News

Washington, DC—Use of the neutral-pressure "Light Touch" technique for conductive keratoplasty (CK, Refractec) improves predictability, minimizes induced astigmatism, affords faster visual recovery, and provides the opportunity for higher corrections compared with the original approach.

Washington, DC—Fibrin tissue adhesive (Tisseel VH Fibrin Sealant, Baxter BioSurgery) is a viable and attractive alternative to suturing in pterygium surgery with conjunctival-limbal autograft, said John A. Hovanesian, MD, at the World Cornea Congress V.

Washington, DC—Topical mitomycin-C (MMC) (Mutamycin, Bristol-Myers Oncology) is an effective treatment for conjunctival primary acquired melanosis (PAM) with atypia, and may even be considered a superior alternative to surgical excision and cryotherapy, said Joseph Frucht-Pery, MD, at World Cornea Congress V.

Madison, WI—An association between mortality and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was found in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). All-cause mortality increased with increasing severity of disease, with category 4 AMD having a significantly increased association with death compared with category 1 AMD. A protective effect was seen for zinc in participants randomly assigned to therapy with the mineral.

Santa Monica, CA—Four doctors are urging ophthalmologists not to download free software supposedly available on a Russian Web site that purports to calculate IOL power using their formulas.

With the deal complete, AMO will turn up the heat on its marketing of VISX technology.

Washington, DC—Corneal pathology continues to be a major cause of blindness in developing countries of the world, and nearly all of the diseases and conditions leading to corneal blindness are preventable or treatable with existing knowledge and technology, said Gullapalli N. Rao, MD, at World Cornea Congress V.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—The phenotype of age-related macular disease provides information about the genes that confer risk or the environmental factors that are involved in risk in a particular individual, according to Alan Bird, MD, who spoke at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Orlando—Ongoing efforts to encourage the adoption of mandatory preschool vision screening in every state were the main topic of discussion during a workshop at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS).

Cleveland—Comprehensive ophthalmologists who understand the mechanism of botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan) and the underlying anatomy can find many functional and cosmetic uses for botulinum toxin in their practices, said Julian D. Perry, MD.

Washington, DC—A new ultra-small sleeve is making sub-2-mm coaxial phacoemulsification possible.

Washington, DC—The SofPort Easy-Load Lens Delivery System (Bausch & Lomb) seems to be a giant step forward in IOL delivery. The system allows surgeons to load the lens into the inserter without the use of forceps, which eliminates damage to the IOL. The system is easy to use and cuts down surgical time, explained P. Dee G. Stephenson, MD, during the annual meeting of the American Society of Cata-ract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—Cataract surgery patients who received the AcrySof apodized diffractive IOL (ReSTOR, Alcon Laboratories) experienced a significantly higher degree of satisfaction with their vision compared with recipients of an acrylic foldable monofocal IOL, reported Robert J. Cionni, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—An IOL that blocks blue light leads to impairment of scotopic vision at the short wavelengths important for rod-mediated vision. The significance of this impairment in terms of the patient's visual performance remains to be determined, explained Gregory Jackson, PhD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Washington, DC—The improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) made with the AcrySof Natural IOL (Alcon Laboratories), an IOL that attenuates blue light, were not statistically different from the results achieved with the AcrySof single-piece conventional IOL (Alcon). The Natural IOL did not adversely affect night driving or other common lifestyle events that are measured by a HRQOL questionnaire, reported Paul Ernest, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Washington, DC—The three-piece square-edge design of the Tecnis IOL platform (AMO) seems to protect the eye against development of posterior capsular opacification (PCO) by preventing migration of epithelial cells for at least 3 years after implantation, reported Michael Colvard, MD, FACS, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—Accumulating experience demonstrates the efficacy and safety of refractive lens exchange (RLE) performed with bimanual microincision phaco, said I. Howard Fine, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—Results of a clinical trial demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the investigational nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) nepafenac 0.1% ophthalmic suspension (Alcon Laboratories) for reducing anterior segment inflammation and minimizing pain after cataract surgery, said Stephen S. Lane, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—The combination of a new "ultra-sleeve" (Alcon Laboratories) with the Infiniti flare tip (Alcon) allows coaxial phacoemulsification to be performed with high efficiency through a 2.1-mm incision, said Richard J. Mackool, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC—The introduction of a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) 3 days before phacoemulsification produced excellent results in terms of surgical efficacy and outcomes, according to Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Washington, DC—"Cold" phaco can truly be performed using micropulse technology whereas operating with conventional pulse mode can result in significant heat generation and the potential for wound burn, said Aron D. Rose, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Registration is now open for the 2005 annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). It is time to begin planning your schedule to ensure your place in the most popular courses and events, as well as securing reduced early-bird registration fees. Registration is easy and convenient from the academy's Web site, www.aao.org/annual_meeting.

Imagine a CME-accredited ophthalmology radio show. That's the idea behind As Seen From Here (www.AsSeenFromHere.com), a new weekly audio program of interviews with recent authors of articles in ophthalmology peer-review journals. The audio program, which is free, automatically loads onto the iPods and computers of ophthalmologists across the United States and in a growing number of countries throughout the world.

In the 1970s, when I began medical school, dire predictions of physician shortages abounded. Congress passed a law to get U.S. medical schools to solicit transfers of students from non-U.S. schools for their third and fourth years, so as to address the looming undersupply.

Washington, DC—The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is joining other professional organizations to support the "Children's Access to Vision Care Act of 2005," a bill that would provide $75 million in state grants for eye exams and other treatment for uninsured children who fail vision screenings.

Cleveland—A privately held biotechnology company said it has developed a proprietary non-viral nucleic acid nanoparticle technology that can introduce DNA into cells of the retina and other optic tissues.

San Francisco—Sirna Therapeutics' medication for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) appears to be safe and well-tolerated, with all patients experiencing visual acuity stabilization so far, the company said.

New Orleans—More than 250 African-American men over age 50 took part in a glaucoma screening at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church here earlier this year.