News

New York, NY-ORBIS, the nonprofit global health-care organization dedicated to saving sight in developing countries, has introduced phacoemulsification to doctors in Ethiopia and distributed ocular antibiotics for 100,000 people.

Aliso Viejo, CA-The FDA's Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel is recommending approval of the first accommodating IOL in the United States.

The introduction of the Grieshaber Revolution DSP (Alcon) line of disposable intraocular instruments represents a true innovation in the evolution of vitreoretinal surgery, according to retinal specialists Peter Kaiser, MD, and Allen C. Ho, MD.

Bausch & Lomb recently unveiled its SofPort System, an integrated, single-use, single-handed planar delivery IOL insertion system. The system is composed of the new MP-28 IOL injector and the new LI61-SE IOL.

San Francisco-The ClariFlex third-generation silicone IOL (AMO) is well tolerated in high-risk glaucomatous eyes, and the Unfolder Silver-Z insertion system (AMO) performs well in these eyes, with a very low incidence of cartridge jams or damaged IOLs, accord-ing to Thomas W. Samuelson, MD.

San Francisco-The Sensar IOL (AMO) with OptiEdge provides patients with excellent visual acuity, and after 1 year, it is associated with a higher incidence of clear posterior capsules and a lower rate of Nd:YAG capsulotomy compared with the parent model without OptiEdge, reported William J. Fishkind, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-Interim results from a prospective study comparing the foldable, single-piece, acrylic toric IOL (model SA60TT, AcrySof Toric, Alcon) with its spherical counterpart (model SA60AT, AcrySof, Alcon) indicate the toric device is stable in the bag and effective in reducing corneal astigmatism to provide improved uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) relative to the control, said Edward J. Holland, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

San Francisco-Interest in microphacoemulsification has grown since the introduction of ultrapulse ultrasound technology of Sovereign WhiteStar (AMO). Benefits include cool phaco as well as minimal turbulence and improved followability, according to Randall J. Olson, MD, who spoke at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-The Infiniti Vision System (Alcon) is a highly versatile platform that offers surgeons the option of removing cataracts with advanced ultrasonic phaco-emulsification alone, ultrasound plus oscillation using the NeoSoniX handpiece, or with the new AquaLase liquefaction device, said Richard J. Mackool, MD, at the Amer-ican Society of Cataract and Refractive Sur-gery (ASCRS) annual meeting.

San Francisco-The AcrySof Natural IOL (Model SB30AL, Alcon), containing a covalently bonded, blue light-filtering chromophore (ImprUV), more closely mimics the light transmission spectrum of the precataractous adult human crystalline lens compared with standard UV-absorbing IOLs without any adverse effects on vision, said Paul H. Ernest, MD, at the American Society of Cata-ract and Refractive Surgery an-nual meeting.

San Francisco-Bimanual phacoemulsification can be performed safely and effectively with the Millennium Microsurgical System (Bausch & Lomb), said Rosa M. Braga-Mele, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-IOL implantation in pediatric eyes with traumatic cataract offers the opportunity for a favorable visual outcome, but success in these cases depends on a properly timed procedure and diligent surgical care, said M. Edward Wilson, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-With its proprietary apodized diffractive technology, the AcrySof ReSTOR pseudoaccommodative IOL (Alcon) provides patients with excellent near and distance vision and only infrequently causes visual symptoms that are generally minimal and easily tolerated, said David Allen, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

The focus of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's (AAO) annual meeting in Anaheim this November can be summed up in one word: fresh. As always, the annual meeting and subspecialty day meetings will provide the latest clinical updates and practical tools that attendees have come to expect, but with a fresh focus on their needs on everything from offerings to scheduling.

Baltimore-Effective July 1, Peter J.McDonnell III, MD, leaves his post as chairman of the ophthalmology department at the University of California-Irvine to take the helm as director and William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute.

San Francisco-The newly redesigned model CQ2003V Collamer 3-piece IOL (STAAR Surgical) provides patients with excellent visual results during the early postoperative period. The new IOL tolerates injection through a small cartridge compared with the previous design, according to Stephen Bylsma, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting.

San Francisco-Implantation of an aniridic colored IOL (Ophtec) in patients with traumatic aniridia is associated with improved photophobia and high patient satisfaction, reported Pascal Rozot, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Santa Clara, CA-VISX Inc. is celebrating the FDA approval of its CustomVue laser-vision correction procedure, as its board survived an attempt to dethrone one member in a takeover plan by financier Carl C. Icahn.

Future Bascom Palmer chief resident

Milwaukee-When an anophthalmic implant is required, in most cases, oculoplastic surgeon Russell S. Gonnering, MD, prefers using a non-wrapped porous sphere.

London-Subconjunctival injection of botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan) can offer an effective treatment for upper eyelid retraction associated with thyroid eye dis-ease, said Jimmy M. Uddin, MD.

San Francisco-Patients who repeatedly miss appointments or do not follow prescribed treatment plans can be walking litigation time bombs, according to attorney Paul Weber, JD, a risk manager at the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Co.

With daily operating costs rising, reimbursement rates declining, and concerns over soaring liability insurance prices, profitability is a hot topic for the modern ophthalmology practice. Some groups are finding an effective solution in the symbiosis between ophthalmology and optometry. By adding optometrists to their staffs, ophthalmologists are offering a more complete vision-care package to their patients and driving up profits in the process. The advantages, as seen by the doctors involved in these relationships, are many.

Reseda, CA-The Centurion SES Microkeratome, recently approved by the FDA, has features that differentiate it from conventional microkeratomes used for standard LASIK procedures: a combination blade/cartridge component, a bar applanator, and a resultant gutterless flap.

San Francisco-The new zero-compression head for the Hansatome microkeratome (Bausch & Lomb) represents an important safety advance for that instrument because it significantly reduces the risk of intraoperative epithelial defects compared with the standard head, said Thomas Kohnen, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-Refractive surgeons using the MK-2000 (Nidek) microkeratome can expect to achieve high-quality flaps whether using the manufacturer's own or another's blade, but they need to recognize that blades from different manufacturers and even from different lots of the same manufacturer may produce flaps that can vary dramatically in thickness, said Robert T. Lin, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-The CB Single Use microkeratome (Moria, Antony, France) is a reliable instrument for flap creation, offering advantages in safety and ease of use, said Karl B. Stonecipher, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-The femtosecond laser (IntraLase FS, IntraLase Corp.) holds promise as a useful tool for performing keratectomy in eyes undergoing lamellar keratoplasty procedures, said Melvin A. Sarayba, MD,at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.