News

Bayer HealthCare of Leverkusen, Germany, has entered into an exclusive collaboration with Inception Sciences Inc. of San Diego and Versant Ventures of San Francisco to develop treatment options for patients with retinal diseases, such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and geographic atrophy (GA).

Throughout 2013, there were several studies done that showed various new technologies and advancements have not only shown better refractive outcomes in cataract surgery, but could continue benefiting the outcomes in the future.

While US cataract surgeons still have limited access to pseudophakic correction technology, there were several premium IOLs made available this year that offer toric correction, an important step forward.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare has approved Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s aflibercept (Eylea) injection for the treatment of macular edema following central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

A careful history taking-with special attention to risk factors-may aid ophthalmologists in the prevention of diplopia after surgical procedures, said Anya Trumler, MD.

In New Orleans, the theme song “The Saints Go Marching In,” sings the famous line, “I want to be in that Number.” The American Academy of Ophthalmology is hoping that thousands of its members will want to be in that number too-the Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) Registry, formally introduced on Sunday.

Before Paul Sternberg Jr., MD, steps aside from his role as the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s president, he said he does not look back to recount his time in the office. Instead, he addressed the future.

Calling it an “innovator’s dilemma,” Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD, reflected on the extreme difficulties inventors often face in the beginning of a technological advance.

Looking to the future of dry eye management, Penny Asbell, MD, said she sees multiple examples of hope: a new device, trial findings, and emerging FDA and non-FDA approved therapeutics.

When asking the question, “What’s the ideal surface ablation: Laser, scraping, or alcohol?” it is not surprising that the response from Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, favors an approach known as Epi-Bowman Keratectomy (EBK).

The reality of glaucomatous progression bites, said Joel S. Schuman, MD-and it can bite even before structural or functional change is clinically noted by current technology.

When mild glaucoma and a visually significant cataract are both present, the risk/benefit calculus now seems to fall on the side of doing phaco, or a phaco-plus procedure, said James D. Brandt, MD.

You have to walk away from an OIS meeting like this and tell yourself how amazing it is to have great minds developing devices and drugs that will elevate clinical care for ophthalmic patients-and at the end of the day will make physicians’ job easier and better.

Often forgotten in the buzz over corneal crosslinking (CXL) is that the procedure kills cells down to 300 µm deep, knocking out everything in its path, including microorganisms and keratocytes, said Theo Seiler, MD, PhD.

For patients with low to moderate hyperopia who may be risk-adverse for surgical correction, there is a low-cost, non-invasive, pain-free procedure of 2.5 seconds, said James J. Salz, MD.