News

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Differences in local capillary blood speed characteristics in patients who have unilateral nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and optic neuritis (ON) may help in the differential diagnosis of these two most common nonglaucomatous optic neuropathies, said Nathalie Collignon, MD, at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Philadelphia-Fibrin glue, approved by the FDA to seal blood vessels, can be used for lamellar keratoplasty to keep the donor cornea in place until it is completely healed 2 to 3 weeks postoperatively, according to Herbert E. Kaufman, MD, who spoke during the Innovator's Session at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting here.

Philadelphia-Improved visual outcomes were seen with wavefront-guided laser ablations because both lower- and higher-order aberrations were reduced. The residual higher-order aberrations were lower than those found in conventionally treated eyes, according to Stephen Brint, MD, who reported results from the CustomCornea study group here at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Philadelphia-Excimer laser treatment using the Custom Cap (VISX, Sunnyvale, CA) method seems to be a promising therapeutic approach for reducing optical aberrations in eyes with less than satisfactory visual outcomes after refractive surgery.

Philadelphia-The Allegretto Wave excimer laser (WaveLight Laser Technologie AG, Erlangen, Germany) appears to be safe and effective when used for LASIK to correct myopia and myopic astigmatism. Ablations performed using this laser also seem to produce very little high-order aberration and coma after treatment, even when treatment is not guided by wavefront technology.

Philadelphia-High astigmatism is often more difficult to manage because these patients may have various corneal problems, such as keratoconus, previous RK, or corneal grafts. Multiple strategies should be considered for providing maximal correction and protecting the corneal integrity, explained James P. Gills, MD, during the Innovator's Session at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Philadelphia-Patients with high myopia and high hyperopia seemed to have a good response to the implantation of the Phakic Refractive Lens (PRL, Medennium Inc.), according to Kenneth J. Hoffer, MD, who reported on the phase III trial for myopia and the phase II trial for hyperopia during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting here.

Philadelphia-LASIK is still a popular procedure although PRK and LASEK are gaining interest, according to the results of the 2nd annual world-wide refractive surgery survey conducted through the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Santa Ana, CA-A brand new company (albeit with a long history) with a brand new headquarters and a brand new management team and board of directors. It's the stuff of which success is made.

Philadelphia-Most of the patients treated for high myopia with the Implantable Contact Lens (ICL, STAAR Surgical) were satisfied with their vision at the 2-year follow-up, said John A. Vukich, MD, who reported the interim results of the FDA clinical trial during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Seattle-The body's natural wound-healing processes that repair a cornea scraped by a tree branch might interfere with the outcome of a LASIK procedure, according to Steven E. Wilson, MD.

Philadelphia-The K-TOME microkeratome offers a range of desirable characteristics that make it an excellent choice for refractive surgeons, but unsurpassed control tops that feature list, said J. Charles Casebeer, MD. He spoke about the instrument, introduced in 1997 by Innovative Optics. Paradigm Medical Industries acquired that company last January and launched the K-TOME at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) here.

Progressive lenses have become the lens of choice to correct presbyopia. Although the demand and popularity of progressive lenses have increased, some doctors avoid prescribing these lenses because of past negative experiences with early lens designs and common axioms.

Editor's Note: The Bielschowsky head tilt test: all ophthalmologists learned it, few use it, fewer understand it, and most have forgotten it! In this month's column, we will cover the life and times of German ophthalmologist Alfred Bielschowsky (1871-1940), including his contributions to strabismus research.

Investigators from 22 clinical centers across the country have discovered that eye drops used to treat elevated IOP can be effective in delaying the onset of glaucoma, according to the recently released results of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS).

New York-The official definition of glaucoma has changed over the years to downplay the role of IOP, although IOP does remain a central issue in the treatment and prevention of the condition. Such was the conclusion drawn from discussions at the Glaucoma 2002 meeting here.

New York-Achieving success in an optical dispensary requires a continued, innovative marketing effort by the entire office staff, according to two experts who spoke on the subject at the American Association of Dispensing Ophthalmologists (AADO) 6th Dispensing Ophthalmology Conference held during this year's International Vision Expo East.

More than 1.5 million cataract surgery procedures are performed each year in the United States. Currently, cataract surgery is one of the most safe and effective surgical procedures in all of medicine.

FDA Briefs

Orlando-Plans are under way for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery's (ASCRS) first Job Fest here, Thursday, Oct. 17.

Eugene, OR-I. Howard Fine, MD, has a simple answer to what is fun about riding motorcycles.

The digital camera revolution has rapidly entered the ophthalmology office. The main advantage of digital cameras is that they allow picture taking as well as image storage without film.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy is a promising treatment of neovascularization brought on by various ocular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to Lawrence J. Singerman, MD.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Intravitreal triamcinolone appears to inhibit the growth of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and reduce subretinal fluid in the short term, but it needs further evaluation, ac-cording to Mark Gillies, MB, BS, PhD.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Of the nearly 60 million people in the United States over age 55, 8 million are estimated to be at high risk for advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), making it an important public health concern. However, nutritional supplements may be helpful to reduce this risk, according to the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS).

Philadelphia-Obstructive sleep apnea appears to be a significant, previously unrecognized aggravating factor in diabetic retinopathy that promotes progression of ischemia and edema, according to Stephen Sinclair, MD, clinical professor, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia.

Durham, NC-Sustained-release drug delivery systems are a promising new approach for treating posterior segment diseases, according to Glenn J. Jaffe, MD.

Tel Aviv, Israel-The macular computerized psychophysical test (MCPT)-a new test for monitoring patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-seems to be an efficient method for self-detection of AMD-related lesions, according to Anat Loewenstein, MD.