News

The appropriate use of agents that inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can bring significant improvements to both short-term and long-term visual acuity for patients with neovascular AMD.

Although the healthcare industry was slow in the acceptance of content marketing, it has definitely gained momentum, and it’s time that we find its place within ophthalmology.

Ophthalmologists spend significant amounts of time during cataract surgery trying to precisely center an implanted IOL to achieve the best possible vision after surgery. The high success rate of cataract surgery suggests that in most cases, they succeed.

The loss of pioneering refractive-corneal surgeon Kenneth A. Greenberg, MD, left an indelible mark on many in the ophthalmic community. Dr. Greenberg passed away Jan. 31, 2016.

Physicians have the option of various adjunctive therapy when prostaglandin analog therapy alone is not sufficiently potent to lower IOP, i.e., they can add one agent, a fixed-combination therapy, or perform selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT).

Similar to their smartphone counterparts, smartwatch applications allow physicians to view schedules, basic patient information, and communicate with ancillary staff.

In this installment of Sight Lines, J.C. Noreika, MD, MBA, talks with Thomas Ebner, MD, a community-based surgeon from Medina, OH, who, in his retirement after a fulfilling career of more than 30 years, brings his expertise, care, and compassion to the underserved of Kenya. Though Dr. Ebner’s expertise is in general orthopedic practice, his passion for volunteerism is universal among many professionals in the greater medical community, including ophthalmology. Dr. Ebner shares the challenges and insights he has gained in his second career.

Implantation of two second-generation trabecular micro-bypass stents (iStent inject, Glaukos) as a single procedure or combined with cataract surgery is a safe and effective option for reducing IOP and the medication burden in eyes with open-angle glaucoma and IOP uncontrolled by medication and/or surgery, according to German surgeons.

High-level evidence supports the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but falls short of recommending any one agent over another in terms of efficacy or safety, said Paul Sternberg Jr., MD.

In a phase IIa study of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, a single subretinal injection of rAAV.sFlt-1 gene therapy demonstrated acceptable safety, but not a complete or durable anti-VEGF response. Additional preclinical research is under way.

Twenty-two of 23 eyes with a trans-scleral micro-lumen aqueous drainage tube implanted after failing maximum tolerated medication were evaluable at 3 years.

An ophthalmologist shares the clinical benefits he has experienced with a home vision-monitoring device for his patients with age-related macular degeneration.

People-like my neighbor and I-for centuries, have tended to give too much weight to negative news stories and gloomy predictions. Hence my resolution for 2016 to pay less attention to the doomsayers and pour more drinks for my friends.

Squalamine lactate-when combined with ranibizumab for treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration-achieved improved visual function when compared with the results achieved with ranibizumab treatment alone.

Two-year study results highlight some advantages of steroid treatment for DME.

David R. Chow, MD, provides an overview of new technological advancements for the vitreoretinal surgeon.

Pharmacotherapy research for diabetic macular edema is looking at targets other than VEGF inhibition to develop treatments that can be used as standalone intervention or may be complementary to current options.

The same photoactivation process used in collagen cross-linking for keratoconus can kill bacteria without the need for the oxygen responsible for the biomechanical effects, potentially pointing toward better treatments for keratitis, according to Olivier Richoz, MD, PhD.

Find out how to get your new staff members started on the right foot from Day One.

The IRIS Registry can improve patient outcomes by giving physicians access to information that could identify potential areas of quality improvement based on their patient population.

Ophthalmology Times is pleased to announce Amelia Fong, MD, of Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, as the second-place winner of the publication’s 2015 Resident Writer’s Award Program, sponsored by Allergan. Dr. Fong’s entry is featured here.

Swept-source microscope-integrated ocular coherence tomography is an investigational real-time imaging technique for monitoring and guiding anterior segment procedures.

Acrylic expanders may be an option for the management of patients with congenital anophthalmos and microphthalmos.

Refractive laser platforms provide outstanding results, have reliable technology with excellent predictability and outcomes, and provide a broad range of applications. Better diagnostic imaging is possible with optical coherence tomography and Scheimpflug technology, and the advances of femtosecond lasers are moving into cataract surgery, said Michael Mrochen, PhD.

Take-home message: LASIK has continued to improve over time and will see further refinements thanks to better preop testing and technological advances.

Were he alive today, he would likely feel heartened by how his work has been carried on by Gerd U. Auffarth, MD, FEBO, who is now director of The David J Apple International Laboratory for Ocular Pathology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Topical regenerating agent eye drops speed up the corneal healing and reduce ocular discomfort after the epi-off crosslinking but more research is needed.

Things that strike terror in the hearts of many Americans-spiders, earthquakes, Ebola virus disease, and politicians with plans to “fix” healthcare-don't faze me much. But, for as long as I can remember, I have had this visceral negative reaction to snakes.