News

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Different strategies have been investigated in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) repair, replacement, and regeneration as therapies for glaucoma; some are promising, others less so. Keith R.G. Martin, MD, MRCP, FRCOphth, described what is happening in this field and some of the new treatments at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Boston—Aqueous shunts can offer a very effective modality for controlling IOP in challenging glaucoma cases, and their therapeutic index has improved thanks to innovations in technique and technology introduced based on clinical experience.

Boston—The surprising outcomes of the European Glaucoma Prevention Study (EGPS) can be accounted for by a number of explanations and should not be interpreted as meaning that lowering IOP has no benefit for glaucoma, said Harry A. Quigley, MD.

Cincinnati, OH—The latest edition of the quarterly Video Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery features videos demonstrating complication management and other surgical highlights from around the world.

Rockville, MD—Two members of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) have been elected to its board of trustees.

Monrovia, CA—STAAR Surgical Co. has received approval from the Canadian Therapeutic Products Directorate to market its Visian Toric lens (TICL) in Canada.

Minneapolis, MN—Two "all natural" dietary supplements sold as a possible treatment for cataracts and allergy symptoms are not sterile and could be contaminated with bacteria that can cause serious injury when applied to the eyes—including blindness— warn the FDA and manufacturer.

New York—Eyetech Pharmaceuticals reassured investors in late June that pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen), its drug for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a commercial success since its launch last January. The company revised its 2005 sales projections and expects the anti-VEGF aptamer to generate between $175 and $190 million—approximately $40 million more than earlier estimates.

Objectives remain the same, as surgical techniques continue to evolve.

Burlington, VT—Early appropriate intervention can make a substantial difference in preventing permanent visual loss or diplopia when faced with a patient who has an orbital compartment syndrome or a white-eyed blowout fracture.

Seeking adventure and freedom of the waters has always been a thrill for Lee Peterson, MD, of Portland, OR. With the companionship of his wife, Adrianne, and his charts clearly plotted, Dr. Peterson begins each journey in anticipation of what the day will bring.

Washington, DC—Accruing experience with the AlphaCor (Argus Biomedical) synthetic keratoprosthesis has led to the identification of risk factors for complications along with the development of protective procedures that are enabling better outcomes, said R. Doyle Stulting, MD, PhD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Seeking adventure and freedom of the waters has always been a thrill for Lee Peterson, MD, of Portland, OR. With the companionship of his wife, Adrianne, and his charts clearly plotted, Dr. Peterson begins each journey in anticipation of what the day will bring.

Rochester, NY–Bausch & Lomb plans to launch its Nike Maxsight (polymacon) sport-tinted contact lens later this summer now that the FDA has cleared the lens for market distribution.

Ophthalmologists should go through a complete business analysis before making the decision of in-house versus outsourcing lenses to an independent lab.

There has been no significant loss of BCVA or other important safety concerns.

The choice of prophylactic antibiotic after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is extremely important because it affects the rate of corneal epithelial wound healing.

Washington, DC—Refractive surgeons performing phakic IOL implantation with the iris-claw lens (Verisyse, AMO) should realize they can safely offer that procedure in their office-based surgery facility without obtaining formal certification from an ambulatory surgery accrediting organization, said Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

There was a correlation between increased loss of 5% contrast acuity and change in identification ability.

Washington, DC—Topography-guided ablation (T-CAT) using the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q excimer laser (WaveLight Laser Technologie AG) offers a safe and effective primary or secondary treatment method for achieving excellent outcomes in challenging cases, said Paul H. Hughes, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—Refractive lens exchange (RLE) with implantation of the AcrySof SA60D3 ReSTOR IOL (Alcon Laboratories) appears to approach the ideal refractive surgery for the presbyopic age group, said Francesco Carones, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—Results from 1 year of follow-up demonstrate that Epi-LASIK is a safe and effective alternative technique for photorefractive correction of low-to-moderate myopia and myopic astigmatism, said Vikentia J. Katsanevaki, MD, PhD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—The automated, disposable Epi-K epithelial separator (Moria) safely and reliably cleaves the epithelium to create high-quality flaps and beds, and its use in Epi-LASIK is associated with favorable results with regard to postoperative pain and visual recovery profiles, said Daniela Jardim, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Alcon Laboratories is currently awaiting FDA approval for marketing of its LADAR 6000, a completely new laser built with customized ablation procedures in mind.

Washington, DC—The CustomCornea (Alcon Laboratories Inc.) or CustomVue (VISX) platforms seem to offer excellent outcomes in wavefront-guided LASIK for myopia. However, induced aberration appears to be less with CustomCornea treatment, especially after nomogram adjustment for the CustomVue procedure, and that difference is apparent clinically in terms of contrast sensitivity results, according to Stephen G. Slade, MD.

Washington, DC—Accruing experience with the AlphaCor (Argus Biomedical) synthetic keratoprosthesis has led to the identification of risk factors for complications along with the development of protective procedures that are enabling better outcomes, said R. Doyle Stulting, MD, PhD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—The initial results of a study of the MEL-80 excimer laser (Carl Zeiss Meditec) indicate that the laser has an excellent safety and efficacy profile when performing LASIK for myopia. The patients recovered their visual function rapidly, and the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) levels in this trial in which wavefront-guided ablation was not performed were comparable to studies in which wavefront-guided ablation was performed using other lasers.

Washington, DC—The crystalens (eyeonics), an accommodating IOL approved for use in cataract patients, provides distance, intermediate, and near vision 3 years after implantation that are slightly better than the 1-year results. Optical tilt or optic flexure with induced astigmatism in conjunction with the traditional mechanism of action is hypothesized to play a role in the near visual acuity, according to Steven J. Dell, MD, speaking at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting.