News

Walter J. Stark, MD, will present the 16th Wilmer Memorial Lecture, which will highlight the contributions made in cataract surgery.

Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico—Recently reported results from the European Glaucoma Prevention Study (EGPS) have taken the ophthalmology community by surprise, reported Richard K. Parrish II, MD, at the Current Concepts in Ophthalmology meeting.

Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico—A topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) can be a valuable tool for cataract surgeons.

FDA approvals occurring within a few days of each other have brought ophthalmologists two new multifocal IOLs to select fromfor patients seeking lessened spectacle dependency after cataract surgery.

Washington, DC &#8212 Early results of a study evaluating wavefront-guided customized treatment using the Epi-Lift technique indicate that the Gebauer EpiTome (VisiJet/Advanced Refractive Technologies) works well to separate the corneal epithelium. However, there has been significant interpatient variability so far in the level of postoperative comfort, speed of visual recovery, and time to removal of the therapeutic soft contact lens, reported Terrence P. O'Brien, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.

Delegates of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) meeting received a special treat during Friday evening's welcome reception. The attraction: the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.

The interest rate contributes directly to the 'rate of return'of the security, which is essentially the rate that an investor expects to receive.

Atlanta—Arterial dissection can be overlooked in a patient who presents to an ophthalmologist with acute orbital or periorbital pain. Val?rie Biousse, MD, described the appropriate steps to take to ensure an accurate diagnosis and avoid a subsequent cerebral insult.

New Orleans—Silicone hydrogel contact lenses may produce fewer complications for patients because of their high oxygen permeability, although their extended wearability could negate that advantage, suggested Peter R. Kastl, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and adjunct professor of biochemistry, Tulane University, New Orleans.

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Welcome to Ophthalmology Times E-news, providing daily coverage of the 2005 ASCRS meeting from Washington, D.C., April 16-19.Over the next several days, you will receive "instant" meeting coverage of the top clinical presentations, breaking industry news, the latest new products, and other ophthalmic information. The editors of Ophthalmology Times will cover the ASCRS meeting, gathering the latest news and information, and deliver it daily to your inbox.If you would like to receive these updates in your in-box click www.ophthalmologytimes.com/enews

Ophthalmology's very own "piano man," Roberto Pinelli, MD, will entertain attendees of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) symposium this week in Washington, DC.

Physicians have chance to learn about latest advances in surgical techniques, technology, practice management

The Cornea Society is hosting its fifth World Congress preceding the joint meeting of The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA). The Congress is held only once every 10 years and will take place on Thursday, April 14, and Friday, April 15, at the Washington Convention Center.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Three residents shared honors in the 2005 Bloomberg Memorial Videotape Competition for cataract and implant surgery.

Des Plaines, IL-A new Category III CPT code has been released by the American Medical Association (AMA) to cover the micro-thin prescription inserts (Intacs, Addition Technology) procedure for keratoconus.

Mountain View, CA—Patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who were treated with a transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) laser protocol showed a significant clinical benefit of improved vision versus those in a sham-treated control group, according to Iridex Corp.

Toronto—The FDA is allowing OccuLogix Inc. to initiate studies of its RHEO blood filtration system to treat dry age-related macular degeneration after reviewing the Long-term Efficacy in AMD from Rheopheresis in North America (LEARN) protocols.

Plymouth Meeting, PA—Six patients treated with 40 mg of Genaera Corp.'s squalamine lactate (Evizon) had preserved or improved vision in both eyes suffering from wet age-related macular degeneration through a 4-month study, according to the company, which released preliminary results of a phase II clinical trial.

Aliso Viejo, CA—Three years after implantation of the crystalens (eyeonics) accommodating IOL, 92% of patients achieved monocular near-vision acuity of J3 or better measured through the distance correction, according to follow-up results.

Boston—After nearly 5 years of research and product development for glaucoma treatment systems, SOLX has launched commercial operations.

Fort Worth, TX—The FDA has accepted the new drug application (NDA) for Alcon Inc.'s anecortave acetate for depot suspension (RETAANE) for controlling angiogenesis in wet age-related macular degeneration.

Santa Barbara, CA—Miravant Medical Technologies will conduct phase III clinical trials for rostaporfin (PHOTREX) at 50 investigational sites in central and eastern Europe and the United Kingdom to evaluate a range of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration.

Atlanta—Alimera Sciences Inc. and Control Delivery Systems Inc. (CDS) will work together to develop and market a pharmacologic treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME).

New York—Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. is offering to help physicians and patients seeking Medicare reimbursement for pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen) treatment.

Santa Ana, CA—The merger of Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) and VISX Inc. is taking a little longer to complete than anticipated, as auditors work to finish the companies' year-end financial statements.

With the push of a button, refractive surgeons now have the capability to align wavefront-guided customized ablations to the correct corneal site. Iris Registration (IR) technology from VISX for use with CustomVue treatment is the first and only FDA-approved, fully automated, non-contact method available to CustomVue surgeons in the United States. The technology is being regarded for its potential to enhance the further efficacy and safety of custom ablations with the VISX system.

Amiodarone was introduced in 1961 as an anti-anginal agent and was also found to be helpful in several cardiac arrhythmias.