News

New York-More drugs are in the pipeline that may have a positive impact on the treatment of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One that is providing good results is anecortave acetate (15 mg) for depot suspension, (Retaane, Alcon).

Toronto-Offering dual linear control of vacuum and phaco power in conjunction with burst mode, the Millennium microsurgical system (Bausch & Lomb) enhances phaco safety and efficiency to optimize patient outcomes, said Rosa M. Braga-Mele, MD.

Although patients with uveitis are at increased risk of complications following cataract surgery with IOL implantation, due to pre-existing inflam- mation, improvements in technology, materials, and surgical techniques have greatly improved outcomes.

Stanford, CA-Tube shunt surgery is an efficacious way to lower IOP in complicated glaucomas, according to Mary Ann Lloyd, MD.

Durham, NC-Central corneal thickness (CCT) may be the best parameter for predicting the severity of glaucoma, according to Jennifer S. Weizer, MD.

Chicago-Ophthalmologists confront many issues in managing glaucoma, but patients with exfoliation syndrome, cataracts, and a history of refractive surgery present additional challenges.

"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime."

The sunny, southern California city of Anaheim plays host this year to the 107th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The program is being held at the completely renovated Anaheim Convention Center and features a new compact format that conveniently consolidates all of the educational opportunities of subspecialty days and the annual meeting into 5 days.

Denver-It's been said that one learns more from experience than from reading or observing. Some ophthalmic procedures, such as myopic LASIK, can be performed safely by house staff physicians-provided they are properly supervised by an experienced mentor, said Darren G. Gregory, MD.

San Francisco-The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) is offering its annual "I Care for Eye Care" calendar and note cards, featuring children's artwork from all over the world.

Wilmette, IL-More intensive staffing and better preparation can reduce various aspects of procedure time associated with cataract procedures performed at ambulatory surgery centers.

Fountain Hills, AZ-Coronado Industries Inc.'s glaucoma treatment device will be sold and distributed in Italy under a new agreement signed with EuPharmed of Rome.

Washington, DC -- Members of the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research updated Congressional staffers about the latest developments in LASIK and corneal healing, and asked that Congress keep its promise to double the National Eye Institute's budget.

Fort Myers, FL-Takayuki Akahoshi, MD, will present the 2004 John H. Sheets Memorial Lecture during the SEE Island Quality Sur-gery XVIII Seminar Feb. 28 to March 3.

Irvine, CA -- Two phase III clinical trials of ovine hyaluronidase (Vitrase, ISTA Pharmaceuticals) reveal a statistically significant reduction in vitreous hemorrhage density in patients with diabetes during each of 3 months following a single intravitreous injection of ovine hyaluronidase when compared with a single injection of saline solution.

Fort Worth, TX-A third generic version of brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution 0.2% now gives ophthalmologists yet another alternative for lowering IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Beverly Hills, CA-Centration on the coaxially sighted corneal light reflex (visual axis) is a safe and effective technique for LASIK when treating low to moderate hyperopia with or without astigmatism, according to the results of a retrospective study.

Editor's Note: Although less common than uveitis in adults, uveitis in children can present unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Emmett T. Cunningham Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, editor of the "Uveitis Update" column in Ophthalmology Times, asked a panel of uveitis specialists to comment on various aspects of the condition in this roundtable discussion. Their comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Alexandria, LA-Cataract surgeons now have an opportunity to correct astigmatism at the time of the cataract procedure with the use of limbal relaxing incisions (LRIs), according to R. Bruce Wallace III, MD.

Indianapolis-The Model 311 Iris Reconstruction Lens (Ophtec) appears safe and has significant benefit for reducing visual disturbances in patients with partial or complete aniridia, according to the first reported results from the FDA phase I trial evaluating that implant.

Dallas-The future just became brighter for the nearly 100 million people worldwide who wear contact lenses.

In the past, ophthalmologists have had the luxury of viewing themselves as specialized surgical and medical care providers and have not been driven to include a retail profit center, such as an optical dispensary, in their practice.

Two large clinical studies have confirmed that large-spot-size transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) is efficacious for the treatment of occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Salisbury, MD-The BriteLight Illuminating EndoProbe, the newest addition to IRIDEX Corp.'s IRIS Medical delivery devices, is a high-quality, endolaser probe that delivers both high-intensity white light and laser light through a single handpiece.

New Brunswick, NJ-Results of a retrospective study suggest that intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide may be a beneficial treatment for eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME), said Janet J. Chieh, MD.

New York-A new clinical device that simultaneously displays optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthal- moscopy (SLO) images may be useful in analyzing vitreoretinal pathologies of the posterior segment.

Groningen, The Netherlands-Early preclinical studies are yielding promise that an injected, artificial, capsule-filling lens may offer a possible solution for restoring accommodative ability lost in presbyopia or pseudophakia.

London-The level of control a surgeon has today over customizing laser treatments for refractive surgery patients is very limited. Basically, surgeons are limited to control over the size of the fully corrected optical zone, and in some laser systems the size of the transition zone, according to Dan Rein-stein, MD, MA (Cantab), FRSC, DABO.