Surgery

Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Inc.'s Tecnis foldable IOL has earned the title of New Technology IOL (NTIOL) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The designation follows labeling claims approved by the FDA in April 2004 that the lens reduced postoperative spherical aberrations compared with lenses with spherical optics and improved night driving simulator performance. The designation was effective Feb. 27.

Chicago-The future of presbyopic lens exchange for high myopia looks bright with the development of various IOL options, according to one proponent. Yet, surgeons and patients should be aware of possible complications, such as retinal detachment, and seek alternatives, cautions another refractive surgeon.

Glaucoma implants may fail for a number of reasons, said Felix Gil Carrasco, MD, at the World Congress of Ophthalmology on Wednesday. However, inappropriate patient selection and improper placement of the shunt are probably the most common reasons.

Deep sclerectomy is not the holy grail of glaucoma surgery, but available evidence indicates that it is definitively safer than trabeculectomy and that it can result in long-term success rates matching those of trabeculectomy when performed with proper technique by experienced hands, said Tarek M. Shaarawy, MD, at the World Ophthalmology Congress.

More than 15,000 ophthalmologists from more than 110 countries are registered to attend, and more than 4,000 scientific papers were submitted for consideration. The schedule features more than 400 sessions in addition to subspecialty days, with some 2,400 speakers from all regions of the world.

Miami—Results from an international clinical trial including nearly 1,600 eyes indicate laser presbyopia reversal (LAPR) increases accommodation and improves near and intermediate vision with a benefit that is maintained for up to 5 years, said Richard S. Kalski, MD.

Chicago—Implantation of microthin prescription inserts (Intacs, Addition Technology) for the treatment of keratoconus appears to result in better visual outcomes when the femtosecond laser (IntraLase FS, IntraLase) is used for channel creation instead of a mechanical device, said Yaron S. Rabinowitz, MD. He spoke during the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Elmira, NY—An ambulatory surgery center (ASC) here has won an "Innovations in Quality Improvement Award" from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)'s Institute for Quality Improvement.

Cincinnati—Robert H. Osher, MD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati and medical director emeritus of the Cincinnati Eye Institute, is celebrating 20 years of the Video Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery with two issues in 2006.

American ophthalmologists have a number of meetings each year they can choose to attend to hear the latest advances in the practice of eye care.

Chicago—Results of a study including more than 1,000 eyes followed for up to 3 years show that selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) performed with the Q-switched frequency-doubled 532-nm Nd:YAG laser (Selecta II, Lumenis) is a safe and effective option for lowering and maintaining IOP across a spectrum of glaucoma patients, reported Lawrence F. Jindra, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Chicago—A consortium of German researchers is making considerable progress toward development of an implantable device for 24-hour monitoring of IOP, according to Peter Walter, MD.

American ophthalmologists have a number of meetings each year they can choose to attend to hear the latest advances in the practice of eye care.

In the continual quest for a better understanding of vision, the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, is presenting its annual Current Concepts in Ophthalmology series.

Rogers, AR—The recent approval of the Tecnis IOL (AMO) on an acrylic platform gives cataract surgeons another option in an expanding menu of choices, said Randy Cole, MD, FACS, who is medical director and founder of Boozman-Hof Eye Surgery and Laser Center, Rogers, AR.

Vienna, Austria—A sharp posterior optic edge design seems to be superior to a double round optic edge design in preventing posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Investigators reported significantly less PCO at 1, 2, and 3 years after implantation of the Sensar OptiEdge AR40e IOL compared with the Sensar AR40 model (both from AMO).

The development of IOLs has come full circle. In 1949, Sir Harold Ridley attempted to emulate the curvature and size of the natural lens with the development of the Ridley IOL. In subsequent years, the focus was on IOL mechanical issues, materials, and optics. Today, with wavefront technology, researchers are going back to the beginning and are attempting to emulate some of the more subtle features of the natural lens.

Lisbon, Portugal—The results of the 7th annual survey on foldable IOLs indicate that dislocation and decentration are the most common reasons for lens explantation, with incorrect lens power the next most important factor.

A patient complained of severe glare and light sensitivity associated with a persistent traumatic mydriasis of the right eye. After conservative treatment with topical miotics and a painted contact lens failed to decrease the mydriasis, a cerclage pupilloplasty was performed on the right eye resulting in a 4-mm round pupil. The patient experienced significant reduction of glare and photophobia.

Leading edge programming on contact lenses, solutions, and related eye-care issues is the focal point of the fourth annual Contact Lens and Eyecare Symposium (CLES), Jan. 11 to 15, 2006, at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, FL.

A patient complained of severe glare and light sensitivity associated with a persistent traumatic mydriasis of the right eye. After conservative treatment with topical miotics and a painted contact lens failed to decrease the mydriasis, a cerclage pupilloplasty was performed on the right eye resulting in a 4-mm round pupil. The patient experienced significant reduction of glare and photophobia.

Aliso Viejo, CA—eyeonics Inc. is reducing the number of implants it requires ophthalmic surgeons to perform before providing credentials for crystalens IOL implantation.

Irvine, CA—Allergan Inc. has offered to acquire Inamed Corp. for $1.45 billion cash and 17.9 million shares of Allergan stock to create a global leader in medical aesthetics.

Phoenix—Children with traumatic cataract often achieve a good visual outcome after cataract removal and primary IOL implantation, said Richard L. Golub, MD.

Fort Worth, TX—The FDA has approved Alcon's Opti-Free RepleniSH Multipurpose Disinfecting Solution (MPDS) for use with all soft contact lenses, including silicone hydrogel lenses.

While fluorescein angiograms and optical coherence tomography can assess structure, the retinal acuity meter looks at function.

Pleasanton, CA—MLI (formerly Massie Laboratories) has appointed Keith L. Mullowney as president, chief executive officer, and board chairman of the advanced diagnostic and data capture systems company.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan), originally approved by the FDA as an orphan drug for the treatment of strabismus and blepharospasm, has been found to be effective for the treatment of hemifacial spasm, Meige syndrome, nystagmus, and lid retraction in Graves? disease, according to Matthew Dean Kay, MD, adjunct clinical associate professor, Nova Southeastern University, Pompano Beach, FL.

Retinal detachment is a significant risk in refractive lens exchange surgery, said Emanuel S. Rosen, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Reading, MA—Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is safer than argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) as a treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and offers the considerable advantage of not causing structural damage to the trabecular meshwork, said Mark A. Latina, MD.