News

An advanced LASIK procedure that uses an excimer laser and femtosecond laser (CustomVue iLASIK, Abbott Medical Optics) is safe and effective, and it provides excellent refractive outcomes, based on 1-month results of an ongoing, multicenter, prospective, non-comparative evaluation of 20 patients.

Contact lens-related microbial keratitis accounts for significant vision loss and health-care expenditures each year. Early identification and treatment can help improve prognosis, but better diagnostic methods are needed. Research to understand the effects of soft contact lenses on tear film physiology may provide new insights on pathogenesis and prevention.

No statistically significant differences were found in the results of LASIK performed with two combinations of devices for femtosecond flap creation and excimer laser vision correction. Both systems produced excellent clinical outcomes. One combination (VisuMax and MEL 80, both Carl Zeiss Meditec), however, was associated with less scatter and more predictability for refractive outcomes than another (Allegretto Wave Eye-Q, Alcon Laboratories; IntraLase FS60, Abbott Medical Optics). Additional research is needed to determine what effect the two femtosecond lasers might have had on the results.

Data from patients enrolled in prospective studies evaluating treatment of low to moderate myopia with astigmatism using a toric IOL (Visian Toric Implantable Collamer Lens, STAAR Surgical), wavefront-guided (WFG) LASIK, or WFG PRK were compared in a retrospective analysis. Although some differences were identified, all procedures overall were associated with favorable outcomes.

The newest program of the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research is Women in Eye and Vision Research, launched at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's 2009 annual meeting to further develop and strengthen the career paths of women who conduct eye and vision research.

Abbott Medical Optics said it has decided to halt future production of its newest ophthalmic viscosurgical device, 3% sodium hyaluronate (Healon D), citing concerns about the company's ability to ensure a continuous supply to the market.

Current topography-based methods for keratoconus screening have limitations. Researchers at Doheny Eye Institute have been working to develop a method for capturing focal thinning that is characteristic of keratoconus using optical coherence tomography-derived pachymetry maps. A method based on fitting the data to a Gaussian waveform is showing promise.

War veterans often confront many injuries during their tours, including vision loss.

The One Use-Plus microkeratome (Moria) equipped with the 90-µm head, which cuts an average flap thickness of ~100 µm, is a single-use solution for performing sub-Bowman's keratomileusis. It performs with excellent reproducibility, comparing well with the femtosecond laser, and creates high-quality, planar-like flaps and smooth stromal beds.

Advanced optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices used in routine screening of refractive surgery candidates can enable clinicians to obtain better results or determine if there is a reason the surgery should not take place. Advanced OCT imaging can reveal anatomic features missed by other screening instruments.

Newly unemployed Americans and their families who have lost their health insurance coverage and who are taking Pfizer branded medicines, including latanoprost ophthalmic solution (Xalatan), may be eligible for free medicine under a new patient assistance program launched by the manufacturer.

The French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) of Dallas/Fort Worth presented John Carrier, president of Essilor of America Inc., with the Alain Bellet Award.

The emerging trend toward the purchase of eyeglasses online is a threat for dispensaries. Even if the trend were to take hold, not everyone will choose to purchase eyeglasses online. Plan how your practice will react.

The custom topographic neutralizing technique seems to be a promising alternative for treating patients with aberrated corneas after refractive procedures. The procedure is performed using a proprietary topographically guided excimer laser (Allegretto Wave Eye-Q, Alcon Laboratories [formerly WaveLight]) and corneal topographer (Allegro Topolyzer, Alcon Laboratories [formerly WaveLight]).

A new optical coherence tomography (OCT) software application (Cirrus [high-definition] HD-OCT, Carl Zeiss Meditec) has been cleared by the FDA for commercial distribution.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) have issued a joint statement regarding results of a new study. The new research reinforces an advisory issued in 2006 that cautioned patients taking tamsulosin (Flomax, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.) to treat prostate enlargement and urinary problems should inform their ophthalmologist about use of this alpha-blocker before undergoing eye surgery.

Children with intermittent exotropia, especially boys, appear more likely to develop mental illness by young adulthood than children without strabismus, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology

Dry eye disease is common among American men aged more than 50 years and its prevalence increases with age, high blood pressure, benign prostrate disease, and the use of antidepressants, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

EyeCare of America, a program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, will be offering "Don't Lose Sight of Your Independence," a national health campaign intended to remind the senior community of the value of eyesight.

Health insurance payers are rating their providers by the efficiency of the care delivered, and are beginning to steer patients to the most cost-effective care providers. However, cost-effectiveness does not always equate to high quality, and there are a number of potential problems inherent in the insurance companies' methodologies that make this a disturbing trend for physicians.

Azithromycin ophthalmic solution 1% (AzaSite, Inspire Pharmaceuticals), a broad-spectrum antibiotic that has the propensity to penetrate into the ocular tissues, rapidly improves anterior blepharitis faster than any other treatments for blepharitis, according to one ophthalmologist.

The electronic database of a large health-maintenance organization was used to identify patients who had a positive temporal artery biopsy indicating a diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA). The calculated incidence of GCA was significantly less than previously reported and is thought to reflect, in part, differences in population demographics between studies.

This article summarizes the recent elucidations on the immunopathogenic process that leads to giant cell arteritis (GCA) and reviews both the well-known and newly recognized clinical subtypes and manifestations of the disease. The role of various noninvasive imaging techniques that are increasingly used to corroborate a clinical diagnosis of GCA as well as traditional and new treatment strategies are discussed.

A retrospective study analyzed outcomes in 18 patients who were treated for idiopathic or post-cataract surgery cystoid macular edema with nepafenac 0.1% (Nevanac, Alcon Laboratories) alone or combined with a corticosteroid. Statistically significant improvements were achieved in mean visual acuity and foveal thickness in both groups.

Difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Durezol, Sirion Therapeutics) was at least as effective as prednisolone acetate suspension 1% (Pred Forte, Allergan), dosed twice as often, in the treatment of endogenous anterior uveitis. Equivalent effectiveness with less-frequent dosing could improve patient compliance, according to one ophthalmologist.

A prospective, randomized, investigator-masked study was conducted to compare twice-daily and four-times-daily dosing of a corticosteroid after cataract surgery. All patients also received bromfenac 0.09% (Xibrom, Ista Pharmaceuticals). No significant differences in macular thickening or anterior chamber cell and flare were observed between groups.

An active comparator, parallel group study comparing levofloxacin 1.5% and moxifloxacin 0.5% in patients undergoing cataract surgery showed significantly greater aqueous penetration of levofloxacin, measured as area under the curve over a 6-hour interval. Levofloxacin also had a significantly higher Cmax and significantly higher maximum concentration at the end of the dose interval. These findings indicate a possible role for levofloxacin in the prophylaxis of endophthalmitis at the time of cataract surgery.

Besifloxacin (Optura, Bausch & Lomb) was found to be more effective than gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin in reducing the number of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus organisms in the cornea when applied topically 10 to 18 hours after infection.