News

Abbott has completed the tender offer by Rainforest Acquisition Inc., its wholly owned subsidiary, to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock of Advanced Medical Optics (AMO).

Aton Pharma Inc. has acquired the U.S. marketing rights to the timolol (Timoptic) product line from Merck & Co. Inc.

Physicians can receive a 2% bonus for e-prescribing and participating in the Physician's Quality Reporting Initiative, adding up to a potential 4% bonus to participating doctors in 2009. This year, program participation is not mandatory, but in 2012, physicians will be penalized –1% for not e-prescribing.

Federal regulators have judged the first phase of the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program a success, but the controversial plan promises potential headaches for physicians as it goes forward. In response to the initial success, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in October its plan to expand the program to a dozen new states in the first quarter of 2009. By January 2010, all 50 states will be in RAC's crosshairs.

No existing scientific evidence validates the presumption that thinner preoperative corneal thickness independently increases the risk of post-LASIK ectasia, as long as intraoperative pachymetry is performed to guard against a thicker-than-expected flap. In fact, thin corneas in eyes with normal topography appear to be biomechanically strong. Routine preoperative topographic screening should be performed to detect abnormalities that suggest an increased risk for post-LASIK ectasia.

Results obtained with wavefront-optimized LASIK are equivalent to those achieved with wavefront-customized LASIK, according to a retrospective study of 148 patients. The wavefront-optimized approach also presents an option for the approximately one-third of patients who cannot undergo customized treatment for one of several reasons, according to the ophthalmologist who conducted the research.

Difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Durezol, Sirion Therapeutics) was comparable with prednisolone ophthalmic suspension 1% (Pred Forte, Allergan), the current standard of care, in a pivotal anterior uveitis trial. Difluprednate was dosed four times daily compared with eight times for prednisolone acetate, suggesting that it could enhance compliance.

When capsulorrhexis becomes complicated by a radial tear, pulling the flap backward, first circumferentially and then centrally, can rescue the tear-out. Here, an ophthalmologist shares a technique to successfully address this complication.

Cataract surgery can dramatically lower elevated IOP, and the effect appears to be quite durable. This benefit, together with the safety of phacoemulsification, suggests that ophthalmologists should consider its role as a stand-alone procedure to treat co-morbid cataract and glaucoma.

Napa and Sonoma counties, located approximately an hour from San Francisco, are well known around the United States and the world for their superior wine and wineries. Here is just a sampling of the local vineyards.

San Francisco has cuisine to satisfy many taste buds. From dim sum to gnocchi, use this guide to map out your dining tour of the city by the bay.

San Francisco is nearly synonymous with a high cost of living. The advent and financial success of the early years of the Internet revolution still lures high-income folks to the city by the bay. Property values and household income are among the top in the nation, which enables a profitable restaurant and entertainment scene.

Soft Plug Flow Control Silicone Plugs (Oasis Medical) provide partial occlusion of the puncta with limited tear drainage for patients with moderate and severe dry eye. These plugs eliminate epiphora in patients for whom total occlusion is excessive.

Results from visual acuity testing, refraction, and corneal topography analysis using Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam, Oculus) in a series of 48 eyes with progressive keratoconus demonstrate the benefits of corneal collagen crosslinking for halting keratoconus progression. More research is needed to provide answers to questions about the long-term stability of collagen corneal crosslinking and to refine its indications and contraindications.

The Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology announced in a prepared statement that it has received approval for a separate occupational classification, ophthalmic medical technician, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor's 2010 Standard Occupational Classification committee.

Pfizer will disclose publicly its compensation of U.S. health-care professionals for consulting, speaking engagements, and clinical trials by early next year on the company's Web site.

Dyax Corp. and Fovea Pharmaceuticals have entered into an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialization of an ocular formulation of DX-88 for the treatment of retinal diseases, the companies announced in a joint statement.

Ophthalmology is constantly evolving, and the ways things are done now are not necessarily going to stay the same in the future. The reality is that it's more important to be able to adapt to change than it is to predict change.

Surgeons should review the new discoveries in orbital anatomy and consider expanding their surgical armamentarium to include surgery of the pulley system says one ophthalmologist.

Analysts and ophthalmologists are closely watching the drama unfolding between private Swiss drugmaker Roche and the publicly traded, California-based Genentech, maker of ranibizumab (Lucentis), the only FDA-approved treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and its popular cousin, bevacizumab (Avastin). Roche is attempting a hostile takeover of Genentech.

This is the personal experience of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) implementation presented by Cindy Maddox, MD, FACS, director of glaucoma services and vice chairwoman at the New England Eye Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston and member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's health policy committee.

A frame buyer's certificate program is being presented by the Vision Council's Eyewear and Accessories Division at International Vision Expo East, held March 27 to 29, at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City.

The top courses to choose from at Vision Expo East

A survey conducted by independent research firm, Decision Analyst, and sponsored by Bausch & Lomb, found that four out of 10 consumers incorrectly believe that their astigmatism prevents them from wearing contact lenses.

Two new tools are being offered by the American Academy of Ophthalmology to help members avoid wrong site or wrong IOL errors.

Sightsavers International has launched the Mumbai Eye Care Campaign to prevent avoidable blindness and to offer eye care to millions of Mumbai's citizens in underserved areas of the city, such as Dharavi, the setting of the award-winning film, 'Slumdog Millionaire.'

A dry eye questionnaire can be a useful tool in clinical practice for characterizing the type and severity of dry eye that a patient is experiencing and evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic intervention.

Vigorous exercise may help prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, according to a new study.

Within the next 10 years, viewers may be able to watch TV via a contact lens inserted in the eye, according to some technology consultants.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recognized in a statement the passing of Yasuo Tano, MD, president of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and immediate past president of the Japanese Ophthalmological Society.