Cataract

Innovations in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and microinvasive glaucoma surgery continue to drive the momentum of cataract procedures into 2015.

Features of a proprietary femtosecond laser system enable successful laser-assisted cataract surgery in eyes with a history of LASIK or other pre-existing corneal conditions. The addition of intraoperative aberrometry optimizes IOL power selection.

With a wide array of IOL options available to their foreign colleagues, U.S. ophthalmologists eagerly await the approval and availability of additional lenses.

Findings evaluating the incidence of posterior vitreous detachment on quality of vision and reading speed have been released.

Using the most recent nomogram for intrastromal astigmatic keratotomy using a proprietary femtosecond laser platform, the mean vector magnitude achieved was 87%.

Planning for the fifth year of “Cataract Surgery: Telling It Like It Is,” set for Thursday, Jan. 15, to Sunday, Jan. 18, is well under way and meeting organizer Robert H. Osher, MD, promises “more faculty, more topics, and a lot more fireworks” for this latest gathering here.

Patients who undergo second eye cataract surgery benefit with improvements in visual function and quality of life to levels beyond those obtained after first eye cataract surgery, said Nakul Shekhawat, MD.

Although infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a prominent concern for cataract surgeons, leading ophthalmologists discuss the pros and cons of performing universal MRSA screening to guide targeted prophylaxis.

A hydrogel sealant demonstrated significant superiority to suturing for sealing incisions that were leaking when tested immediately after small-incision phacoemulsification and toric IOL implantation.

Bausch + Lomb’s next-generation sub-micron gel formulation of loteprednol etabonate has been found to be statistically superior to placebo (vehicle gel) in eliminating inflammation and pain following cataract surgery by study day 8-the primary endpoints in the first phase III, multicenter, double-masked, vehicle-controlled, parallel-group study.

A femtosecond laser can create circular, well-centered capsulotomies to facilitate implantation of capsular tension rings and IOLs without decentration in pediatric patients with Marfan’s syndrome. Tim Schultz, MD, and H. Burkhard Dick, MD, of the University Eye Clinic Bochum, Bochum, Germany, described the case of a 10-year-old boy with Marfan’s syndrome.

The recent agreement between Valeant and Croma-which would provide for the distribution of Croma’s ophthalmology products in Western Europe-is expected to expand Bausch + Lomb’s (B + L) ophthalmic portfolio in the United States.

The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) never fails to entice ophthalmology with cutting-edge technology, and the XXXII Congress in London has not disappointed attendees. This year’s congress has displayed a wide range of new technologies from cataract and refractive platforms to diagnostic units to surgical instruments. From all the equipment presented, IOL advances have again captured the attention of attendees.

A novel multifocal IOL with a unique axiconic-like shape changes a ray of light into a focal line and provides patients with an extended depth of focus.

A preloaded IOL system shaved about 1 minute and 2 seconds from each cataract case performed at a single surgical site by reducing preoperative lens-related preparation activities.

The decision on IOL type and fixation method in eyes without adequate capsular support should take into account the specific clinical presentation.

A new method being developed to improve the accuracy of IOL power calculations for cataract surgery uses pattern recognition as its basis.

Kenneth J. Rosenthal, MD, explains the advantages of an add-on sulcus-based IOL for correcting refractive errors in eyes that have undergone cataract surgery with in-the-bag IOL implantation.

A diffractive trifocal IOL is novel technology that delivers good near, intermediate, and far vision and has other advantages.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have demonstrated that advanced DNA testing for congenital cataracts can quickly and accurately diagnose several rare diseases marked by childhood blindness.

The creation of a sufficiently long-internal incision as well as stromal hydration and a moderate final IOP are effective steps to reduce fluid ingress-and lower risk of infection-into the eye following cataract surgery, according to Neal Shorstein, MD.

When consulting with patients who present with decreased vision due to cataracts, ophthalmologists need to remember their role as physicians first, suggest the authors. The primary goal of the office visit is to address the complaint and the solution in entirety before moving into outcomes.

Assessment for wound leaks should be undertaken in a standardized and quantifiable fashion, and alternative means for wound closure, such as an ocular sealant, should be considered.

A silicone ring-shaped device for assisting continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis creation provides a guide for precisely sizing and positioning the capsular opening.

A novel device for pupil dilation offers several advantages over current devices, including the ability to be inserted through smaller sizes and lesser numbers of incisions in procedures, noted its inventor, Suven Bhattacharjee, MS, DO, DNB, FRF.