News

Halifax, Nova Scotia-In a small group of hyperopic patients, laser vision correction (LVC) with multifocal ablations seems to be an advantageous approach for improving both near and distance visual acuity, explained W. Bruce Jackson, MD, FRCSC, during the annual meeting of the Canadian Ophthalmologic Society here.

Irvine, CA-ISTA Pharmaceuticals is seeking FDA approval to use hyaluronidase (Vitrase) as a spreading agent to facilitate the dispersion and absorption of other drugs.

Dallas-Refocus Group Inc. has received approval to market its PresVIEW scleral incision system in the European Union.

Memphis, TN-EagleVision will manufacture and sell the human and animal glaucoma valves developed by Hood Laboratories.

Washington, DC-The Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee has voted overwhelmingly in favor of making ocular photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin (Visudyne, Novartis) available as a valid and important treatment for treating AMD in select patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) with occult but no classic CNV.

Boca Raton, FL-The FDA is granting expedited review status to pre-market approval (PMA) applications it has accepted for the Artisan/Verisyse phakic IOL for the correction of myopia and the endocapsular tension ring.

Atlanta-CIBA Vision Corp. will begin marketing its Centurion SES EpiEdge epikeratome for the Epi-LASIK refractive procedure this fall now that it has obtained U.S. regulatory approval.

Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic-The MemoryLens (CIBA Vision), a pre-rolled IOL, provides patients with very good postoperative outcomes and a low rate of posterior capsule opacification (PCO).

London-Exposure of the retina to excessive blue light is hazardous to the pigment epithelial cells and may underlie the increase in the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in individuals in the eighth and ninth decades of life.

Windsor, England-Piggybacking with the low-power meniscus MA60MA IOL (AcrySof, Alcon) is a useful technique for safely and accurately correcting post-cataract surgery ametropia, according to the results of a case series presented by Richard B. Packard, MD.

The Clariflex and Sensar AR40e IOLs (AMO) are physician-friendly implants that provide patients with unsurpassed optical performance because of their proprietary OptiEdge (AMO) design, agree cataract surgeons who favor the OptiEdge IOLs.

Stanford, CA-The phase III trial of the iris-claw phakic IOL (Artisan, Ophtec) for the treatment of hyperopia is now 2 years post- launch, and the short- and long-term results from the interim analyses are very encouraging, said Edward E. Manche, MD.

Madison, WI-The Implantable Contact Lens (ICL, STAAR Surgical) in eyes with moderate to high myopia produced at least comparable outcomes if not better than those achieved after LASIK, said John A. Vukich, MD.

Visual performance after cataract surgery is superior in eyes with the aspheric IOL implanted compared with other commonly used foldable implants, according to the results of a blinded, prospective, randomized study presented by Robert M. Kershner, MD, FACS.

Exciting progress continues to be made in IOL technology. However, as researchers develop new materials and designs, Nick Mamalis, MD, cautioned that care must to be taken to avoid revisiting old problems so that, as the Barenaked Ladies song title says, "Everything Old is New Again."

Editor's Note: The CrystaLens was recommended for approval by the FDA's Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel in late May. The lens may be commercially available later this year or early 2004. Dr. Doane's presentation was given at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery prior to the recommendation.

Milan, Italy-Combining phakic IOL implantation with LASIK is a very safe and effective strategy for treating eyes with high myopia and astigmatism, according to Francesco Carones, MD.

Duluth, GA-Less than a month after Pfizer Inc. announced it would consider selling off the surgical business it acquired with its merger with Pharmacia Corp. (Ophthalmology Times, Sept. 1 issue, Page 3), another large manufacturer of ophthalmic surgical products has announced it is pondering selling the surgical segment of its business as well.

Portland, OR-Nature's Tears EyeMist is a breakthrough product for the treatment of a variety of ocular irritations that delivers an ultra-fine mist of water to soothe and heal dry, irritated eyes, according to William D. Mathers, MD.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) continues to work to provide the latest advances in ophthalmology through engaging new formats. At last year's annual meeting, we introduced a combined session with Ophthalmology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology, and Archives of Ophthalmology called The Editors' Choices.

Mainz, Germany-Refractive lens exchange with implantation of a foldable, multifocal IOL is a safe, effective, and stable surgical option for the treatment of hyperopia and myopia in the presbyopic population.

Alicante, Spain-Wavefront-oriented LASIK is a safe, effective, and predictable procedure for reducing higher-order aberrations and correcting residual refractive errors present after conventional LASIK, said Jorge L. Alio, MD, PhD.

New York-Decisions on the management of glaucoma associated with arteriovenous (AV) fistulae requires close collaboration with neuroradiologists and other physician colleagues and careful discussion of observation versus intervention, said James C. Tsai, MD.

San Diego-Both conventional LASIK and PRK induce higher-order aberrations to a similar extent, but their effects on individual aberrations are distinctly different, according to Capt. Steve C. Schallhorn, MD.

Buenos Aires, Argentina-Contrast sensitivity, a more sensitive and accurate measure of functional vision than Snellen visual acuity, has been shown to improve after both LASIK and LASEK procedures in patients with low-to-moderate myopia, according to Carlos Argento, MD, and Mar?aJos? Cosentino, MD.

Los Angeles-A preliminary analysis of results from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) indicates open-angle glaucoma (OAG) has a high prevalence among older Latinos. In addition, the rate exceeds that found in white populations and is at least comparable with that seen among blacks, said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH.

New York-The 1-year follow-up of the Hydroview IOL (Bausch & Lomb) indicates that the lens is safe and provides excellent postoperative visual outcomes, a low incidence of Nd:YAG capsulotomy, and no cases of decentration, according to Douglas Grayson, MD, FACS.

The FDA has approved a new tradename and revised labeling for Alcon's sterile, balanced salt solution (AquaLase Solution) for use as an isotonic solution for irrigating eye tissues.