News

Brookville, PA—The new aberration-free aspheric IOL (SofPort Advanced Optics, Bausch & Lomb) is an exciting advance in implant technology because of its potential to offer better quality of vision to all patients, said Louis D. "Skip" Nichamin, MD.

San Diego—With data available from up to 1 year of follow-up in an ongoing FDA multicenter clinical trial, the toric ICL (STAAR Surgical) is demonstrating favorable efficacy, safety, and predictability for the correction of myopic astigmatism, said Capt. Steven C. Schallhorn, MD.

Chicago—Although the introduction of aphakic IOLs led to a 50-year epidemic of pseudophakic corneal edema, it is unlikely that the advent of phakic IOLs will cause history to repeat itself, said Joel Sugar, MD.

Washington, DC—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that as of Jan. 1, 2005, the Medicare Part B allowable for pegaptanib sodium (Macugen, Eyetech Pharmaceuticals) is 106% of average sales price (ASP), or $1,054.70 per injection.

Kingston, NH—The FDA has approved D.O.R.C. International/Dutch Ophthalmic USA's New Drug Application for its patented VisionBlue staining solution for use in cataract surgery.

Fairfax, VA—The FDA is asking cataract surgeons to report any incidents of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS) that they have experienced on the agency's MedWatch Web site.

Two of the most critical and foundational elements in the diagnosis of glaucoma—consistent examination of the optic nerve and aggressively lowering IOP—are one step closer to reality.

Newark, NJ—Conductive keratoplasty (CK) is a safe and effective procedure to treat patients with LASIK complications, an off-label application of the procedure, in whom an additional laser procedure is contraindicated, said Peter Hersh, MD.

Baltimore—Ongoing programs at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) are having a positive influence on bringing more safe and effective drugs to market, said Wiley A. Chambers, MD.

regionals

Columbus, OH—In children with juvenile myopia, younger age at onset appears to be associated with an increased risk for rapid progression of refractive error, said Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD.

Quality of life (QOL) has become an issue in every branch of medicine, including ophthalmology. From an economic perspective, loss of productivity contributes to the economic burden of a disease in the same manner as the shared costs of treatment.

New Orleans—"What is quality of human vision? And what should we be looking for when we assess it?" asked Jack T. Holladay, MD, MSEE, FACS, who delivered the Barraquer Lecture at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

In the midst of all the uncertainty about his health, Dr. Ogawa was thrilled when the cabin was completed in May 2003.

None of the patients treated with prophylactic ganciclovir had a recurrence.

Baltimore—Substantial improvement in visual acuity occurred in the amblyopic eyes of children in both treatment arms of a study comparing atropine and occlusive patching, said Michael X. Repka, MD.

Los Angeles—Implantation of micro-thin prescription inserts (Intacs, Addition Technology, Sunnyvale, CA) using the IntraLase femtosecond laser (IntraLase Corp., Irvine, CA) to create the channels seems to be a less traumatic and a more accurate means of placing the prescription inserts in the eye, compared with the mechanical procedure for implanting them in a group of patients with keratoconus who were contact lens intolerant, reported Yaron Rabinowitz, MD.

Columbus, OH—In children with juvenile myopia, younger age at onset appears to be associated with an increased risk for rapid progression of refractive error, said Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD.

New Orleans—Intravitreal triamcinolone (IVTA), a useful treatment for macular edema and neovascularization, has been associated with a high incidence of elevated IOP as early as 1 week after injection. Patients receiving IVTA should be monitored closely, according to Michele C. Lim, MD, who spoke during the American Academy of Ophthalmology's glaucoma subspecialty day meeting.

New Orleans—Optic disc hemorrhage, a rare event in non-glaucomatous eyes, is a strong predictor of glaucoma as well as glaucoma progression. Clinicians might consider re-evaluating the patient's target IOP after this finding, said Jost B. Jonas, MD, at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's glaucoma subspecialty day meeting.

The greatest preoperative risk factor for CME is diabetes—the risk of developing post-cataract extraction CME has been reported to be as high as 60% in diabetics.

North Arlington, NJ—Loteprednol etabonate 0.2% ophthalmic suspension (Alrex, Bausch & Lomb) provides safe and rapid relief from the entire gamut of symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, according to John Favetta, MD.

Wantagh, NY-Because of its ability to halt the allergic cascade, its long duration of action, and rapid relief of itching, nedocromil sodium ophthalmic solution 2% (Alocril, Allergan) is an excellent choice for the treatment of chronic allergic conjunctivitis, according to Jodi Luchs, MD, a private practitioner at South Shore Eye Care, Wantagh, NY.

Chicago—Ketotifen fumarate 0.025% ophthalmic solution (Zaditor, Novartis) offers rapid-onset, long-lasting relief of allergy-associated itching along with excellent local tolerability and a long-standing record of safety. Those features combined make it an outstanding therapeutic choice for all patients with allergic conjunctivitis and a particularly attractive option for the pediatric population, said Kimberlee M. Curnyn, MD.

Carlsbad, CA—The mast cell stabilizer pemirolast potassium ophthalmic solution 0.1% (Alamast, Santen Inc.) can be an effective immediate and long-term treatment for ocular surface allergies because of its inhibitory properties as well as its safety profile, suggested Bill G. Bell, MD, an ophthalmologist in private practice in Carlsbad, CA.

Manhasset, NY—In a head-to-head clinical study, olopatadine (Patanol, Alcon Laboratories) demonstrated statistically significant superiority over epinastine (Elestat, Allergan) for relief of itching, redness, and chemosis associated with allergic conjunctivitis, according to Peter D'Arienzo, MD.

Every patient should undergo at least screening confrontation visual field testing.

Dublin, Ireland—An Irish biotechnology company is hoping recombinant microplasmin will simplify vitrectomy in patients with vitreoretinal disorders.