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The present method of lowering IOP as a means of preventing optic neuropathy is expanding beyond prostaglandin analogues and beta blockers to include novel therapeutics, such as Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors, the adenosine class of drugs, and nitric oxide added to prostaglandins, said John R. Samples, MD.

Glaucoma surgeons are constantly clamoring for better surgical techniques. Traditional, incisional glaucoma surgery shunts fluid to the subconjunctival space and provides a route for aqueous to leave the eye by bypassing the normal outflow system and avoiding sources of resistance to outflow, said Barbara Smit, MD, PhD.

In his latest blog, Arun Gulani, MD, discusses deciding whether or not a patient deserves empathy for their medical situation, even when they are 'attorneys who sue eye surgeons for a living.'

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Scleritis can indicate serious systemic disease and requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Episcleritis also has certain treatment pearls.

Research supports the hypothesis that manipulation of the opioid growth regulatory system can restore function and normalize corneal epithelial wound healing, corneal sensitivity, and tear production in models of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Using a treat-and-extend regimen in routine clinical practice for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) achieves good visual outcomes and decreases treatments and clinic visits, according to a study in Ophthalmology.

Because the temperature decrease in the filtering bleb after trabeculectomy provides information about its function, a new ocular surface-oriented, infrared radiation thermographic device (TG 1000, Tomey) may help evaluate filtering bleb function. The device is easy to handle and creates reproducible measurements, according to new research published in the Journal of Glaucoma.

Tacrolimus 0.01% was effective for the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis in a study with 62 patients.

Pediatric herpes simplex virus should be part of the differential diagnosis when a patient has unilateral recurrent disease in the anterior segment.

Patients using a topical antibiotic ointment after blepharoplasty had a significantly lower rate of surgical site infections than controls using an ocular lubricant ointment in an observational cohort study.

Natamycin was superior to voriconazole in a randomized clinical trial for outcome measures, such as visual acuity and perforations.

Pediatric patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis affecting the eyes may best be treated with topical calcineurin inhibitors to decrease the conjunctival inflammation.

Accumulating evidence shows intracameral antibiotics decrease the risk of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery, but questions and concerns remain.

Therapeutic deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty performed early should be considered in cases of acanthamoeba keratitis refractory to medical therapy with substantial optical zone ulceration.

More than 11,000 clinicians and researchers will gather in Denver to learn more about leading eye and vision research at the 2015 meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Intravitreal aflibercept may be associated with systemic effects based on an observable reaction in the fellow eyes of patients with diabetic macular edema.

Implementing electronic health records into an ambulatory surgery center fosters efficiency and increases patient and staff satisfaction.

If a ban on antibiotic-fed chicken by McDonald's results in fewer infections and deaths from resistant organisms, I nominate Ronald McDonald (no relation) for Surgeon General.

Remember, “The devil is in the details.” An optical buyer can quickly go from excitement about a purchase to distress when the order is not ready on time or if the new eyeglasses are flawed in any way.

Though given little attention during residency training, the area of visual performance should become the standard of care in patients with traumatic brain injury, explains Barry L. Seiller, MD, MBA.

Weak zonules are known to add intraoperative complications and affect every step of the cataract procedure. Luigi Fontana, MD, PhD, describes how capsule retractors have helped him tackle this issue in his cataract practice.

In the United States, the moderately rare condition endophthalmitis impacts 1 case per 1,100 cataract surgeries. The question may surface: Why should physicians care with a rate that is so low?

Physicians may know how a product is stored once it reaches their offices, but there is no way of knowing the supply chain storage conditions during manufacture and transit.

Contrast sensitivity is a more valuable metric than many ophthalmologists realize, with applications in preoperative and postoperative management of corneal and refractive surgery patients and routine screening of patients’ quality of vision.

Gene therapy can provide transformative disease-modifying effects, with potentially lifelong clinical benefits after a single therapeutic administration. The most advanced retinal gene therapy program in the United States is in phase III study.

The American Academy has acquired the Spencer E. Sherman, M.D. Antique Ophthalmology Book Collection. This collection consists of more than 130 rare books and catalogs, representing some of the oldest and most important texts ever published in ophthalmology.

Palinopsia can be broadly defined as the persistence or recurrence of an image after the stimulus has been removed. Formed, high-resolution afterimages are typically more alarming to patients than unformed, blurred afterimages.

In this second of a two-part series on pterygia and pinguecula surgery with cosmetic expectations, Arun C. Gulani, MD, addresses the complex pterygia and complications.

Consider infectious scleritis if a patient with scleritis tests negative for rheumatological disease.