News

Chicago—Higher amounts of preoperative coma and a greater difference between the preoperative manifest and wavefront-measured cylinder are risk factors for postoperative astigmatism after wavefront-guided LASIK using the Zyoptix platform (Bausch & Lomb), reported Scott M. MacRae, MD. He spoke at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Chicago—An early report of custom topography-guided LASIK indicates that it is quite effective in treating irregular astigmatism and enlarging optical zones, according to David T.C. Lin, MD, FRCSC.

Chicago—Conductive keratoplasty (CK) may benefit a subset of patients who are experiencing complications from LASIK or PRK by improving corneal optics and vision, according to the results of a small, interventional case series reported at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Chicago—Implantation of microthin prescription inserts (Intacs, Addition Technology) for the treatment of keratoconus appears to result in better visual outcomes when the femtosecond laser (IntraLase FS, IntraLase) is used for channel creation instead of a mechanical device, said Yaron S. Rabinowitz, MD. He spoke during the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Chicago—The Synchrony Dual Optic Accommodating IOL (Visiogen) is an exciting option for patients with cataract and presbyopia. Researchers reported the results of the 2-year experience with the IOL at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Miami—When determining IOL calculations after refractive surgery, surgeons can take a few steps to avoid any pseudophakic refractive surprises, according to Terence O'Brien, MD.

Researchers have been working hard to develop an artificial cornea for use in patients who are at high risk of graft failure with a conventional corneal transplant. Patients at high risk of corneal graft failure are those who have undergone previous transplantations that were unsuccessful. Attempting to transplant another corneal graft after one, two, three, or more previous attempts likely will result in another failed procedure. In addition, patients without a previous corneal transplant in whom a donor corneal graft is likely to fail can also benefit from an artificial cornea.

Vancouver, Canada—QLT Inc. has outlined a new strategic plan that refocuses it on key programs in an effort to streamline the company and increase revenues.

Cincinnati—Robert H. Osher, MD, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati and medical director emeritus of the Cincinnati Eye Institute, is celebrating 20 years of the Video Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery with two issues in 2006.

In case you have been so busy with your practice and other obligations that you missed it, two medical miracles (my opinion) have recently been reported. Each is only partially relevant to the practice of ophthalmology, but it seems to me that these are worth awareness.

Chicago—Off-label use of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) now holds promise for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Setting aside decades of distrust, China's Premier Wen Jiabao hailed the vast potential for Sino-Indian cooperation in science and technology during a visit to technology export powerhouse Tata Consultancy Services in Bangalore.

Chicago—Diabetic macular edema (DME), by its nature, is somewhat resistant to simple algorithmic treatment formulations because of the multifactorial nature of the decision-making process and the host of new therapies that continually become available, explained Julia Haller, MD.

Plymouth, England—Latanoprost (Xalatan, Pfizer Ophthalmics), a potent topical ocular antihypertensive agent, does not seem to cause changes in the central corneal thickness after 2 months of follow-up. This result contradicts previous studies that reported a statistically significant decrease in the central corneal thickness, according to George D. Pappas, MD.

American ophthalmologists have a number of meetings each year they can choose to attend to hear the latest advances in the practice of eye care.

Portland, OR—The novel formulation of timolol maleate 0.5% ophthalmic solution containing potassium sorbate (Istalol, ISTA Pharmaceuticals) is a good option to consider for adjunctive therapy in patients whose IOP is not adequately controlled by a prostaglandin analogue alone, said John R. Samples, MD.

Chicago—The GDx-variable corneal compensator (VCC, Carl Zeiss Meditec), a commercial device that is currently in its fifth generation, may help with early diagnosis of glaucoma by identifying a thinning retinal nerve fiber layer, according to David S. Greenfield, MD, who described the basics of the technology at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

An advantage of spectral-domain OCT compared with conventional OCT technology is that the former has a more than 150-fold better light sensitivity, allowing higher resolution up to 2 to 3 ?m.

San Francisco—The pioneering of global risk assessment in cardiovascular medicine has provided some important lessons for ophthalmologists in their effort to develop a risk calculator for glaucoma, said Jeffrey M. Liebmann, MD, at Glaucoma 2005.

San Francisco—Both IOP and the rate of aqueous flow exhibit a circadian rhythm, and that is likely to have significant implications for the evaluation and treatment of patients with ocular hypertension and glaucoma, said Robert N. Weinreb, MD, at Glaucoma 2005.

Chicago—Releasable compression sutures can circumvent the limitations of transconjunctival suture lysis and offer several advantages in controlling aqueous flow after trabeculectomy, according to Murray A. Johnstone, MD, a consultant in glaucoma at Swedish Medical Center, Seattle.

Plymouth, England—Latanoprost (Xalatan, Pfizer Ophthalmics), a potent topical ocular antihypertensive agent, does not seem to cause changes in the central corneal thickness after 2 months of follow-up. This result contradicts previous studies that reported a statistically significant decrease in the central corneal thickness, according to George D. Pappas, MD.

Chicago—Glaucoma patients whose condition is nonresponsive to traditional therapies may have another treatment option, the gold microshunt (GMS) from SOLX. Outcomes of a study of the novel implant placed in the supraciliary space, which were conducted at sites in Israel and Spain, showed that 61% of patients had achieved IOP reduction of 30% or more by 6 months, with a mean reduction of 34% at 18 months after implantation.

New York—Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) performed in patients with medically controlled glaucoma who are undergoing phacoemulsification is extremely safe and associated with long-term reduction in the need for glaucoma medications, said Stanley J. Berke, MD.

Chicago—Douglas H. Johnson, MD, discussed several aspects of his research into aqueous outflow that could lead to a better understanding of the cause of glaucoma and ultimately contribute to a cure. He delivered the American Glaucoma Society lecture at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's glaucoma subspecialty day program.

Chicago—While epidemiologic studies indicate that only one-third of glaucoma damage is attributable to an excessive IOP over the normal distribution, the good news is that, nevertheless, much of the remainder is also pressure-dependent and, therefore, preventable.

Newark, NJ—Optimal medical therapy for most patients needing IOP-lowering treatment may be as simple as one bottle or two, said Robert D. Fechtner, MD.

Chicago—The Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II (HRT II, Heidelberg Engineering GmbH), the most widely available generation of this technology, creates a two-dimensional picture of a three-dimensional structure, such as the optic nerve, by acquiring images in a manner similar to that of computed tomography. Jeffrey D. Henderer, MD, explained the basics of this technology and its relevance to glaucoma at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.