Lynda Charters

Los Angeles-Hypertension in a patient should raise a red flag for ophthalmologists because it may be associated with optic neuropathy. Anthony C. Arnold, MD, provided his pearls for the safe management of these patients.

Montreal-Acute third-, fourth-, or sixth-nerve palsies do not seem to be associated with myocardial infarctions (MI) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), but the development of one of these palsies is an indi- cation for an assessment of ischemic risk factors, according to Kashif Baig, MD, MBA.

The Nidek MK-2000 microkeratome is well regarded by surgeons because of its ease of use and reproducible results. In addition, there are other features of the instrument that have impressed them.

Tampere, Finland-Both the M2 Single Use microkeratome and the M2 microkeratome with the new 90-?m head (Moria, Antony, France) have been performing well in clinical trials.

The HydroKeratome Waterjet System (Visijet Inc.), the first microkeratome that creates a LASIK flap using a continuous beam of ultra-high-pressure water instead of a metal blade, debuted at the 2003 annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Anaheim.

New York-Treatment with ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) resulted in stable or im-proved vision in 97.5% of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) over 6 months, according to the phase Ib/II trial results. Forty-five percent had more than a three-line gain in vision, said Jeffrey S. Heier, MD, a principal investigator in the clinical trial, who reported results at the annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists.

Rochester, NY-The Technolas 217 Z Zyoptix Personalized Vision Correction system (Bausch & Lomb) was approved by the FDA for use in the United States last month (see related news on Page 1). About 99% of patients expressed extreme satisfaction or satisfaction with the visual results afforded them by the system, which may increase patient interest in refractive surgery.

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.

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.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Blocking the canaliculus with silicone punctal plugs has been shown to improve the stability of the tear film, decrease the ocular surface staining scores and squamous metaplasia grades, and increase the goblet cell density, according to Dilek Dursun, MD.

Jacksonville, FL-The chances of pterygium recurrence can be decreased substantially by removing the entire pterygium, not simply the head. In cases of extensive excision, amniotic membrane transplantation seems to provide excellent results, according to Arun Gulani, MD.

Mesa, AZ-A one-pass scleral-corneal incision technique seems to "offer the best of both worlds" to cataract surgeons, according to Neal Nirenberg, MD, who uses the technique almost exclusively for his cataract patients in his private practice in Mesa, AZ.

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 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-Safe and predictable creation of corneal flaps is now more achievable because the relationship between microkeratome performance and the forces generated by the microkeratomes are newly under-stood. Microkeratomes can be designed to match the suction plate apertures to the corneal volume as well as the corneal curvature. Excessive upward forces and flap irregularities produced by the microkeratome are eliminated, according to Ronald Singal, MD, who spoke at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

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.

Oklahoma City-The delivery of remote care is one aspect of telemedical communication that is gaining increased attention because of its positive health and economic impact.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-New innovative approaches for treating dry eye have been emerging that researchers hope will alleviate symptoms for the enormous number of patients affected by this disease.

The Legacy phacoemulsification system with AdvanTec (Alcon) runs cooler compared with the Sovereign phacoemulsification system with WhiteStar (Advanced Medical Optics) under all experimental conditions in air, according to Kevin M. Miller, MD.

Salt Lake City-New instrumentation makes it virtually impossible to cause a wound burn during microphacoemulsification in human cadaver eyes.

Dallas-Moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution (Vigamox 0.5%, Alcon Laboratories) was approved by the FDA on April 16 for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, following a 6-month review of the drug.

Johannesburg, South Africa-A miniature glau-coma implant (Ex-Press, Optonol Ltd., Neve Ilan, Israel; marketed by CIBA Vision, Atlanta) that is implanted under a scleral flap has been shown to be safe and effective in lowering IOP in a prospective pilot study.

Chiba, Japan-Low-concentration homogenized castor oil eye drops seem to be an effective and safe treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction, a major cause of lipid-deficiency dry eye, according to Eiki Goto, MD.

Jacksonville, FL-In any disease, the differential diagnosis is paramount to ensure proper treatment. This is also true for patients who complain of dry eye before and after LASIK. Arun C. Gulani, MD, created a decision pyramid that allows him to get to the root of complaints of dry in his patients.

Maui, HI-FDA approval of Restasis (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion, 0.05%, Allergan, Irvine, CA), in December opened a new door for patients with dry eye disease by offering two important "firsts": the drug provides more than palliation of dry eye symptoms, and it targets the inflammation that is the underlying cause of dry eye disease. It may even effect a cure in some patients. The drug became commercially available early last month.

Special keynote speech to be delivered by Dr. Folkman of Harvard MedicalSchoolThe Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) turns75 years this year. To commemorate this major milestone, several specialevents are planned during the annual meeting from May 4 to 8 in Fort Lauderdale,FL.The anniversary celebration will officially open with a keynote symposiumon Sunday, May 4 at 5 p.m. during which Judah Folkman, MD, director of surgicalresearch, and the Andrus professor of pediatric surgery and professor ofcell biology, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, willdeliver the keynote address. The 75th Anniversary Celebration Social willfollow from 7 to 9 p.m.

S?o Paulo-A comparative study has demonstrated that the M2 130 Single-Use microkeratome (Moria, Antony, France) performs identically to its reusable counterpart, the conventional M2 110. In addition, the Single-Use microkeratome is significantly easier to use and allows greater visibility, according to Renato A. Neves, MD, director of Eye Care Oftalmologia LASER Vision Centers here.

Boston-Ophthalmic solutions of azelastine HCl (Optivar, Asta Medica/Muro Pharmaceutical Inc., Tewksbury, MA) and olopatadine HCl (Patanol, Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX) both effectively inhibit the activation of normal cultured human mast cells and the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tryptase, and histamine. However, azelastine seemed to be substantially more potent for treating ocular allergy when the two drugs were compared in an in vitro study.

Waltham, MA-The K-4000 microkeratome (Becton-Dickinson Ophthalmic Systems [BD]), unveiled at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, features improvements over the previous-generation K-3000 model.