News

New research has indicated that a decrease in vision function is a key factor in older Americans recognizing when they can no longer drive safely and deciding that it is time to stay off the road.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, and in observance, the four principal investigators of the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) Catalyst for a Cure consortium will present a scientific overview of recent research advances.

Topcon Medical Systems Inc. has introduced a new slit lamp (SL-3G).

X-GEN Pharmaceuticals Inc. will begin marketing injectable acetazolamide for indications including open-angle glaucoma and secondary glaucoma as well as preoperative use for the treatment of acute angle-closure glaucoma in cases in which surgery has been delayed to lower IOP.

Allergan has received FDA approval for its 0.03% bimatoprost ophthalmic solution (Latisse) as a novel treatment for hypotrichosis of the eyelashes.

Alcon Inc. has received FDA approval for a lens designed for implantation during cataract surgery in patients with presbyopia (AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +3.0 D).

The FDA has recalled one lot of an ophthalmic viscosurgical device ([OVD] Healon D, Advanced Medical Optics [AMO]) following a voluntary recall by the manufacturer.

The number of Americans with major eye diseases is expected to increase drastically over the next several decades as more people are diagnosed with diabetes, according to a new study.

The recent developments in 2008 have left many of us with less wealth than we had just a year ago. The purpose of this article is to highlight a few tactics for regaining some of your lost wealth.

In cataract surgery cases where implantation of a monofocal acrylic IOL is planned, a recently approved model (Akreos Advanced Optics Aspheric Lens [model AO60], Bausch & Lomb) has rapidly become the IOL of choice for one surgeon who has implanted almost 100 of the lenses.

Anatomic outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) have improved thanks to a number of innovations, but functional outcomes have still been suboptimal. The development of techniques based on use of the femtosecond laser to create host and donor incisions has driven PKP into a new era of refractive surgery.

An eye model was used to evaluate image quality associated with different available multifocal IOLs. The overall results show benefits of an aspheric apodized diffractive design.

A proprietary toric IOL (AcrySof Toric, Alcon Laboratories) was found to be rotationally stable and a reliable option for the correction of astigmatism in a prospective study of 50 patients. The results were arrived at by using an innovative digital imaging technique coupled with new software that uses a grid to determine rotational stability of IOLs to a sensitivity of 0.1°. The implications of the new digital imaging technology and its associated software extend well beyond the findings in these 50 patients.

A mechanical microkeratome (One Use-Plus SBK, Moria) created flaps with predictable dimensions that were planar and associated with extremely smooth stromal beds, and patients benefited with rapid visual recovery, in a clinical trial including 50 eyes as well as cadaveric eyes. The microkeratome was compared with a 60-kHz femtosecond laser (IntraLase, Advanced Medical Optics) in the study.

An analysis of outcomes in 1,088 eyes treated using a nomogram developed at the University of Rochester highlights its excellent performance in improving treatment accuracy.

An aspheric implant (Acri.LISA Toric 466 TD IOL, Carl Zeiss Meditec) corrects astigmatism and presbyopia and can be implanted through a >1.5-mm incision to avoid surgically induced astigmatism and minimize induced aberrations. The optic is designed for optimal visual quality and the haptics for rotational stability. Excellent outcomes, including high patient satisfaction, have been achieved implanting this IOL after co-axial microincisional surgery using a phacoemulsification platform (Oertli).

Mixing and matching IOLs with different optical principles was investigated in a European multicenter project. Data from 90 patients seen at 120 to 180 days after surgery showed excellent results in functional outcomes, patient satisfaction, and spectacle independence.

Five femtosecond lasers are now commercially available. They vary in their features and capabilities, but the product category as a whole is characterized by a rapid evolution toward improved technology with more changes and a growing list of uses expected in the future.

Wavefront-guided LASIK was associated with better night-driving performance than conventional LASIK in two studies conducted in a night-driving simulator. The better outcomes following wavefront-guided procedures could be attributable to fewer higher-order aberrations and use of a femtosecond laser.

Skillful physician-patient communication is paramount to successful prevention and management of dissatisfied LASIK patients.

The angle-supported phakic IOL (AcrySof, Alcon Laboratories) is being evaluated for the treatment of moderate to high myopia in three phase II and III clinical trials in Europe and North America enrolling 360 patients. Data from a 3-year visit in 104 eyes show excellent stability, predictability, and vision outcomes with a low rate of adverse events.

Results of the 2008 International Society of Refractive Surgery/American Academy of Ophthalmology survey are consistent with market data showing a decline in the number of patients undergoing refractive surgery, but they demonstrate surgeon confidence in the procedure, with 35% of respondent surgeons having undergone LASIK or PRK in their own eyes. Use of the femtosecond laser for flap creation and preferences for thinner flaps and phakic IOLs for treating high myopia are growing.

Eye disease and sleep disorders are linked in several ways, according to research published recently in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Eye disease and sleep disorders are linked in several ways, according to research published recently in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Vision Research Center has launched a research Web site (www.visionresearchcenter.com) where experts in the ophthalmic community and patients can share their experiences and opinions concerning technology and therapies, according to a prepared statement.

A team of seven leading ophthalmologists has been assembled to evaluate the accommodative properties of a proprietary material (Collamer, STAAR Surgical) used in the company's accommodating IOLs, it was announced in a prepared statement.

Eschenbach Optik has been named the exclusive North American distributor of the Ash Technologies Ltd. line of video magnification products.

Alcon Inc. has launched an online educational resource, www.cataractsurgery.com, for people who have cataracts, and their caregivers.

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, will be the site of the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) meeting in February 2012.

We live in a connected world thanks in part to former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore. Dr. McDonnell shares his ambitions for the New Year: to rival Al Gore and win the Nobel Peace Prize in Literature.