News

In our clinics we face practical decisions every day. Multiple competing drugs are often available for any particular problem. Glaucoma treatment options are especially numerous. A little math can easily demonstrate the complexity of glaucoma treatment options.

A 32-year-old woman complained of decreased vision in both eyes upon awakening. She stated that her vision was blurred, with black spots centrally in both eyes. She denied photopsias or pain.

FDA approves Refractec's CK nonlaser procedure for farsightedness

Santa Barbara, CA-With the development of a new 25-gauge self-sealing vitreoretinal surgical system, a group of surgeons hopes to make vitreoretinal surgery minimally invasive.

Boston-Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) could potentially be used as a first-line therapy for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG)because it is much less traumatic to the eye than the currently used argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT), according to its inventor, Mark Latina, MD.

Los Angeles-In the continuing effort to improve cataract and refractive surgery, a new lid speculum designed by Barry S. Seibel, MD, offers lid control for cataract and refractive procedures and several new innovative features that not only enhance patient comfort but also provide better surgical exposure.

As allergy season is approaching, it is important for the physician to understand that ocular allergy is only a component of a broader condition that many times involves the nose and sinuses.

Where on the Internet can you enhance your training and education-as well as that of your administrative staff-with high-quality materials, a minimum investment of time, and no expense? The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)'s Web site.

A visit to Philadelphia during this year's American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting (June 1 to 5) is not complete without a trip to Independence National Historical Park. Within America's most historic square mile, you will want to see two of the most treasured symbols of America's freedom: the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

Peapack, NJ-For Pharmacia Ophthalmology, these can be considered exciting times.

Q-Vis delays PMA application for laser

Norfolk, VA-Preoperative control of allergic eye disease is an important goal in the management of patients undergoing ocular surgery, and ketotifen fumarate (Zaditor, Novartis) is an excellent choice for that indication, according to John R. Sheppard, MD, MMSc.

San Antonio, TX-A treatment for seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, pemirolast potassium 0.1% ophthalmic solution (Alamast, Santen Inc., Napa, CA), was shown to be more comfortable for patients and equally effective when used twice a day during ragweed season when compared with nedocromil sodium 2% ophthalmic solution (Alocril, Allergan, Irvine, CA). These two drugs are the two latest mast-cell stabilizers that have become commercially available to treat ocular allergies.

London, Ontario, Canada-Patients with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis that includes ocular symptoms may benefit from a combination of fexofenadine HCl capsules (Allegra, Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bridgewater, NJ) supplemented with the ophthalmic solution of nedocromil sodium 2% (Alocril, Allergan, Irvine, CA).

Olopatadine HCl 0.1% (Patanol, Alcon) is significantly more effective than ketotifen fumarate 0.025% (Zaditor, Novartis), nedocromil sodium 2% (Alocril, Allergan), and azelastine HCl 0.05% (Optivar, Muro) in relieving itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis and has a comfort advantage as well, according to results of prospective, double-masked comparison studies.

Loteprednol etabonate 0.2% (Alrex, Bausch & Lomb) and azelastine hydrochloride 0.05% (Optivar, Muro) are both valuable options for the management of seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis, said Charles Slonim, MD.

Ocular allergies are a major source of discomfort and annoyance. Allergic symptoms often interfere with such common activities as reading, sports, or working on a computer. Greater public awareness of allergic conditions and less tolerance of their signs and symptoms are driving the need for better diagnosis and treatment.

Angiogenesis is a hot topic in medicine these days. It should also be a hot topic in ophthalmology, particularly for retinal specialists.

San Francisco-Levofloxacin (Quixin, Santen)-the new kid in the fluoroquinolone family-is less likely to encounter resistant strains of bacteria than the two older members of that antibiotic family, ofloxacin (Ocuflox, Allergan) and ciprofloxacin (Ciloxan, Alcon), according to David Hwang, MD.

Despite considerable effort and expense, new technology has yet to yield an incisional instrument better than the traditional steel blade for use in ophthalmic and facial plastic surgery.

Seattle-The dry eye that some patients experience after LASIK is a direct, not an indirect, result of damage to the corneal nerves, said Steven E. Wilson, MD.

Muscat, Sultanate of Oman-The OPD Scan (Nidek Co. Ltd., Japan) is a combined refractive power aberrometer and corneal analyzer that measures both the wavefront of the entire eye as well as the topography of the corneal surface.

London-A Hartmann-Shack wavefront scanning device is an effective aid in correcting difficult irregular astigmatism following previous LASIK, according to London anterior segment specialist and refractive surgeon Julian Stevens, MD, FRCO.

New York-The risk of inducing ectasia during LASIK could be reduced if refractive surgeons would aim for thinner flaps, according to Dan Z. Reinstein, MD, of the Reinstein Institute and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York.

New York-The short-term elevated IOP that takes place when a microkeratome suction ring is applied to the eye during LASIK does not damage the retinal nerve fiber layer (NFL), according to New York researchers.

Cleveland, OH-Excimer laser technology offers the refractive surgeon state-of-the-art tracking and scanning capabilities when performing laser refractive procedures, according to Ronald R. Krueger, MD.

Rochester, NY-The greatest impact in diagnosing wavefront error and treating higher-order aberrations will be seen in patients with irregular astigmatism, post-refractive surgical errors, and post-penetrating keratoplasty, according to New York refractive surgeon Scott M. MacRae, MD.

New Delhi, India-A married couple of ophthalmic surgeons in New Delhi, India, had a dream. Arun Sethi, MD, and his wife, Reena Sethi, MD, wanted to donate their time and professional skills to help reverse the tide of curable blindness in their area. However, never did they imagine what an impact they could make with a variety of assistance.