News

A basic understanding of corneal topography is paramount for effective screening and follow-up of refractive surgery patients in order to exclude those who are at risk for postoperative ectasia and to manage those who develop that complication.

The FDA's recent announcement that it is reviewing serious adverse effects, including death, that have occurred following the use of botulinum toxins for the management of juvenile cerebral palsy and other large-muscle, lower-limb spasticities applies primarily to the non-cosmetic formulation of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) rather than the cosmetic version (Botox Cosmetic), Allergan said in a statement.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued an emergency notice to correct a typographical error in the relative value unit of the new Current Procedural Terminology code for complex retina detachment, said the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in a notice to members.

The FDA has accepted Sirion Therapeutics' new drug application (NDA) for difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Durezol) and has granted it priority review, the Tampa, FL-based company has announced.

NeoVista Inc. has announced that the American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology Editorial Panel has released a new Category III code for the company's novel epiretinal beta radiation therapy to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

A Cleveland Clinic research team has developed the first animal model of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and it is expected to enable researchers to study the development and progression of AMD and conduct pre-clinical testing of new therapeutics.

IOLs that dislocate postoperatively may be repositioned rather than removed. A surgeon describes techniques for rescuing a dislocated sulcus-fixated IOL and a subluxated in-the-bag IOL.

Because microincisional cataract surgery permits the use of smaller incisions than those employed in conventional phacoemulsification, it is potentially a safer procedure, offering greater control to the surgeon; also, it may yield less astigmatism, less inflammation, and quicker healing for the patient, according to one surgeon.

Corneal cell responses after PRK performed with a 213-nm solid-state and a 193-nm excimer laser were compared in a rabbit model. The results showed that both lasers have similar cell death-inducing properties, but less keratocyte proliferation followed treatment with the 213-nm laser.

The informed consent for refractive lens exchange must apprise patients about the risks of endophthalmitis and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Data on these issues, which are mostly derived from the cataract surgery literature, are reviewed.

An initial analysis of data collected from LASIK patients pre- and postoperatively indicates personality influences visual quality of life after surgery.

According to the Barbados Eye Studies, black people treated for glaucoma are at increased risk of dying from heart and vascular disease, particularly those treated with timolol maleate eye drops.

Blood sugar levels below what is considered diabetic indicate a complication of the disease that leads to blindness, Australian researchers report.

Sutureless Descemet's stripping with endothelial keratoplasty may be a reliable method of endothelial keratoplasty with the use of sulfur hexafluoride in place of filtered air.

An aberration-free optic lens (SofPort AO, Bausch & Lomb) provides excellent visual acuity, low incidence of Nd:YAG capsulotomy, no patient complaints of visual disturbances, and improved nighttime vision, according to results of a 2-year postoperative study.

A study analyzing demographic, pretreatment, and outcomes variables in a large population of patients undergoing conventional LASIK for low-to-moderate myopia identified that postoperative UCVA and visual symptoms, such as monocular diplopia and glare, play a significant role in patient dissatisfaction. However, together they only explain a small portion of the variance.

Although tonometry remains a vital tool in glaucoma management, the significance of individual measurements should be regarded with a healthy degree of skepticism. Central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements should be incorporated into global assessment of glaucoma risk, but trying to correct tonometry readings by CCT is not appropriate.

Visual field testing, although not perfect, currently is the most established approach for estimating progression in glaucoma. Several approaches are available to measure visual fields, and with all of them, it is important to repeat the test frequently over a long period of time.

The cataract surgery population is growing, and patients are presenting with vision needs that differ from those of previous generations. New IOL technology, including aspheric, multifocal, and accommodating designs, is helping surgeons meet the changing paradigm in patient expectations.

Results of a multicenter FDA clinical trial of a fourth-generation version of an accommodating IOL (crystalens HD-100, eyeonics/Bausch & Lomb) demonstrate that the lens provides excellent uncorrected visual acuity at all distances that exceeds those of previous versions and without causing loss of contrast sensitivity.

Calculating corneal spherical aberration-especially in eyes with extreme ranges of corneal spherical wavefront aberrations-by using the recorder function of a diagnostic system with analytical software may be beneficial when choosing an IOL that has positive, neutral, or negative SA to reduce postoperative SA in the whole eye.

Cary Rayment, who was honored Jan. 23 by the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) with the 2008 GRF Catalyst Award, is leading his company's strategic plan to spend more than $3.5 billion on research over the next 5 years.

Women remain underrepresented at the higher levels of academic medicine and in executive positions, but these trends are certain to change as the female physicians now starting their careers accumulate experience.

Cataract surgeons agree that proper incision construction is paramount for achieving good postoperative stability that will reduce the risk for endophthalmitis. The safety of the clear cornea incision technique versus use of other incision types remains controversial, however.

Women remain underrepresented at the higher levels of academic medicine and in executive positions, but these trends are certain to change as the female physicians now starting their careers accumulate experience.

Femtosecond laser (IntraLase, Advanced Medical Optics) technology is capable of performing nonmechanical dissection of the posterior lamellar disc for endothelial keratoplasty in a safe manner.

Patients with age-related macular degeneration have twice the risk of dying from heart attack or stroke, according to Australian researchers.

Cataract surgery incision sizes have been significantly reduced by new technology. Now surgeons can make two 1.8-mm cuts on either side of the eye.