News

Data collected through up to 1 year of follow-up in the FDA multicenter clinical trial of the toric ICL (STAAR Surgical) support the efficacy, safety, and predictability of that phakic IOL for correcting myopic astigmatism, said Captain Steven Schallhorn, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting.

Prevention of postLASIK dry eye by recognition and management of risk factors is critical because treatment of dry eye that develops after LASIK can be challenging, said Stephen C. Pflugfelder, MD, in a keynote address at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting.

Late onset bleb leakage usually occurs 2 to 3 years after glaucoma filtering surgery with an incidence between 2% and 9%. This condition warrants treatment, according to Philip P. Chen, MD, who spoke during the glaucoma subspecialty day meeting.

A new preventive approach to perforating ocular injuries seems to prevent the almost inevitable development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) that follows this type of injury, according to Ferenc Kuhn, MD, PhD, of the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Ophthalmologists can improve glaucoma care by evaluating the optic nerve to assess the patient's risk of progression, according to speakers at a CME symposium Saturday. Faculty members provided the audience with tips for determining disease severity through optic nerve evaluation, employing a systematic approach to the evaluation, identifying patients at risk of disease progression, and determining the most effective treatment.

Laser presbyopia reversal (LAPR) is showing significant promise and patient satisfaction based on 12-month follow-up results from a U.S. clinical trial, said Sandra C. Belmont, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting.

The C-01-99 phase III clinical trial, which compared a 15-mg dose of anecortave acetate (Alcon Laboratories) with standard administration of verteporfin for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), found that there was no statistical difference between the two treatments.

The VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) Inhibition Study in Ocular Neovascularization (VISION), a phase III appraisal of three doses of pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen, Eyetech Pharmaceuticals) (0.3, 1, and 3 mg) compared with a sham procedure, found that the 0.3-mg dose of Macugen improves visual outcomes in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Refractive lens exchange with implantation of the Acrysof ReSTOR IOL (Alcon Laboratories) is an effective method for providing an excellent range of vision for presbyopic myopes or hyperopes, said Francesco Carones, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting.

Laser presbyopia reversal (LAPR) is showing significant promise and patient satisfaction based on 12-month follow-up results from a U.S. clinical trial, said Sandra C. Belmont, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting.

Valuable new data continue to be gleaned from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). In this large randomized, controlled clinical study of 4,753 patients, investigators at 11 sites evaluated the effect of antioxidants vitamins C and E and zinc compared with placebo in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Topical application of mitomycin-C (MMC) is more effective for preventing corneal haze after PRK than it is for treating existing haze, but further studies are needed to establish the long-term corneal safety of this strongly cytostatic agent, said Marcelo V. Netto, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting.

San Diego-Recurrent outbreaks of diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK) seem to be associated with problems with cleaning protocols and bacterial contamination. Constant vigilance and maintenance of strict cleaning protocols are essential to prevent recurrences of DLK, said Simon P. Holland, MD.

S?o Paulo, Brazil-Botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan) significantly improves all aspects of quality of life in patients with blepharospasm, according to Tammy Osaki, MS, a medical student at the Vision Institute of the Federal University of S?o Paulo, Brazil.

San Diego-A new technique for corneal marking and probe placement seems to improve the accuracy and standardization of probe placement in conductive keratoplasty (CK). This has translated into improved surgical outcomes, reported Charles H. Williamson, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

San Diego-Wavefront-guided treatments seem to improve night-vision disturbances caused by LASIK. Patients with severe higher-order aberrations after the initial refractive procedure benefitted from treatment driven by the Wavefront Aberration Supported Corneal Ablation (WASCA) aberrometer and the MEL-80 excimer laser driven by the CRS-Master software platform (all from Carl Zeiss Meditec AG).

Kingston, PA-FDA study results show the safety and effectiveness of the investigational viscous-dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) DisCoVisc (Alcon Laboratories) for use during cataract surgery and IOL implantation, said Harvey Reiser, MD.