News

Read a reprinted column from late 2009.

An appreciable number of cases of immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery is being performed nationally each year.

In today's tight economy and competitive eye-care/eyewear market, it is important for eye-care professionals to explore every opportunity to uncover untapped potential revenue streams.

An image-guided femtosecond laser may improve safety and outcomes during cataract surgery by automating some of the manual steps such as capsulorhexis, incisions and nucleus chopping.

Intra-operative use of on-screen image guidance with a high-definition three-dimensional surgical microscope system is showing promise for improving the precision and predictability of various maneuvers during small-incision cataract surgery.

The investigational drug voclosporin has shown positive effects compared with placebo in the management of uveitis in pivotal phase III clinical trials as an oral corticosteroid-sparing drug in patients with clinically quiescent noninfectious uveitis.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery seems to be a major step forward as a result of the added safety and precision that the laser confers, such as to the creation of the incision, relaxing incisions, capsulorhexis, and nuclear removal steps.

In the beginning of 2010, some dramatic changes in coding and reimbursement for consultation services occurred.

Both longitudinal and torsional phacoemulsification using a proprietary system resulted in low corneal endothelial loss 3 months after cataract surgery to remove hard cataracts.

Results of a randomized, controlled U.S. pivotal trial of cataract surgery patients confirmed the efficacy and safety of a novel topical ocular bandage for protecting clear corneal incisions and minimizing postoperative pain.

These are exciting times to sell eyewear options to your patients.

In final draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) here has recommended an intravitreal implant that delivers 0.7 mg of dexamethasone via an applicator (Ozurdex, Allergan) for the treatment of macular edema (ME) due to central retinal vein occlusion and also for branch retinal vein occlusionin cases in which laser photocoagulation is neither beneficial nor appropriate.

The European Commission (EC) has approved a new indication for ranibizumab (Lucentis, marketed by Genentech in the United States and Novartis in the rest of the world): treating patients with visual impairment due to macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) or central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). The action makes ranibizumab the first anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy licensed for the treatment of both BRVO and CRVO in the European Union.

Bayer HealthCare has submitted an application for marketing authorization in Europe for a fusion protein (VEGF Trap-Eye) for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

To increase public knowledge of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and its affiliates across the country are launching the ?AMD: Awareness Makes a Difference? campaign June 16. The non-profit organization also has designated the day as AMD Awareness Day.

Santinelli International has bestowed its second annual Santinelli International Award. The merit-based award was presented to Gaspar Ramirez, a senior at George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn, NY. The high school has a vision care technology program, and Santinelli International is a member of the school?s Optical Council.

Dave Cole has been appointed as president of Transitions Optical, Inc., effective immediately. Cole, who had been serving as the company?s chief operating officer since October 2010, will assume full responsibility for the Transitions Optical business.

OCuSOFT Inc.'s proprietary blend of zinc and phytase (Zytaze) is now available for physician dispensing. This proprietary medical food is designed to provide nutritional support to enhance the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in the treatment of blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, or cosmetic procedures.

In a move that the institutions say will create the world?s largest ophthalmology research center, Schepens Eye Research Institute will become part of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) on June 30. Schepens will remain a non-profit entity and will retain its name, but both institutions will operate under the direction of the MEEI board of directors.

The International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE) has launched a new eye-care initiative in Nigeria with the goal of reducing the prevalence of avoidable blindness, visual impairment, and eye disease by 50% over the next 4 years. The initiative, called "Seeing is Believing," has been launched across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Zamfara state.

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month in an effort to educate the public on the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options of the world?s leading cause of blindness.

STAAR Surgical Company has received CE Mark approval for a proprietary IOL (KS-SP Preloaded Single Piece Hydrophobic Acrylic Intraocular Lens) and has received approval for marketing in Brazil a proprietary implantable lens design (Visian Implantable Collamer Lens V4). The company plans to launch both products in their respective markets during the second half of 2011.

CROMA Pharma, GmbH, and Bausch + Lomb (B + L) have announced the approval bromfenac sodium sesquihydrate (Yellox) by the European commission. This news follows the positive opinion issued in March by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), part of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

A proprietary interferometer (LipiView Ocular Surface Interferometer, TearScience, Inc.), has received the Medical Design Excellence Award from UBM Canon. The device provides eye-care practitioners with an in-office tear film procedure for dry eye patients that takes less than 5 minutes to perform.

"Optovue recently celebrated 20 years of advancements in optical coherence tomography (OCT) at the 20th anniversary annual meeting of Vision Source, an independent private practice optometrist group. Coincidently, 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of both the founding of Vision Source and the introduction of optical coherence tomography technology. "

in September, clinician scientist Eric Pierce, MD, PhD, will join in September the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Pierce will serve as associate director of the Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degenerations as a clinician and educator, and as director of the new Ocular Genomics Institute, where he will direct the genetic therapies program..

Michael R. Redmond, MD, has received the Outstanding Advocate Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Dr. Redmond was honored for his more than 30 years of involvement with advocacy on behalf of ophthalmologists and their patients, and for his many contributions to AAO.

Susanna Soon-Chun Park, MD, PhD, has received the University of California (UC), Davis, 2011 Joan Oettinger Memorial Award for her research into the use of proton beam irradiation to treat eye conditions.