Optometry

For the retina subspecialty, the past year was one of controversy, technologic advances, and an important approval from the FDA, as well as a surprise decision from the agency.

While physicians who treat Medicare patients are confronting a drastic pay cut Jan. 1, a number of legislators are scrambling, again, to block the scheduled reduction with a permanent solution.

David F. Weeks was a quarter master in the U.S. Army, earned a business administration degree, and raised funds for philanthropic causes - all before Jules Stein, MD, hired him in 1961 to lead the newly formed Research to Prevent Blindness.

Two reports issued by a federal health-care agency, claiming that screening and treatment of glaucoma have been ineffective, ignore more than 30 years of evidence to the contrary.

The author addresses the benefits of agreeableness in the workplace.

This year was one in which the femtosecond laser and its applications in refractive and cataract surgery and variations in the applications of crosslinking really began to blossom.

A recent trip provided the author the opportunity to visit two countries on two different continents and learn a little about their health-care systems, and, more specifically, how they care for patients with cataracts.

The FDA has approved aflibercept for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

As leading cataract surgeons reflect on the newest advances in the field over the past year, the femtosecond laser maintained its place in the spotlight.

A lower aspiration flow rate and lower bottle height result in better outcomes after phacoemulsification.

It costs five times more to attract new customers than to market to current patients.

A hydrogel liquid ocular bandage, designed to seal corneal incisions after cataract surgery, provided a smooth, soft, and transparent protective barrier film that may improve wound integrity and closure and did not decrease best-corrected visual acuity.

A newly launched diagnostic device and intraoperative tool enables real-time, on-the-table refractive measurements to guide decisions during cataract surgery.

Accommodation restoration through photodisruption of the crystalline lens using an ultra-short-pulse femtosecond laser appears safe and theoretically possible.

Analyses of data from a German CE study show femtosecond laser-based intrastromal correction of presbyopia results in significant improvement in near vision and high patient satisfaction with stable refractive outcomes for at least 2 years.

Enhanced laser vision correction surgery using a platform combining wavefront-guided ablation, iris registration, and femtosecond laser flap creation delivers excellent refractive and vision outcomes resulting in highly satisfied patients.

Simultaneous topography-guided PRK with collagen crosslinking seems to offer promising early results for patients with keratoconus who are contact lens tolerant.

In medicine, we find a variety of bests listed in the magazine.

Advanced technology from Schwind is already shaping the future of refractive surgery, but surgeons can look forward to further refinements and innovations that will offer additional capabilities.

Coaxial microincision cataract surgery is a better phacoemulsification procedure because it delivers better patient outcomes.

Running sales can be financially counterproductive if they do not bring in new customers and only reduce the price that existing customers pay for products they buy.

More ophthalmologists are looking into bringing the process of cutting and polishing a lens for fitting into an eyeglass frame on-site, in a dedicated area of practice.

Robert H. Osher, MD, is pulling together plans for his second "Cataract Surgery: Telling it like it is!" course to take place Jan. 19-22 in Sarasota, FL.

Monofocal IOLs provide good distance and near visual acuities of about 20/40 or better for pediatric patients when the targeted vision is within 1 D of emmetropia.

For healthy eyes undergoing sub-Bowman's keratomileusis using advanced technology, outcomes for efficacy and safety, including effects on dry eye, are similarly excellent using either an 8- or 9-mm diameter flap.