News

David L. Epstein, MD, the Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine, died on Tuesday, March 4.

In response to a recent study by the Vision Council which found that close to 70% of American adults experience some form of digital eyestrain, Prevent Blindness has declared March Workplace Eye Wellness Month.

ThromboGenics has taken steps to expand its research of treatments for vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) and diabetic macular edema (DME).

An ophthalmologist who shot to fame earlier this year after an email he sent to colleagues detailing his quest to find the perfect spouse became a viral hit, upped his search by recently appearing on a popular reality dating show.

Although there is a long list of systemic disorders that can lead to pediatric cataracts, rarely does the ophthalmologist need to initiate laboratory evaluation to diagnose an underlying cause, according to Daniel E. Neely, MD.

Rapid Pathogen Screening Inc. (RPS) has received a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waiver from the FDA for its rapid, disposable, in-office test (InflammaDry) to aid in the diagnosis of dry eye disease.

With the first trial of the new International Classification of Disease (ICD)-10 medical billing system this month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is urging ophthalmologists to initiate their preparation and training for the switch to the new coding system well ahead of the October mandate.

Melvin L. Rubin, MD, a former president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), died Sunday, Feb. 23 at his home at the age of 81.

STAAR Surgical and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals-in collaboration with Bayer Healthcare-are making strides in Japan.

Recent advances in surgical therapeutic modalities are enabling ophthalmologists to provide individualized care for their patients with glaucoma.

Combination treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration is more likely to provide more favorable results by eliminating vascular endothelial growth factor and possibly causing true regression of choroidal neovascularization, reducing the risk of visual loss.

Ocriplasmin achieved complete resolution of vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) in more study patients with VMA and exudative age-related macular degeneration compared with patients in the sham group.

With several options available for improving vision in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, the decision about which agent to use might take into account information on resolution of macular edema, cost, and safety.

The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to Bausch + Lomb’s femtosecond laser platform (Victus) for the creation of incisions in the cornea of patients undergoing cataract surgery or other ophthalmic treatments requiring incisions in the cornea.

A corneal presbyopia inlay seems to have overcome two obstacles to patient satisfaction by providing good near vision without glare and halos.

Lamellar-perforating keratoplasty is a new excimer laser-assisted transplantation technique developed for eyes with advanced keratoconus.

A switch from bevacizumab to ranibizumab and, in some patients, a subsequent higher dose of ranibizumab, resulted in further improvement for patients with diabetic macular edema in a recent study.

Results from the MIVI-TRUST trials serve as a guide to identifying cases of symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion that are most likely to achieve success with ocriplasmin treatment.

A dexamethasone implant provides long-term visual improvements in patients with diabetic macular edema treated with two doses of the drug.

An ophthalmologist with a practice in Brazil explains how using photothermal stimulation with an algorithm is an effective treatment for his patients with diabetic macular edema and central serous chorioretinopathy.

With a decline in research funding over the years, it is hoped by many that the Affordable Care Act will be the relief needed to keep the field growing and desirable to future ophthalmologists.

Some days I just can’t help feeling great about the future, especially the future of medicine. And then on other days, like today, I watch videos and read stories on the Internet of people being gunned down in the streets of giant “world-class” cities like Kiev, Caracas, Bangkok, and Aleppo by their fellow citizens.

Monthly injections yielded superior vision increases, marked retinal thickness decreases

Retinal imaging is rapidly advancing with the introduction of novel technologies and new imaging techniques.

With the next step in cataract surgery, femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery, it is important to education physicians, staff members, and patients on the technology.

Progress in posterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging is continuing with novel software that provides better correction for eye motion, as well as new technology which offers faster imaging speeds, said James Fujimoto, PhD.

The John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah announced that Voyant Biotherapeutics-a company formed out of its Center for Translational Medicine (CTM)-has signed an exclusive research and development collaboration agreement with Allergan.

Topcon Medical Laser Systems announced that Daniel Palanker, PhD, has received the International Society for Optics and Photonics’ 2014 Translational Research Award.