News

Boston-The Schepens Eye Research Institute will honor the memory of the late Rep. John Joseph Moakley (D-MA) with a new endowed chair called the Moakley Scholar in Aging Eye Research.

Dallas-Ronald A. Schachar, MD, the founder and chairman of Presby Corp., has resigned as director, officer, and employee of the company, which is now known as Refocus Group Inc. Dr. Schachar's resignation occurred as the medical device company moved to expand its board of directors.

San Francisco-Two groups of doctors interested in promoting education among refractive surgeons have decided to join forces.

Dallas-TransFirst Health Services is offering credit card transaction processing for more than 8,000 members of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA).

Mountain View, CA-California's Medicare Part B carrier will begin to cover transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) and feeder vessel (FV) laser protocols to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Santa Ana, CA-Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Inc. has secured distribution rights for a capsular tension ring, manufactured by OPHTEC BV, that is said to ensure capsular bag stability.

New York-Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s sales force will help sell Pfizer Inc.'s once-daily latanoprost ophthalmic solution (Xalatan) to U.S. ophthalmologists.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-When assessing a patient with dry eye, clinicians should keep the time of day in mind, said Carolyn G. Begley, OD, MS.

Hunting for Larry W. Kreider, MD, ophthalmologist, is more than just a sport. Since he began hunting with his father and grandfather at 12 years old, he has made memories and learned lessons that he will never forget.

Oklahoma City-The delivery of remote care is one aspect of telemedical communication that is gaining increased attention because of its positive health and economic impact.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-New innovative approaches for treating dry eye have been emerging that researchers hope will alleviate symptoms for the enormous number of patients affected by this disease.

The Legacy phacoemulsification system with AdvanTec (Alcon) runs cooler compared with the Sovereign phacoemulsification system with WhiteStar (Advanced Medical Optics) under all experimental conditions in air, according to Kevin M. Miller, MD.

Salt Lake City-New instrumentation makes it virtually impossible to cause a wound burn during microphacoemulsification in human cadaver eyes.

Great Neck, NY-Capsular tension rings can be a valuable adjunct in patients with unstable or absent zonules who are undergoing cataract surgery, and they may have additional application for the management of late IOL decentration that is secondary to capsular phimosis, said Kenneth J. Rosenthal, MD, FACS.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Bimatoprost appears to have greater IOP-lowering effectiveness than travoprost in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension, according to a small pilot study.

San Francisco-The newest version (A2) of the Carl Zeiss Meditec software algorithm for quantification of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using the third-generation optical coherence tomography (OCT 3) showed no improvement in glaucoma discriminating power compared with its predecessor software (A1), but it did reduce the variability of RNFL thickness measurements, according to a Tufts University glaucoma specialist.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Latanoprost, bimatoprost, and travoprost have comparable IOP-lowering effectiveness in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, according to a recent study.

Orlando-Adjustment for energy delivery calibration errors represents the single most important step excimer laser manufacturers can take toward achieving improved visual outcomes in eyes undergoing corneal ablative refractive surgery, said Jack T. Holladay, MD, MSEE, FACS, at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons.

If ophthalmologists and other physicians are looking to the nation's capital for assistance in dealing with the jury awards that far exceed actual economic losses by plaintiffs, one doctor believes it is a colossal waste of time.

Dallas-Moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution (Vigamox 0.5%, Alcon Laboratories) was approved by the FDA on April 16 for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, following a 6-month review of the drug.

San Francisco-LASIK is a safe, effective, and accurate treatment for correcting ametropia in post-radial keratotomy (RK) eyes, reported Stephen M. Weinstock, MD, at the annual meeting ofthe American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery here.

Newark, NJ-Topical beta-blockers are much safer than physicians believe them to be, according to New Jersey glaucoma specialist Paul Lama, MD.

San Francisco-With the presbyopic population reaching 51% (141 million) in the United States, the interest in surgical correction of presbyopia will likely take off as the baby boomers look for alternatives to glasses, according to Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, who delivered the Binkhorst Lecture during the opening session of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-An increase in outflow facility appears to be the mechanism by which unoprostone isopropyl ophthalmic solution (Rescula 0.15%, Novartis) reduces IOP, said Carol B. Toris, PhD.

San Francisco-Nearly 100,000 people in the United States are blind from glaucoma, and this number will rise enormously as the population ages over the next 20 years unless better detection and treatment methods are developed, said Nathan G. Congdon, MD, MPH.

Editor's Note: Anterior uveitis is the most common type of intraocular inflammation. Among patients with inflammation localized primarily to the anterior chamber, 50% or more are HLA-B27 positive. Inaddition, a number of these patients with HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis have, or will develop, an associated systemicdisorder such as ankylosing spondylitis,reactive arthritis (formerly known asReiter's syndrome), inflammatory bowel disease, or psoriatic arthritis.

Johannesburg, South Africa-A miniature glau-coma implant (Ex-Press, Optonol Ltd., Neve Ilan, Israel; marketed by CIBA Vision, Atlanta) that is implanted under a scleral flap has been shown to be safe and effective in lowering IOP in a prospective pilot study.

Del Mar, CA-Eyemakers Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire a public company that provides LASIK surgery to patients in the Southwest.

Cleveland-A protein produced by the body might help prevent abnormal blood vessel growth and treat diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and cancer.

Washington, DC-The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded the list of procedures it will cover, including several important ophthalmic procedures.