News

Washington, DC-Dry eye disease affects millions of people worldwide and with that has come a recent greater awareness among patients that it is indeed a problem. As the recognition of the magnitude of dry eye is changing, so too has knowledge of its pathogenesis, the technology facilitating diagnosis, and the drugs that are becoming available to treat it. General ophthalmologists will be increasingly challenged to learn more about the disease and the best ways to treat individual patients, according to Michael Lemp, MD.

Orlando—When a child receives the diagnosis of Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) or another genetically based disease, too often parents hear from the ophthalmologist that nothing can be done. Whether the doctor intends to deliver such a negative message or conveys it inadvertently by using cold, clinical terminology, it is the wrong message, according to Edwin M. Stone, MD, PhD.

Orlando— A series of recent studies of amblyopia therapy seem to be suggesting that less aggressive or shorter treatments could be more effective than previously thought.

It was important to educate the nurses, respiratory therapists, and families that more oxygen was not necessarily better.

Ann Arbor, MI—The University of Michigan Health System is planning a $120 million expansion of its U-M W.K. Kellogg Eye Center to devote more space to vision research, education, and patient care.

Orlando—The high-frequency ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM) can reliably estimate the distance of horizontal muscle insertion from the limbus in eyes that had previous strabismus surgery on the same muscle, according to Shuan H. Dai, MB, BS, FRANZCO, a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Rochester, NY—Bausch & Lomb and three of its employees have been honored by two organizations for their research efforts.

New York—Pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen) has won recognition as a major scientific breakthrough from an organization accustomed to novel pharmaceutical products. The drug, the first FDA-approved treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), was named Innovative Pharmaceutical Product of the Year at the 2005 Pharmaceutical Achievement Awards.

When removing a cataract, surgeons have an opportunity to perform other vision-correcting procedures. However, that scenario leads to what can be a delicate subject—who's going to pay for those "extras?"

At a recent meeting of department directors, the president of my university, William Brody, MD, PhD, made an offhand comment that resonated with me. He noted that "the citizens of the United States, a nation built upon risk, seem no longer willing to accept any risk."

Orlando—A questionnaire administered to adults who underwent surgery for strabismus showed that most patients believed any disabilities related to this condition improved after the procedure, said George R. Beauchamp, MD, FACS, professor of clinical ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Follow-up in the first 10 patients with the Artificial Silicon Retina microchip (ASR, Optobionics) implanted now ranges between 2 and 4.5 years.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Patients who have moderate-to-severe glaucoma are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle collisions, according to Gerald McGwin Jr., MS, PhD, and colleagues.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Supplements of high-dose vitamins C and E and betacarotene may provide some benefit to patients who already have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Thomas Friberg, MD.

Show organizers have developed a new software tool that combs through massive amounts of show information and separates out those classes in which attendees might be interested.

The results of the most recent research will be presented in a number of forums, and attendees can take advantage of the technical displays in the exhibit hall.

St. Louis—Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy, are characterized by visual complaints, which must be assessed carefully to establish the correct diagnosis.

Baltimore—A number of eye movement disturbances are characterized by cerebellar disease and saccadic intrusions. Michael X. Repka, MD, detailed these abnormalities and how to distinguish among them.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—A potential new strategy has been proposed to treat optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis, namely, delivery of the superoxide dismutase (Sod) 2 gene. Intravitreal Sod2 injections in mice suppressed myelin fiber injury and rescued the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) for up to 1 year after the inoculation, according to John Guy, MD.

While many of his colleagues were considering retirement, Mal Krinn, MD, was studying and preparing for a transition to his new role as artisan breadmaker at his son's restaurant.

Spam’s opportunity costs collectively represent the greatest cost to employers using the Internet as a business tool today.

Understanding the fundamentals of services marketing is extremely useful for the optimal marketing of a medical practice. Basic knowledge in this area is also helpful when studying the marketing approach of your competitors. Additionally, you may consider these concepts when analyzing ads for which you are the targeted customer.

Columbus, OH—Vision researchers, eyecare specialists, bioscientists, public health, and government leaders gathered recently here in what is billed as a unique opportunity to foster collaboration in the study of vision and aging.

Hosting a trunk show can open the lid to increased patient traffic for the ophthalmic dispensary.

In the setting of severe and widespread zonular weakness, ring suturing may be necessary.

Miami—Cataract surgeons performing standard ultrasound phacoemulsification will find the AquaLase liquefaction device (Alcon Laboratories) is an easy technique to transition to and is one that offers multiple advantages for enhancing the safety of lens removal, said Sonia H. Yoo, MD.

Frankfurt, Germany—The design of the optic edge seems to be one of the most important factors in the development of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). IOLs with a sharp edge have less PCO regardless of the lens material, according to Thomas Kohnen, MD.

Reposition the IOL first before performing a YAG capsulotomy in instances of symptomatic IOL decentration with concomitant PCO.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3-D OCT) imaging and mapping of intraretinal layers are possible using high-speed, ultrahigh-resolution (UHR) OCT, the latest research tool in OCT technology.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—WDR36 is a novel causative gene for adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) that is located at the GLC1G locus. Sharareh Monemi, MD, PhD, and Mansoor Sarfarazi, PhD, explained that this discovery should help in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.