News

Lisbon, Portugal - Treatment with a topical beta-blocker is effective for preventing regression after LASIK to treat myopia. However, there is no way to predict which patients will respond to the therapy, according to Takayoshi Suzuki, MD, who reported his findings Tuesday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Application of mitomycin C after PRK prevents the development of corneal haze and improves visual acuity. Ewa Mrukwa-Kominek, MD, reported these findings Tuesday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Dry eye syndrome after LASIK may be the result of goblet cell dysfunction. Extended application of artificial tears may be warranted to facilitate the return to normal function, Ahmed Galal, MD, PhD, said Tuesday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Nidek Co., Gamagori, Japan, has received a CE Mark for its new and advanced refractive surgery laser system, the EC-5000CXIII. This regulatory milestone clears the way for NIDEK to commercialize and market the new laser platform for refractive surgery, throughout the world, especially in Europe and the Middle East, the company said.

Lisbon, Portugal - Both the Artiflex (Ophtec) iris-claw IOL and the I-Care (Cornéal) phakic angle-supported IOL are effective and provide good refractive outcomes, Antonio Marinho, MD, reported Monday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Three widely used anterior chamber phakic IOLs may induce a low degree of optical aberrations in implanted eyes, reported Simonetta Morselli, MD, of the Ophthalmic Unit, Hospital of Verona, Italy.

Lisbon, Portugal - The Duet-Kelman phakic lens seems to be safe and efficacious to correct moderate and high degrees of myopia, and patients with high degrees of myopia expressed satisfaction with their increased vision, according to Gonzalo Bernabeu, MD. He reported his experience with the IOL Monday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Data on the development of endophthalmitis have been reported continuously since 1994 in Sweden, and the rate of endophthalmitis has been decreasing similar to international rates. Per Montan, MD, reported the results of a multicenter study on the risk factors that have been identified for the development of endophthalmitis Monday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - The results of the 7th annual survey on foldable IOLs indicate that dislocation and decentration are by far the most common reasons for lens explantation, with incorrect lens power the next most important factor. Nick Mamalis, MD, reported the results of the survey - conducted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) - Monday morning at ESCRS’ annual meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Coaxial microphacoemulsification performed through a 2.2-mm incision is a new technique that can be readily learned by cataract surgeons skilled in phacoemulsification. The technique affords patients the combined benefits of ultra-small incision surgery and conventional foldable IOLs, Robert H. Osher, MD, said Monday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Newer tonometry technology seems to offer an improvement on Goldmann tonometry, which has been the gold standard for measuring IOP during the last 50 years, said Jay Pepose, MD, PhD, professor of clinical ophthalmology and visual sciences, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.

Lisbon, Portugal - The AcrySof ReSTOR lens (SA60D3, Alcon Laboratories) has shown promise in restoring pseudoaccommodation for patients with presbyopia and hyperopia, according to Tobias Neuhann, MD, of Munich, Germany.

Lisbon, Portugal - Newer tonometry technology seems to offer an improvement on Goldmann tonometry, which has been the gold standard for measuring IOP during the last 50 years, said Jay Pepose, MD, PhD, professor of clinical ophthalmology and visual sciences, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.

Lisbon, Portugal - If presbyopia is the “final frontier” in refractive surgery, which surgical approach will stand out as the winner in treating patients with the condition? Will it be corneal surgery, intraocular surgery, or phakic-versus-pseudophakic approaches?

Lisbon, Portugal - The use of fibrin glue seems to be effective and safe in total anterior lamellar keratoplasty (TALK), a procedure that completely exposes Descemet’s membrane within the area of host corneal trephination combined with transplantation of donor cornea without Descemet’s membrane and endothelium.  Thomas John, MD, explained the procedure Sunday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Deep lamellar keratoplasty (DLKP) while exposing Descemet’s membrane seems safe and effective to correct keratoconus, according to Mohamed Alaa El-Danasoury, MD.

Lisbon, Portugal - LASIK is an effective tool in the management of high astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Furthermore, a two-step technique may be preferred over a one-stage procedure because it allows for better evaluation of refractive changes induced by the keratectomy, said Ahmed Galal, MD, PhD.

Lisbon, Portugal - Schwind eye-tech-solution GmbH, Kleinostheim, Germany, presented several refractive-oriented products at the ESCRS meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal - Nidek Co., Gamagori, Japan, introduces its CV-7000 Phacoemulsification System and its Nex-Acri IOL.

Lisbon, Portugal - WaveLight Laser Technologie AG, Erlangen, Germany, introduces the Rondo microkeratome at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal – In an effort to create a synergy that will benefit all of the European ophthalmic community, the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) and the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) have announced that the ESCRS will assume the administrative duties of the retina society.

Lisbon, Portugal – A viscoanesthesia-type of an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) did not show toxic or cataractogenic effects in rabbit eyes, according to a four-part study conducted at the Moran Eye Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States.

Lisbon, Portugal – Blue-blocking IOLs, which recently have been promoted as being vision protecting, may not be so. Martin Mainster, PhD, MD, of the University of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City, explained that the argument in favor of blue-blocking IOLs is theoretical at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Lisbon, Portugal – The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) celebrated 10 years of co-editing the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery at the ESCRS Congress President’s Dinner on Friday night.

Lisbon, Portugal – The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) has announced its 2005 board members at the XXIII Congress of ESCRS. The new board will serve a 4-year term.

Lisbon, Portugal – In an effort to create a synergy that will benefit all of the European ophthalmic community, the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) and the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) have announced that the ESCRS will assume the administrative duties of the retina society.

Lisbon, Portugal – Reading visual acuity and reading speed may depend of the type of IOL, according to one surgeon. Werner Huetz, MD, and colleagues compared three IOLs: the Array SA40N (AMO), the Tecnis ZM001 (AMO), and the AcrySof ReSTOR (Alcon Laboratories).

Lisbon, Portugal – Pupil ovalization after implantation of IOLs is a rare occurrence. However, when it develops, it must be addressed immediately and effectively, according to Antonio Marinho, MD, PhD, of the University of Porto, Portugal.

Lisbon, Portugal – Cataract surgery in developing countries is a massive problem, but the cost of performing phacoemulsification in these countries is highly prohibitive.  For that reason, extracapsular cataract surgery is performed with implantation of a polymethymethacrylate (PMMA) IOL.

Lisbon, Portugal – Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) after cataract surgery is an evolving process, Oliver Findl, MD, from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, explained Saturday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.