Cataract & Refractive

The condition of the ocular surface influences the outcome of cataract and refractive surgery and can also affect recovery following some surgical procedures.

An analysis of visual outcomes in a contemporary series of cataract surgery eyes that underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for retained lens material indicates these complicated cases tend to do well.

Initial experience with intraoperative use of a wavefront analyzer (WaveTec Visions Systems) suggests that it may be a very useful tool for achieving increased accuracy and efficiency in astigmatism correction.

Keratoectasia can develop after surface ablation in eyes with forme fruste keratoconus (FFKC), and there do not appear to be any identifiable features as protecting against that event.

Creation of a pocket for intracorneal riboflavin instillation using the femtosecond laser (IntraLase, Advanced Medical Optics) appears to be a safe and effective method for assisting cornea collagen cross-linking.

Demand for excellent uncorrected distance visual acuity after cataract surgery is increasing, especially with the availability of new presbyopia-correcting IOLs. This phenomenon is opening up a new class of patients to the benefits of laser vision correction.

As the evolution in refractive surgery continues, surgeons can expect to see the journey continuing back to the surface—aided by new strategies to improve the outcomes of sub-Bowman's keratomileusis (SBK) and PRK.

Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) continues its commitment to the LASIK industry by reaching out to a generation of nearly 290 million people worldwide who want better everyday vision.

Results of retrospective studies of eyes undergoing surface ablation treatments at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, are suggesting an algorithm for using mitomycin-C (MMC) to prevent haze.

Aspheric intraocular lenses induce less wavefront aberrations and perform better in photopic and mesopic conditions than spherical IOLs.

A new preloaded disposable intraocular lens (IOL) injector that uses no viscoelastic was unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting held, this year, in Vietnam.

A study published in the September issue of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery suggests that a laser welding technique could offer a good alternative to suturing for closing corneal wounds following phaco or extracapsular cataract extraction.

The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) has approved AMO's LASIK technologies for use on US astronauts.

Austrian pharmaceutical firm Croma-Pharma has acquired two companies, thus strengthening its cataract surgery portfolio and, according to the firm, moving it into the top five list of companies operating in the European ophthalmic market.

A chloramphenicol 0.25%-betamethasone 0.13% (C&B) gel combination has comparable efficacy and tolerance and better acceptance by patients than an aqueous tobramycin 0.3%-dexamethasone 0.1% (T&D) preparation for controlling inflammation and prophylaxis of endophthalmitis following cataract surgery.

The use of dexamethasone eye drops following cataract surgery has a greater effect on the blood glucose profile of diabetic subjects than in diabetic subjects treated with diclofenac.

Surface ablation provides an opportunity to reduce the biomechanical weakening of the cornea. The downsides have always been pain and the relatively slow pace of visual recovery, but with Epi-LASIK, we are now able to manage those factors much more effectively

The corneal stroma has the ability to clear microorganisms introduced during LASIK.

The desired refractive outcome is approximately 2 D by age two and 1 to 2 D by age three, reflecting the fact that the majority of growth of the eye has occurred by this age

Although the incidence of post-LASIK ectasia is relatively low, the topic continues to be the focus of much debate.

I am sure many surgeons are familiar with these complaints and for those wishing to switch to bimanual cataract surgery, there are certainly a number of initial difficulties that must first be overcome.

I have been developing a new technology for the surgical treatment of myopia for some years now and I presented the results with my first set of patients at this year's ASCRS congress in San Diego, USA. Overall, I believe that this new, minimally invasive method of surgery could present a feasible alternative to invasive LASIK and intraocular surgery in moderate to high myopes.

Without performing LASIK, 85-90% of [multifocal IOL] patients may achieve spectacle independence. However, with LASIK success rates are about 99%

The use of intracameral cefuroxime at the end of cataract surgery reduces the occurrence of postoperative endophthalmitis.

Overall, this study showed that wound integrity was maintained in eyes receiving microcoaxial phaco, while all eyes receiving bimanual phaco had spontaneous wound leakage, increased wound hydration, penetration of ink particles into the anterior chamber and some degree of corneal wound burn