News

The chances are significantly-perhaps surprisingly-better than even that the typical eye-care practice will fall victim to internal theft. That being the case, practice managers need to know how to identify internal theft and how to prevent it from happening in their practices.

Las Vegas-Patients with subfoveal cho-roidal neovascularization (CNV) who received monthly injections of ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) for 3 months and quarterly thereafter fared better than those patients receiving sham treatment in the PIER study. Vision in patients receiving the quarterly injections in this trial was not as good as that in patients who received monthly doses of ranibizumab for the duration of the MARINA and ANCHOR studies, however, reported Peter K. Kaiser, MD.

Las Vegas-The long-term results of the multicenter Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) indicated that the beneficial effect of treatment with antioxidants and zinc with copper persisted 10 years after the AREDS 1 trial ended in patients who were at higher risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Emily Y. Chew, MD, reported during the retina subspecialty day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Jacksonville, FL-The 5S Classification System, developed by Arun C. Gulani, MD, is an approach to classifying various corneal refractive surgery complications. Clinicians can use it to describe the cornea based on appearance rather than by previously used technologies, said Dr. Gulani, founding director of Gulani Vision Institute, Jacksonville, FL.

London-Conductive keratoplasty (CK, Refractec), an effective treatment for the correction of hyperopia or presbyopia, might be a useful procedure for cataract patients with residual astigmatism, according to Tejas D. Shah, MD, who spoke at the XXIV Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Muscat, Sultanate of Oman-The Carriazo-Pendular microkeratome (Schwind eye-tech-solutions) has been shown to be safe and to produce flaps of predictable thickness with two different cutting head sizes and two different suction ring sizes in a large, multicenter European study.

Tampere, Finland-The M2 microkeratome (Moria) received high marks from researchers who used the instrument to create thin flaps during LASIK.

The regression equation: flap thickness = 0.26 (preop corneal thickness) – 0.19 (age) – 11.30 (blade type; 0 = new, 1 = used) + 0.76 (average K) – 22.05.

London-In a comparison of visual outcomes with the femtosecond laser and mechanical microkeratomes following LASIK, both were very effective at targeting emmetropia. Eyes treated with the femtosecond laser, however, had faster visual recovery and better uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) results at 3 months despite experiencing more transient symptoms immediately after surgery, reported Capt. Steve Schallhorn, MD, here at the XXIV Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Las Vegas-Post-LASIK dry eye is a common problem even in patients with no preoperative evidence of dry eye. In fact, the prevalence of dry eye in the adult population has been reported to be as high as 70% (under certain conditions). Therefore, all LASIK candidates should be treated as if they might develop the condition, according to a refractive surgery expert.

London-Thin, shallow corneal flaps of approximately 80 to 90 ?m created with an IntraLase femtosecond laser (IntraLase Corp.) may produce the best results in refractive surgery, effectively eliminating pain and haze while producing long-term visual stability, said John Marshall, PhD, in a keynote address during a session on femtosecond lasers here at the XXIV Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

Las Vegas-Omesh P. Gupta, MD, MBA, of Wills Eye at Jefferson, Philadelphia, was named the winner of the fourth annual Ophthalmology Times Resident Writer's Award Program. The program was sponsored by Advanced Medical Optics (AMO). During a presentation in November at the Venetian Hotel, Dr. Gupta was the first-place winner for a case study of intracameral entry of antibiotic ointment following routine cataract phacoemulsification.

Editor's Note: Omesh P. Gupta, MD, MBA, a senior ophthalmology resident and co-chief resident at Wills Eye at Jefferson, Philadelphia, was named the winner of the fourth annual Ophthalmology Times Resident Writer's Award Program-presented at the 2006 American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in Las Vegas.

A 59-year-old male was referred for decreased vision and glare in his right eye 7 days after uneventful clear corneal (CC) phacoemulsification with IOL implantation. On postoperative day 1, his visual acuity was 20/25 in the affected eye. The anterior chamber reaction revealed 1+ cell and flare and the IOL was clear.

Boston-SOLX, the glaucoma division of OccuLogix Inc., has begun an international program to train and certify ophthalmologists in Europe and the Middle East in surgical implantation procedures using the company's Gold Micro-Shunt products.

Boston-The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, was the first institution in the United States to acquire the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q excimer laser system for performing LASIK. Another system was installed 2 weeks later at Emory Vision, part of the Emory Eye Center and the Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta.

Dublin, CA-Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc. has installed 6,000 Stratus OCT systems.

St. Petersburg, FL-Lenstec Inc. says the FDA has granted it an investigational device exemption to begin a clinical trial of the Softec HD posterior chamber IOL.

Las Vegas-More than 32,570 people registered for the 2006 American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in November, making it the most successful meeting in the organization's history.

Cleveland-The Cleveland Clinic's Cole Eye Institute will lead a large, multicenter clinical trial to explore combination therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."

Las Vegas-Herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis is the leading infectious cause of corneal blindness in the developed world, said Deborah Pavan-Langston, MD, FACS, at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting. HSV infection also is one of the most complicated illnesses, because it encompasses mechanical and immune as well as infectious components, continued Dr. Pavan-Langston, associate professor of ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

The preservative system used to manufacture Systane Free Liquid Gel lubricating eye drops (Alcon Laboratories) is distinctly different from that of the company's other products, including travoprost ophthalmic solution 0.004% (Travatan), according to the company.

Las Vegas-Kevin M. Miller, MD, Kolokotrones Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, and Hussein Wafapoor, MD, of Retina Health Center, Fort Myers, FL, are among the physician recipients of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's (AAO) series of achievement awards.

images

New York -"Measurement of IOP in 2006 is under pressure," Robert N. Weinreb, MD, told the Glaucoma 2006 meeting attendees here. "We need to reassess both the quality and the quantity of our IOP measurements.

Ann Arbor, MI-The Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm (SITA) is one of the newer generations of perimetry basic detection devices used in glaucoma to evaluate visual fields. The others are short wavelength automated perimetry and frequency doubling technology. Emerging technologies include high-pass resolution perimetry and multifocal electrophysiological tests. Sayoko E. Moroi, MD, PhD, recently discussed SITA and how to use the test to the best advantage.

John A. Vukich, MD, a refractive surgeon and cataract specialist in private practice in Madison, WI, explores another dimension of his personality away from ophthalmology in a sport that many consider extreme: heli-skiing.