News

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.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), after completing its assessment and review of a simple patient access scheme, has accepted Alimera Sciences’ fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant (Iluvien) for restricted use within the National Health Service (NHS) Scotland.

A new layer in the human cornea-discovered by researchers at the University of Nottingham last year-has been found to play a vital role in the structure of the tissue that controls the flow of fluid from the eye.

Bilateral panuveitis associated with retinal vasculitis has been found to be the most common ocular manifestation-and administration of oral systemic corticosteroids was the most common intervention-according to a 25-year study of the uveitic patterns in Behçet’s disease in Saudi Arabian patients presented by J. Fernando Arevalo, MD.

Nicox S.A. has decided to re-focus its naproxcinod development efforts, granting an undisclosed financial partner the right to enter into a period of exclusive evaluation to assess the potential development of the drug and of next-generation nitric oxide (NO)-donors outside the ophthalmology area.

Bausch + Lomb have announced the U.S. introduction of BLIS (Bausch + Lomb Injector System), designed exclusively for use with the enVista glistening-free, hydrophobic acrylic IOL.

Alan G. Kabat, OD, discusses why olopatadine 0.2% is his preferred anti-allergy medication for managing mild-to-moderate seasonal allergic conjunctivitis.

A surgeon undergoing implantation of a corneal inlay to treat presbyopia enjoys the same visual benefits as his patients with the device.

Numerous clinical trials are under way that may help to define the role of immunotherapy in ocular allergy.

Thorough treatment of the ciliary processes-combined with measures for minimizing postoperative IOP spikes and inflammation-will lead to improved outcomes when performing endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation with cataract surgery.

Percutaneous ablation of lymphatic malformations is a safe, effective alternative to surgical resection, based on extensive follow-up of a large series of cases performed at a leading pediatric hospital in the United States.

Long-term trial data for a small-aperture corneal inlay (Kamra, AcuFocus) for presbyopia turned in superb results.

Evaluation and management of penetrating orbital injuries is largely guided by knowledge about the foreign body and is improving with advances in imaging technology.

Analyses of data from large clinical trials have been undertaken to determine how patient age and treatment-specific variables may influence the systemic safety of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment.

The surgical procedures and botulinum toxin A injections widely used today to treat strabismus may be supplanted within a decade or two by new drugs and devices that are more effective.

A new algorithm for the management of allergic conjunctivitis encourages collaboration and consensus among colleagues with different expertise as well as greater emphasis on ocular signs and symptoms by physicians who are not eye-care specialists.

Surgeons with experience using the femtosecond laser for refractive lens surgery discuss the safety benefits and challenges accompanying its use.

A recent article in The New York Times1 suggests that physicians-because we understand the implications of a serious illness diagnosis and the implications of treatment and the associated morbidity-die “better” than do non-physicians.

Vision health disparities are a serious issue in the United States among minorities, and many are hoping provisions in the Affordable Care Act will be able to alleviate the issue.

Arun C. Gulani, MD, explains his concept of addressing anterior corneal scars with laser PRK (not PTK) straight to 20/20. In the next article, he will explain how to build the cornea with various modalities in presenting it for laser PRK.

Optical dispensary designers discuss what they have seen this year as far as lighting, fixture plans, visual merchandising, and color scheme trends.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is offering an educational brochure, “Eye Health and Allergies.” The complimentary brochure is designed to provide patients with useful information on how eye allergies occur, common signs and symptoms, and practical advice on how to treat eye allergies.