists encounter. The challenge for the ophthalmologist is to determine if the cause is benign or of a more serious vascular origin. Kathleen Digre, MD, described the step-by-step approach to discovering the answer.

New York—Some cerebrovascular events, such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and aneurysms of the brain, occur far less often than migraines and strokes but nevertheless may present in the ophthalmologist's office. With this type of pathology that has ocular manifestations, the ophthalmologist may be one of the first specialists to examine the patient, and knowing what to look for is of paramount importance.

As physicians, my wife and I spent 2 weeks in Zambia with a group of 20 other professionals from the United States and United Kingdom. The expertise included banking, foundation management, real estate development, teaching, communications, and medicine.

Salt Lake City—Toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) is an acute noninfectious inflammatory event that usually occurs within 12 to 24 hours following cataract/ anterior segment surgery. Surgeons need to differentiate between TASS and endophthalmitis and carefully determine the cause of the syndrome, according to Nick Mamalis, MD.

Minimally invasive, sutureless, 25-gauge vitrectomy has been an option for only a few years but appears to be gaining converts, although with widespread acknowledgment that the system has limitations when compared with the well-established 20-gauge technology.

Key Biscayne, FL—Preliminary analyses from a phase II study demonstrate the feasibility of dye-enhanced photocoagulation (DEP) feeder vessel treatment (FVT) in eyes with minimally classic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This new technique may have benefits compared with laser photocoagulation FVT alone for both increasing the efficiency of the procedure and allowing for treatment of larger diameter vessels, said Giovanni Staurenghi, MD, at the annual meeting of the Macula Society.

Baltimore—Results from the Group H Submacular Surgery Trial (SST), sponsored by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), support consideration of surgical removal of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in eyes with poorer vision as measured in the SST and vessel growth that is idiopathic or associated with the ocular histoplasmosis syndrome, said Neil M. Bressler, MD, at the Current Concepts in Ophthalmology meeting.

Tucson, AZ—Use of a counter-pressure device (CPD) during the posterior juxtascleral administration of anecortave acetate for depot suspension (Retaane, Alcon Laboratories) effectively eliminates reflux to ensure consistent drug delivery, according to the results of a clinical pharmacokinetics study.

Eyes treated with TTT lost on average two lines of visual acuity, while sham-treated eyes lost four lines.

Key Biscayne, FL—In a small, phase II clinical trial of squalamine lactate (Evizon, Genaera Corp.), a systemically delivered drug for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), all patients who received a 40-mg dose had preserved or improved vision through a 4-month study period, reported Carl Regillo, MD, FACS.

Philadelphia—The outcomes when macular retinoblastomas are treated with both chemoreduction and thermotherapy are a bit better than when they are treated with chemoreduction alone, reported Carol L. Shields, MD.

Key Biscayne, FL—Early results from the Systemic Avastin for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (SANA) Study showed that bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) improved vision and substantially reduced leakage from abnormal blood vessels in eyes of patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Philip Rosenfeld, MD, PhD.

On Dec. 17, 2004, the FDA approved pegaptanib sodium (Macugen, Eyetech Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

New York—Intravitreal steroid injections are gaining credence for their utility in a variety of eye diseases, but they also carry risks that have not yet been fully investigated, said Richard F. Spaide, MD.

The investigators concluded that the original appearance described as mild was actually protective against the formation of macular holes.

Santa Ana, CA—Almost 6 months after it surprised the ophthalmic investment community with its decision to acquire VISX Inc., Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) has announced it plans to acquire Quest Vision Technologies Inc.