News

The problem of tissue drag, which once plagued ophthalmic surgeons, is largely a thing of the past?thanks to groundbreaking work conducted several decades ago by Leonard Apt, MD, currently professor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Online information

ISTA Pharmaceuticals acquired from Senju Pharmaceuticals an exclusive North American license to an eye-drop formulation containing bepotastine, an investigational ophthalmic treatment for allergic conjunctivitis. This is ISTA Pharmaceuticals' first license for the ophthalmic allergy field.

Ophthalmic Imaging Systems (OIS) will serve as the exclusive vendor to the International Vision Networks (IVN), the only specialty group purchasing program for ophthalmologist offices and ambulatory surgery centers, for new digital imaging system units used in the ophthalmic setting. Systems include ophthalmic PACS, fundus cameras, and slit lamps.

The 2006 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology in Las Vegas will feature two acclaimed physicians at the opening session on Sunday, Nov. 12 from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

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The National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded a 5-year, $14.6 million grant to fund a study of age-related macular degeneration.

Theatre schedule

Stephen D. McLeod, MD, is the new chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

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Editor's Note: In a recent column we covered lumps and bumps on the surface of the iris and some of the men associated with their descriptions (Ophthalmology Times, June 15, 2006). Now we turn our attention to some lumps and bumps discovered on the conjunctiva, the surface of the globe, and the lids; their pathology; and those individuals who are credited with the findings.

The floor tiles have not changed in 56 years. As soon as I see the brick-red, black, and green-grey pattern of the 3/4-inch squares, recollections of a time long past rise to the surface. Even before I walk up the steps in the small lobby, my legs remember that there will be six risers to the landing in front of the elevator.

For K. Bailey Freund, MD, the magic of science and the science of magic are overlapping and, sometimes, ambiguous. Dr. Freund, a retina specialist with Vitreous-Retina-Macula Consultants of New York, is a magician and a collector of vintage magic props.

There is increasing interest in using the femtosecond laser to perform penetrating keratoplasty, according to two corneal experts.

Philadelphia-Corneal transplantation requires a rigorous preoperative assessment that includes consideration of numerous factors before the surgery can be undertaken. Christopher Rapuano, MD, explained how to look in all segments of the eye and how to counsel the patient to get the best postoperative results.

Philadelphia-The triple corneal procedure should be considered for patients with both visually significant corneal disease and cataract. However, the ultimate visual rehabilitation from combined surgery should be weighed against the increased intraoperative risks and the unpredictability of the refractive error, according to Sadeer B. Hannush, MD.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands-When four leading practice management specialists met as a panel recently, the pearls of wisdom they shared encouraged ophthalmologists to be aware of vital aspects of their business, including finances, human resources, and legal issues. The session, titled "Business, Operation, and Legal Pearls," provided physicians and administrators with suggestions on how ophthalmologists can increase efficiency, maximize profit, and avoid pitfalls leading to liability.

San Bernardino, CA-Fixing common billing and documentation errors could mean improvements of up to 35% to your bottom line, according to Donna McCune, CCS-P, COE.

Ophthalmologists know that a very large number of patients in general practice, and in many subspecialty practices, present with eye symptoms that are too dry or too wet. These common situations trigger coding issues that must be understood in order to ensure proper compensation for care of this sizable patient group.

Madison, CT-Common errors related to billing for glaucoma patients may have detrimental effects on the financial success of an ophthalmology practice, said Donna M. McCune CCS-P, COE.

Editor's note: In part one of "Optimize Your Optical" (see Ophthalmology Times, Sept. 15, 2006) optician, dispenser, and educator Laurie Pierce shared five techniques, forged through personal experience, that have enabled her to build patients' confidence while saving time and money. In part two, Pierce offers more of her practical "how-tos."

Sydney, Australia-The first synthetic polymer corneal inlays implanted in humans appear to be biocompatible with corneal tissue and represent a safe, biologically acceptable alternative to other forms of refractive surgery, according to observations made over an 18-month period, said Deborah F. Sweeney, B Optom, PhD.

Alicante, Spain-While one segment of the ophthalmic community sees presbyopic lens exchange for patients with high myopia as a promising, safe technique leading to good improvements in visual acuity, another segment does not, stating that the risk of retinal detachment and other complications related to the surgery are just too high, according to Jorge L. Alio, MD.