News

Mass vision screening for amblyopia in school-age children should be standardized, and Pamela Hutt Berg, CO, COMT, recommended how that might be accomplished Sunday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Corneal refractive therapy (orthokeratology) and contact lens fitting can have a complementary rather than a competitive role in a refractive surgery practice, said David Hardten, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology

While treatment for amblyopia is effective, there is no consensus as to what treatment works best. There are a number of factors that have an impact on treatment efficacy, according to Bruce Furr, CO. He discussed these factors Sunday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

While results of epidemiologic studies indicate that only one-third of glaucoma damage is attributable to excess IOP over the normal distribution, much more of glaucoma damage appears to be pressure-dependent and therefore preventable, especially in patients whose IOP is higher than average, said Paul F. Palmberg, MD, PhD.

Recognizing significant achievements and contributions to ophthalmology, several awards were presented to physicians and organizations during opening ceremonies of the 2005 annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

New tools are available in the ongoing effort to prevent infection and inflammation during eye surgery, suggested speakers at a Sunday breakfast symposium at the Hilton Chicago.

Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG announces the debut of its Da Vinci femtosecond surgical laser. The laser incorporates a design concept that seamlessly integrates with LASIK and corneal surgery procedures.

The patterns of childhood blindness and visual impairment are changing over time, according to Clare Gilbert, MD, MSc. Dr. Gilbert described the shifts in pediatric blindness patterns resulting from the ?nurture? factors Sunday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Uncomplicated vitrectomy has been implicated in the development of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), according to Stanley Chang, MD, who presented the Jackson Memorial Lecture Sunday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Where can one preview the latest products from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), get answers to specific coding questions, talk to Washington insiders about reimbursement, personalize patient-education DVDs, get a first look at the academy's new Maintenance of Certification (MOC) products, and learn the ins and outs of acquiring and installing an electronic medical records system? There's only one place and it happens only once a year—the annual meeting, where all these resources and much more can be found at the academy resource center and technology pavilion.

Presbyopic LASIK using a multifocal ablation profile where the central zone is steepened for near and the peripheral zone targeted for distance (central PresbyLASIK) appears to be able to enhance near vision while maintaining good distance vision to offer spectacle independence to many patients and without loss of contrast sensitivity, said W. Bruce Jackson, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The eye isn't the only organ that consumes the time of one New York City ophthalmologist. For Hampson A. Sisler, MD, FACS, FAGO (Fellow, American Guild of Organists), his craft as a musician leads him to an organ of another sort. In fact, the 73-year-old physician has been a professional church organist much longer than he has been an ophthalmologist.

Washington, DC—Maintaining an index of suspicion for Acanthamoeba infection in patients with keratitis is important, irrespective of a history of contact lens wear, because timely diagnosis and prompt treatment initiation are critical for a good prognosis, said John K. Dart, DM, FRCS, FRCOphth, at World Cornea Congress V.

I do not travel much, but recently was excited to represent my department at a special once-in-a-lifetime meeting in Asia. First, I flew to Chicago. A few hundred of us then piled into a 747 at 11 a.m., and the jet taxied out onto the runway. About to take off, we suddenly veered off to the side of the runway, the engines went dead, and fire trucks were visible heading our way.

Panelists at a CME symposium on Saturday evening provided an in-depth review of current information on the results of early detection and treatment with lipid therapy. Prostaglandin and prostamide drugs are widely used to lower IOP, and speakers discussed clinical data on these drugs as well as the differences between the three once-daily lipids available today.

The preliminary pegaptanib sodium (Macugen, OSI/Eyetech Pharmaceuticals) exploratory phase II data indicate that the drug seems to be successful for treating diabetic macular edema (DME), according to Steven Schwartz, MD, who reported the findings of the Macugen Diabetic Retinopathy Study Group during the retina subspecialty day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Presbyopic LASIK using a multifocal ablation profile where the central zone is steepened for near and the peripheral zone targeted for distance (central PresbyLASIK) appears to be able to enhance near vision while maintaining good distance vision to offer spectacle independence to many patients and without loss of contrast sensitivity, said W. Bruce Jackson, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan), originally approved by the FDA as an orphan drug for the treatment of strabismus and blepharospasm, has been found to be effective for the treatment of hemifacial spasm, Meige syndrome, nystagmus, and lid retraction in Graves? disease, according to Matthew Dean Kay, MD, adjunct clinical associate professor, Nova Southeastern University, Pompano Beach, FL.

Multicenter prospective clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intracorneal inlay (Accufocus) for improving near vision, said Daniel S. Durrie, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an important imaging technology that allows high-resolution cross-sectional imaging of microstructures in the eye.

The Intraocular Pressure Sensor Research Project has designed, fabricated, and evaluated in animal experiments a device for telemetric IOP monitoring, based on an implantable active microsystem.

Retinal detachment is a significant risk in refractive lens exchange surgery, said Emanuel S. Rosen, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

A recent study published in Archives of Ophthalmology validates a glaucoma risk calculator modeled on those used for cardiovascular disease.

In a point-counterpoint debate, David L. Epstein, MD, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, advocated treatment for most ocular hypertensive patients, drawing an analogy to treatment of systemic hypertension.

By its nature, diabetic macular edema (DME) is somewhat resistant to simple algorithmic 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, during retina subspecialty day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Vitrectomy should be considered for some eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME), according to Tarek Hassan, MD, who spoke during the retina subspecialty day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

A recent cohort study indicates that older individuals with glaucoma drive at least as safely as other individuals of that age without the disease.

Recognizing October as World Blindness Awareness Month, EyeCare America?the public service foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology?encourages people to call its toll-free helpline to see if they are eligible for a free eye exam and up to 1 year of eye care at no cost.