Surgery

Fort Lauderdale, FL-The B?rveldt-250 mm2 Glaucoma Implant (Advanced Medical Optics) seems to be more effective at lowering IOP than the Ahmed S2 Glaucoma Valve (New World Medical Inc.) in adult patients with refractory glaucoma. However, regardless of which of the devices is implanted, the preoperative IOP is a risk factor for eventual failure, according to Darrell WuDunn, MD, PhD, and colleagues, who presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

St. Petersburg, FL-Lenstec Inc. opened a new Barcelona sales office to help the company meet growing European demand for its lens implants and devices used in cataract and refractive surgery. With a sales and marketing office in Yorkshire, England, this move expands Lenstec's European operations.

Aliso Viejo, CA-Since FDA approval in 2003, more than 50,000 crystalens accommodating IOLs (eyeonics) have been implanted worldwide. Of these, 17,000 implants were with the crystalens SE second-generation lens (introduced in 2005), the company said in a prepared statement.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-A modified glaucoma valve made of a porous polymer material reduced outflow resistance in tests conducted in an animal model. The reduced resistance should in turn result in improved control of IOP over conventional implants, explained R. Rand Allingham, MD, at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

London, Ontario-During at least the first 12 months after treatment initiation, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) and latanoprost 0.005% (Xalatan, Pfizer) are associated with equivalent efficacy and safety profiles when used as primary therapy for newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, according to the results of a prospective, multicenter, parallel comparison, clinical trial conducted by researchers at Ivey Eye Institute, University of Western Ontario, London.

Several companies have introduced new products in their punctum plug lines, upgraded existing products, and modified their packaging for increased customer convenience.

Baltimore-Significant postoperative pain can occur after enucleation surgery. Multimodal anesthesia, combining oral agents and a local anesthetic, can provide superior pain relief, according to Shannath L. Merbs, MD, PhD, FACS, associate professor of ophthalmology and oncology, Wilmer Eye Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Fort Worth, TX-The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) New Technology Intraocular Lens (NTIOL) classification of Reduced Spherical Aberration has been applied to the AcrySof IQ IOL (Alcon Laboratories). The IOL gained inclusion by proving the same or greater clinical benefit as the lens that established the NTIOL subset, according to Alcon Laboratories.

Baltimore-Significant postoperative pain can occur after enucleation surgery. Multimodal anesthesia, combining oral agents and a local anesthetic, can provide superior pain relief, according to Shannath L. Merbs, MD, PhD, FACS, associate professor of ophthalmology and oncology, Wilmer Eye Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Dorado, Puerto Rico-Make sure that your billing department is aware of common myths associated with ophthalmic surgery billing, so that surgery claims being filed are correct, advised Donna M. McCune, CCS-P, COE, who spoke during Current Concepts in Ophthalmology.

Los Alamitos, CA-Larry Geisse, MD, a surgeon in private practice in Los Alamitos, CA, recently encountered a case of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) that might hold lessons for other clinicians in the treatment of TASS.

San Francisco-The most common complications involving foldable IOLs and requiring explantation showed little change over the past 2 years, according to an annual survey sent to members of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

Dislocation, decentration concerns for foldable IOLs,survey finds

The femtosecond pulses offer real, precise subsurface effects, with the least amount of energy required.

The femtosecond pulses offer real, precise subsurface effects, with the least amount of energy required.

Des Plaines, IL-The Internal Revenue Service has authorized the Foundation for Keratoconus Care to commence operations.

Implant extrusion following evisceration is a known complication, observed ever since the procedure was first performed more than 100 years ago.

Khon Kaen, Thailand-A study of a new approach to preparation and storage of posterior lamellar corneal grafts for transplantation has demonstrated that centralized harvest, cold storage, and shipment by airmail result in viable grafts 2 days later, according to Olan Suwan-apichon, MD, assistant professor, department of ophthalmology, faculty of medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Heat generation was assessed with a temperature-sensitive film that changes color from brown to yellow when the temperature rises above 53? C.

Des Plaines, IL-Sales of corneal implants (Intacs, Addition Technology Inc.) for the treatment of keratoconus and myopia increased 75% in the first quarter of 2006 compared with the same quarter in 2005, according to the manufacturer. Compared with Q4 2005, corneal implants sales increased 12%.

STAAR Surgical Co. received CE mark approval for its KS-3Ai preloaded IOL injection system with an aspheric optic design. The company will now be allowed to market this IOL for use in cataract surgery in 21 countries. STAAR will begin shipments to distributors this month.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) added the AcrySof IQ IOL (Alcon Laboratories) to the New Technology Intraocular Lens (NTIOL) classification of Reduced Spherical Aberration. Effective May 19, ambulatory surgery centers using the AcrySof IQ IOL for cataract surgery will receive an additional $50 from Medicare. The IOL gained inclusion by proving the same or greater clinical benefit as the lens that established the NTIOL subset. The NTIOL subset and adjusted payment will remain in effect until Feb. 27, 2011.

S?o Paulo, Brazil Brazil-Deep sclerectomy is not the "holygrail" of glaucoma surgery, but available evidence indicates thatit is definitively safer than trabeculectomy, according to Tarek M.Shaarawy, MD. Deep sclerectomy can also result in long-term successrates comparable with those of trabeculectomy when performed withproper technique by experienced hands, he added.

San Francisco-The crystalens accommodating IOL (eyeonics)improved visual outcomes "dramatically" in a study of patients withhigh myopia or high hyperopia. The IOL achieved similar near visualacuity levels in both patient groups, reported Harvey Carter, MD,at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract andRefractive Surgery.

Compulsive graft management, questions, appropriate differentialdiagnosis are key, surgeon says