News

Philadelphia-Wills Eye Hospital and Tulane Medical Center are joining efforts to study the efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) compared with conventional medical management as monotherapy for open-angle glaucoma.

Orlando-Refractive surgeons need to understand that the procedures they perform and their potential complications can adversely affect quality of vision, said Thomas Kohnen, MD, during the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting prior to the Amer-ican Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Orlando-The viscoadaptive material 2.3% sodium hyaluronate viscoadaptive (Healon5, Pharmacia) is an excellent choice during cataract surgery for creating space, protecting tissues, and neutralizing positive pressure, as well as for traits such as viscomydriasis, clarity, and removability, noted Robert H. Osher, MD.

Cataract surgeons whose preferred viscoelastic is DuoVisc (Alcon), the product co-packaging 1% sodium hyaluro- nate (ProVisc) and 3% sodium hyaluronate/ 4% chrondoitin sulfate (Viscoat), appreciate its advantage in allowing use of either a cohesive viscoelastic or a dispersive agent during portions of the procedure when each is needed most.

Sewickley, PA-Sodium hyaluronate 1.6% (Amvisc Plus, Bausch & Lomb) offers the right balance of desired viscoelastic properties, making it useful during each stage of cat-aract surgery and an excellent choice for nearly all phacoemulsification cases, agree cataract surgeons Richard A. Bowers, MD, and Andrew Tharp, MD.

Houston-A modification to the tip design with Aqualase technology (Alcon) seems to make the procedure more successful with denser nuclei, reported Robert Lehmann, MD, who has been using the technology successfully for almost 3 years. Aqualase technology, which uses heated fluid instead of ultrasound energy to melt nuclear ma-terial, eliminates the energy and time of standard ultrasound phacoemulsification for small-incision cataract surgery, he said.

Lexington, KY-One of the newest viscoelastic products approved by the FDA is 1.2% sodium hyaluronate (CoEase, Advanced Medical Optics), which exemplifies the trend toward developing agents with both dispersive and cohesive properties.

A filtering device called "Cruise Control" that prevents fluctuations and surges during cataract surgery is the latest upgrade to the Sonic Wave phacoemulsification system (STAAR Surgical), according to I. Howard Fine, MD, who helped develop the enhancement.

The burst mode power modulation feature of the Millennium system (Bausch & Lomb Surgical) enhances surgeon control and improves the efficiency and safety of phacoemulsification. It also allows for bimanual surgery through ultrasmall incisions using a sleeveless phaco tip, according to users.

Experience in ongoing clinical trials points to the potential of the 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser (Photon, Paradigm Medical) as an effective and remarkably safe alternative for removing soft lenses, said Michael B. Limberg, MD.

Norristown, PA-The Fugo Blade (MediSURG Research and Management Corp., Norristown, PA) is now in its second year of clinical use in the United States, and more than 500 U.S. surgeons have completed instructional courses and are now certified in this patented technology.

Placement of IOLs is simplified with the Unfolder Silver-Z and Emeraldimplantation systems (Advanced Medical Optics), say cataract surgeons experienced with those devices.

Precautionary measure

Orlando-Recognizing the early signs of posterior capsule (PC) rupture during cataract surgery and employing proper surgical techniques will help ensure good visual and anatomic outcomes, according to Louis D. Nichamin, MD.

Novartis Ophthalmics and Valley Forge Pharmaceuticals Inc. have entered into a licensing agreement for a novel eye medication for myopia, which in phase II clinical trials reduced progression of the disease by 50% in the first 12 months of therapy.

Sacramento-As a high-molecular-weight, high-viscosity cohesive viscoelastic, 1% sodium hyaluronate (UniVisc, CIBA Vision) protects the corneal endothelium during cataract surgery and IOL implantation and maintains the anterior chamber during sur-gical procedures.

Rosenheim, Germany-Recent software up-grades to the WhiteStar technology system (Advanced Medical Optics) have resulted in lower total ultrasound power and phaco-emulsification time.

Little Rock, AR-Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) has awarded $110,000 to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' (UAMS) Pat and Willard Walker Eye Research Center. The funds will be allocated toward research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of blinding diseases.

Cleveland-Ophthalmology Times is a finalist in two categories in the 49th annual Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards Competition. The prize is the most prestigious honor than can be bestowed upon the business-to-business media.

FDA approves faster laser pulse rate

The FDA approval of cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Restasis, Allergan) Dec. 26 marked a landmark for ophthalmology. The eye drop therapy for moderate to severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca is unique in that it treats the inflammatory process that causes the condition, and not just its symptoms.

Dallas-Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative administration of topical antibiotics in 11,000 cases resulted in a remarkably low endophthalmitis rate (one case) in patients undergoing surgery to remove cataracts. It appears that meticulous attention to the use of antibiotics preoperatively, perioperatively, and postoperatively as well as placement of one suture across small-incision cataract wounds may be the elements that make the difference, according to James P. McCulley, MD.

Salt Lake City-An evaluation of four materials available for the manufacture of IOL haptics showed that polymethylmethac-rylate (PMMA), elastimide, and polyvi-nylidene fluoride (PVDF) had similar loop memory at a level that was significantly higher than that of polypropylene (PP) haptics. All lenses had a silicone optic.

Mainz, Germany-The accommodation capabilities of two IOLs (AT-45, CrystaLens, C&C Vision, Aliso Viejo, CA; and 1CU, HumanOptics AG, Erlangen, Germany) were clearly demonstrated in patients for the first time and compared with a standard IOL, which showed no accommodative effect, according to H. Burkhard Dick, MD.

Orlando-Custom prolate topographically guided corneal ablation using the LaserSight system with its unique ablation planning software (AstraPro) delivers improved overall vision, said Jack T. Holladay, MD, during the American Academy of Ophthalmology's refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting.

Orlando-The OPD-Scan optical path dif-ference scanning system (Nidek) combines measurement of corneal topography and aberrometry and could be particularly advantageous for guiding customized ablations in patients with highly aberrant cor- neas, according to speakers at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting prior to the annual meeting of the American Acad-emy of Ophthalmology.

Cincinnati, OH-The toric implantable contact lens (ICL) from STAAR Surgical promises to expand the range of patients who can be treated with phakic implants by enabling the treatment of astigmatic myopia and, eventually, astigmatic hyperopia.

Orlando-Ongoing formal and informal studies are examining expanded applications for conductive keratoplasty (CK), including its use for the treatment of presbyopia, astigmatism, and as an enhancement procedure for reducing hyperopia after previous keratorefractive or lenticular surgery, said Louis D. Nichamin, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting held prior to the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting here.

Orlando-Results from international and U.S. FDA clinical trials point to the efficacy and safety of treating spherical and cylindrical refractive errors using the Zyoptix system for personalized vision correction (Bausch & Lomb), according to speakers at the refractive surgery subspecialty day held prior to the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Orlando-A new light-adjustable IOL (LAL) has been designed that will allow for noninvasive correction of residual refractive errors present after cataract surgery, said Daniel M. Schwartz, MD, during the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting prior to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Researchers are ready to begin testing the LAL in clinical trials, he added.