Surgery

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Follow-up in the first 10 patients with the Artificial Silicon Retina microchip (ASR, Optobionics) implanted now ranges between 2 and 4.5 years.

Rochester, NY—Increased demand for Bausch & Lomb's PureVision SVS contact lens has the company potentially shifting gears away from its PureVision Toric lens, which was to be introduced in the United States this summer.

Atlanta—CIBA Vision Corp. said it is asking a federal judge in Florida to block Johnson & Johnson's Vistakon division from making, selling, and distributing silicone hydrogel contact lenses that it claims infringe upon its patents.

Miami—Cataract surgeons performing standard ultrasound phacoemulsification will find the AquaLase liquefaction device (Alcon Laboratories) is an easy technique to transition to and is one that offers multiple advantages for enhancing the safety of lens removal, said Sonia H. Yoo, MD.

Frankfurt, Germany—The design of the optic edge seems to be one of the most important factors in the development of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). IOLs with a sharp edge have less PCO regardless of the lens material, according to Thomas Kohnen, MD.

Reposition the IOL first before performing a YAG capsulotomy in instances of symptomatic IOL decentration with concomitant PCO.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Results from a preclinical study indicate that fluoroquinolones available for ophthalmic use may differ in their effects on corneal healing, said Luis E. Fern?ndez de Castro, MD, at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

New Orleans—Results of a retrospective study evaluating outcomes in eyes with an Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV, New World Medical) implanted indicate that the FP7 model with its silicone flexible plate affords better IOP control than the S2 model featuring a rigid polypropylene plate.

New Orleans—Results of a retrospective study evaluating outcomes in eyes with an Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV, New World Medical) implanted indicate that the FP7 model with its silicone flexible plate affords better IOP control than the S2 model featuring a rigid polypropylene plate.

Boston—Aqueous shunts can offer a very effective modality for controlling IOP in challenging glaucoma cases, and their therapeutic index has improved thanks to innovations in technique and technology introduced based on clinical experience.

Cincinnati, OH—The latest edition of the quarterly Video Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery features videos demonstrating complication management and other surgical highlights from around the world.

Los Angeles—Wayne L. Hubbell, PhD, the Jules Stein Professor of Ophthalmology and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

Objectives remain the same, as surgical techniques continue to evolve.

The choice of prophylactic antibiotic after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is extremely important because it affects the rate of corneal epithelial wound healing.

Cleveland—Comprehensive ophthalmologists who understand the mechanism of botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan) and the underlying anatomy can find many functional and cosmetic uses for botulinum toxin in their practices, said Julian D. Perry, MD.

Washington, DC—A new ultra-small sleeve is making sub-2-mm coaxial phacoemulsification possible.

Washington, DC—The three-piece square-edge design of the Tecnis IOL platform (AMO) seems to protect the eye against development of posterior capsular opacification (PCO) by preventing migration of epithelial cells for at least 3 years after implantation, reported Michael Colvard, MD, FACS, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—Researchers focusing on developing a tissue-engineered (TE) cornea for use in transplantation or refractive correction have made significant progress, although a number of challenges still lie ahead, said May Griffith, PhD, at World Cornea Congress V.

Atlanta—CIBA Vision Corp. has reached an agreement with CooperVision to settle a patent infringement lawsuit over the color technology used to create CIBA Vision's FreshLook and CooperVision's Biomedics Colors contact lenses.

Sarasota, FL—Wavefront measurements may be useful in quantifying visual changes after upper blepharoplasty surgery, said William J. Lahners, MD, in private practice with the Center for Sight, Sarasota, FL. Dr. Lahners conducted a small study of this hypothesis in his practice.

Advances in instrumentation have fueled the expanded scope of 25-gauge surgical possibilities.

Fairfax, VA—Three physicians noted for their contributions to ophthalmology have earned positions in the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery's Ophthalmology Hall of Fame.

Fremont, CA—Nidek Inc. has launched two new lasers to the U.S. market: its fifth-generation Nd:YAG laser solution—the YC-1800 ophthalmic YAG laser system—and the MC-300 multicolor laser photocoagulator system.

On April 11, Bausch & Lomb announced that it had received FDA approval to market its intravitreal fluocinolone acetonide implant 0.59 mg (Retisert) for the treatment of chronic noninfectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment of the eye.

With regard to the Implantable Contact Lens, STAAR Surgical hopes the success it has enjoyed abroad will bode well for its future domestically.