News

London-Exposure of the retina to excessive blue light is hazardous to the pigment epithelial cells and may underlie the increase in the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in individuals in the eighth and ninth decades of life.

Hull, England-One researcher hopes to identify presbyopic eyes likely to benefit from an accommodating IOL and target the postoperative refraction in order to optimize the benefit.

Windsor, England-Piggybacking with the low-power meniscus MA60MA IOL (AcrySof, Alcon) is a useful technique for safely and accurately correcting post-cataract surgery ametropia, according to the results of a case series presented by Richard B. Packard, MD.

The Clariflex and Sensar AR40e IOLs (AMO) are physician-friendly implants that provide patients with unsurpassed optical performance because of their proprietary OptiEdge (AMO) design, agree cataract surgeons who favor the OptiEdge IOLs.

Stanford, CA-The phase III trial of the iris-claw phakic IOL (Artisan, Ophtec) for the treatment of hyperopia is now 2 years post- launch, and the short- and long-term results from the interim analyses are very encouraging, said Edward E. Manche, MD.

Madison, WI-The Implantable Contact Lens (ICL, STAAR Surgical) in eyes with moderate to high myopia produced at least comparable outcomes if not better than those achieved after LASIK, said John A. Vukich, MD.

Visual performance after cataract surgery is superior in eyes with the aspheric IOL implanted compared with other commonly used foldable implants, according to the results of a blinded, prospective, randomized study presented by Robert M. Kershner, MD, FACS.

Exciting progress continues to be made in IOL technology. However, as researchers develop new materials and designs, Nick Mamalis, MD, cautioned that care must to be taken to avoid revisiting old problems so that, as the Barenaked Ladies song title says, "Everything Old is New Again."

Editor's Note: The CrystaLens was recommended for approval by the FDA's Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel in late May. The lens may be commercially available later this year or early 2004. Dr. Doane's presentation was given at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery prior to the recommendation.

Milan, Italy-Combining phakic IOL implantation with LASIK is a very safe and effective strategy for treating eyes with high myopia and astigmatism, according to Francesco Carones, MD.

Duluth, GA-Less than a month after Pfizer Inc. announced it would consider selling off the surgical business it acquired with its merger with Pharmacia Corp. (Ophthalmology Times, Sept. 1 issue, Page 3), another large manufacturer of ophthalmic surgical products has announced it is pondering selling the surgical segment of its business as well.

Portland, OR-Nature's Tears EyeMist is a breakthrough product for the treatment of a variety of ocular irritations that delivers an ultra-fine mist of water to soothe and heal dry, irritated eyes, according to William D. Mathers, MD.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) continues to work to provide the latest advances in ophthalmology through engaging new formats. At last year's annual meeting, we introduced a combined session with Ophthalmology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Archives of Ophthalmology called The Editors' Choices.

Mainz, Germany-Refractive lens exchange with implantation of a foldable, multifocal IOL is a safe, effective, and stable surgical option for the treatment of hyperopia and myopia in the presbyopic population.

Alicante, Spain-Wavefront-oriented LASIK is a safe, effective, and predictable procedure for reducing higher-order aberrations and correcting residual refractive errors present after conventional LASIK, said Jorge L. Alio, MD, PhD.

New York-Decisions on the management of glaucoma associated with arteriovenous (AV) fistulae requires close collaboration with neuroradiologists and other physician colleagues and careful discussion of observation versus intervention, said James C. Tsai, MD.

San Diego-Both conventional LASIK and PRK induce higher-order aberrations to a similar extent, but their effects on individual aberrations are distinctly different, according to Capt. Steve C. Schallhorn, MD.

Buenos Aires, Argentina-Contrast sensitivity, a more sensitive and accurate measure of functional vision than Snellen visual acuity, has been shown to improve after both LASIK and LASEK procedures in patients with low-to-moderate myopia, according to Carlos Argento, MD, and Mar?aJos? Cosentino, MD.

Los Angeles-A preliminary analysis of results from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) indicates open-angle glaucoma (OAG) has a high prevalence among older Latinos. In addition, the rate exceeds that found in white populations and is at least comparable with that seen among blacks, said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH.

New York-The 1-year follow-up of the Hydroview IOL (Bausch & Lomb) indicates that the lens is safe and provides excellent postoperative visual outcomes, a low incidence of Nd:YAG capsulotomy, and no cases of decentration, according to Douglas Grayson, MD, FACS.

The FDA has approved a new tradename and revised labeling for Alcon's sterile, balanced salt solution (AquaLase Solution) for use as an isotonic solution for irrigating eye tissues.

The FDA has granted approval for the single-handed Royale Unihand Injector (model AE-9045) from American Surgical Instruments Corp. (ASICO).

New York-The North American Scientific Symposium on Age-Related Vision Impair-ment will focus on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. The two-day conference at Lighthouse International's headquarters here Oct. 16 to 17 is presented by Lighthouse International, AMD Alliance International, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

San Francisco-An interim analysis of data from an ongoing European multicenter study of the Phakic Refractive Lens (PRL, CIBA Vision/Medennium) indicates that the posterior chamber implant is a safe, effective, and predictable method for correcting high myopia, said Bo Philipson, MD, PhD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

When California ophthalmologist Leslie J. Weil, MD, was in the process of designing her private office, she made sure to include enough room for an optical dispensary.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Blocking the canaliculus with silicone punctal plugs has been shown to improve the stability of the tear film, decrease the ocular surface staining scores and squamous metaplasia grades, and increase the goblet cell density, according to Dilek Dursun, MD.

Jacksonville, FL-The chances of pterygium recurrence can be decreased substantially by removing the entire pterygium, not simply the head. In cases of extensive excision, amniotic membrane transplantation seems to provide excellent results, according to Arun Gulani, MD.

Houston-Developing a basic understanding of the relationships among wavefront, contrast sensitivity, and Snellen visual acuity and how each describes quality of vision is critical to interpreting studies investigating the efficacy and safety of wavefront-guided refractive surgery, noted Jack T. Holladay, MD, MSEE, FACS.

San Francisco-The integration of refractive error information obtained with a wavefront aberrometer into surgical planning may improve the results of conventional LASIK, said David R. Hardten, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

San Francisco-Intraoperative pachymetry is important in eyes undergoing LASIK because corneal thicknesses measured just before the microkeratome pass differ significantly from values obtained on a preoperative day, and at least when using the Hansatome microkeratome (Bausch & Lomb), correlate significantly with flap thickness, said Michael A. Redmond, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.