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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.

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.

The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (FAAO) commemorates its silver anniversary in 2005, marking 25 years of education and public service.

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.

Sun City West, AZ—The effects of low vision in elderly patients, who make up the majority of individuals affected, can be devastating. Visual impairments rank just behind arthritis and heart disease in terms of the impact on the elderly population. Low-vision rehabilitation is extremely helpful in allowing elderly patients, that is, one in four of those over age 75 years, to function as fully as possible by teaching them how to reorganize their environment and use low-vision technology.

Fraud and abuse in the ophthalmologist's optical dispensary are difficult to detect. Once suspected or even discovered, it is even more difficult as well as time-consuming to assess what is really happening, and to what extent it is having a negative impact on the practice and dispensary.

Green Valley, AZ—At Crystal Reflections Inc., artists hand-paint contact lenses for cosmetic and theatrical use.

Carlsbad, CA—The FDA has given SynergEyes Inc. approval to market SynergEyes A hybrid contact lenses to correct hyperopic, myopic, and astigmatic errors, including presbyopia.

Advanced surface ablation techniques offer potential advantages that make them attractive alternatives to LASIK for wavefront-guided procedures.

Washington, DC—Registration is a vital link in the refractive surgeon's quest to optimize quality-of-vision outcomes after customized ablation procedures, said Kerry D. Solomon, MD, at World Cornea Congress V.

Reading, MA—Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is safer than argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) as a treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and offers the considerable advantage of not causing structural damage to the trabecular meshwork, said Mark A. Latina, MD.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—The management of ocular hypertension has been receiving increased attention since the publication of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) results in June 2002. An important area of controversy is what people with ocular hypertension, if anyone, should be treated in the face of treatment costs that approach more than $500/year and the risk of side effects.

Durham, NC—Experiments performed to date with novel biodendrimer adhesives suggest that this technology has promising potential for use in the repair of corneal wounds.

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.

That cryotherapy was to be useful in ophthalmology was first shown by Frederich Schoeler (1844-1918) in a German paper, in which he described application of cold carbonic acid crystals to the sclera of rabbits and showed that a lesion of the retina could be produced.

Iowa City-Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with the development of various forms of nystagmus. The association is so strong that new-onset nystagmus in an adult should be considered MS until proven otherwise.