Optometry

The use of laser to treat diabetic macular edema is often the topic of debate.

A multicolor pattern scan laser should help laser therapy maintain or potentially expand its role in the treatment of certain retinal diseases even with the availability of effective new injectable pharmaceutical products, according to retinal specialists.

New software (version 6.0) introduced for a proprietary high-definition ocular coherence tomography platform provides researchers and clinicians an expanded set of diagnostic tools to use in the evaluation and management of patients with AMD and glaucoma.

On Feb. 13, Merck announced that it received approval from the FDA to market its one-of-a-kind, preservative-free, prostaglandin analog, tafluprost ophthalmic solution 0.0015%, for lowering IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Ocriplasmin can eliminate the need for surgery to close macular holes in a substantial percentage of patients.

On Jan. 30, vismodegib became the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma.

Loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.2% is a safe and effective first-line therapy for the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis.

Use of spectacles, contact lenses, or medications does not inhibit the progression of myopia for any length of time, as seen in in large major studies in children.

Doing the best possible job for patients with ocular allergies involves a careful ferreting out of symptoms and selecting the most effective treatments based on the severity of the disease and the effectiveness of the medications.

Analysis of data from two bilateral conjunctival allergen challenge studies of olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.2% showed that ocular itching was prevented in a higher percentage of eyes treated with olopatadine when compared with vehicle.

Therapy for ocular allergy has shown significant progress in recent years.

Recent findings about uveal melanoma indicate that patients can be divided into high- and low-risk clasess, and that a mutation in one gene on chromosomes 3, BAP1, is closely associated with the high metastatic risk class 2 form of uveal melanoma.

Since the 2009 approval of bepotastine besilate ophthalmic solution 1.5% for ophthalmic use in the United States, further analysis of clinical trial data and new information from additional studies have revealed more about the drug's clinical utility.

Variety may be the key to selling sunwear successfully in your practice.

Ophthalmologists are not formally trained in the art of talking with patients about potentially stressful medical diagnoses; yet, this skill is important and can be the most challenging part of practice for glaucoma specialists.

Severe halos/glare was the issue most feared most by surgeons implanting diffractive multifocal IOLs, according to a survey.

In the movies "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Matrix Reloaded," evil gunmen who are albinos figure prominently.

When it comes to sunwear, frames get most of the attention.

The trabecular meshwork fails in glaucoma because of physical changes in the trabecular meshwork and altered signaling pathways.

ISTA Pharmaceuticals says it is discussing a potential sale with a number of buyers, as Canada's biggest drug maker presses the board to accept its $360 million takeover bid.

Consider if selling an extended warranty makes sense for your dispensary.

Analyses of data from baseline structural imaging studies performed in two large prospective, observational glaucoma cohort trials suggest inter-eye asymmetry in optic disc topography parameters and average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness may provide an additional tool to identify eyes with early signs of glaucoma.

A review of the current landscape and look to the future identifies multiple reasons why contact lens fitting should be part of a comprehensive ophthalmology practice.

A new paradigm of aqueous outflow positing that it is a dynamic, pump-like process regulated through pulsatile mechanisms provides a conceptual framework unifying structure and function throughout the entire trabecular meshwork in both health and disease.

A new method of drug delivery for ocular hypertensive therapies cannot be expected to be generally available for 4 or more years from now.

Results of a preclinical pilot study demonstrate ocular iontophoresis accelerates transfer of topically applied riboflavin into the cornea.

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology is launching a third journal, Translational Vision Science & Technology, an online-only, peer-reviewed journal emphasizing multidisciplinary research that bridges the gap between basic research and clinical care.

The use of cryopreserved amniotic membrane tissue on the ocular surface can modulate inflammation and promote healing without scarring in adults.

Intraoperative application of a proprietary in situ gel-forming hydrogel to the sutured conjunctival-limbal incision is safe and shows promise as an effective "bandage" for preventing early postoperative wound leaks in eyes undergoing fornix-based trabeculectomy surgery.

Findings from various patient surveys of satisfaction with medical care show that many of the commonly cited complaints can be mitigated by appropriate patient education.