Optometry

Retina specialists who use compounded bevacizumab off-label to treat wet age-related macular degeneration are being warned that counterfeit vials of the cancer drug have turned up in oncology practices in the United States.

Interim results after 2 years of follow-up in the Ahmed Versus Baerveldt Study provide prospective evidence that aqueous drainage devices may be effective treatments for refractory glaucoma, and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Results from a retrospective review of outcomes after transcleral or endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation for a variety of glaucoma conditions provide additional information on the efficacy and safety of these procedures, including in select subgroups composed of eyes with either neovascular glaucoma or better than count fingers vision.

High-quality education, straight talk, and fun - those were the expressed goals that Robert H. Osher, MD, hoped to achieve during his second annual meeting, "Cataract Surgery: Telling it Like It Is!" held in January.

A hydrogel corneal inlay designed to treat presbyopia seems, based on early clinical results, to improve near vision markedly without significant safety concerns.

The annual American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Symposium on Cataract, IOL, and Refractive Surgery will be held here Friday, April 20, to Tuesday, April 24.

The author tackles the issue of high levels of student loan debt.

Propanolol, a nonselective beta-blocker, is an effective treatment for infantile hemangiomas that might be used in place of steroids in selected cases.

Data from patients with the V4 model of the posterior chamber, foldable collagen copolymer phakic IOL implanted show that it provides excellent refractive and visual results, and, thanks to design modifications, a safety profile that is favorable, at least over the short term.

Advances in corneal and refractive surgery have helped optimize LASIK and transplantation procedures.

When meeting with pre-retirees as well as current retirees, one of the most common areas of concern, apprehension, and (at times) outright fear, is whether they will run out of money during retirement.

Based on our experience over the years, we believe the rules of investing and planning for retirement that one can feel confident in have changed forever.

Cataract surgery can be beneficial in patients with low vision.

Nationally publicized outbreaks of Streptococcus endophthalmitis following intravitreal injection of bevacizumab resulted in a close look at the procedures used to prepare the drug.

Male gender and younger age were identified as risk factors for IOP elevation after dexamethasone implant treatment in retinal vein occlusion in a recent subset analysis, but the elevated IOP did not seem to affect improvement in visual acuity or anatomic outcomes evaluated with optical coherence tomography.

Infectious uveitis is usually diagnosed based on the clinical findings with consideration of the duration and progression of the disorder, the appearance of the inflammation, and the extent of the retinal involvement.

The HORIZON Retinal Vein Occlusion Study, an extension study of the BRAVO Study, found that long-term multiple intravitreal injections of ranibizumab were well-tolerated by patients with branch retinal vein occlusion and central retinal vein occlusion.

For corneal researchers, gaining access to any sizable amount of high quality tissue has long been a challenge.

Six years after OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. bought Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $650 million on the promise of its treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. has announced it will acquire Eyetech for $22 million.

Ophthalmologists using a proprietary confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope with a fundus autofluorescence module can now quantify and track progression of geographic atrophy over time, thanks to the release of new software.

Results from an integrated analysis of data from 12 months of follow-up in the two similarly designed prospective, randomized studies comparing aflibercept and ranibizumab indicate that intravitreal injection of aflibercept every 2 months is safe, predictably effective therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration and comparable to monthly ranibizumab 0.5 mg.

The results of the direct comparison of ranibizumab and bevacizumab after 1 year of treatment showed that the two drugs adminisred according to monthly and as-needed protocols produced significant decreases in retinal fluid with small amounts of residual fluid in patients with AMD.

The use of laser to treat diabetic macular edema is often the topic of debate.

A multicolor pattern scan laser should help laser therapy maintain or potentially expand its role in the treatment of certain retinal diseases even with the availability of effective new injectable pharmaceutical products, according to retinal specialists.

New software (version 6.0) introduced for a proprietary high-definition ocular coherence tomography platform provides researchers and clinicians an expanded set of diagnostic tools to use in the evaluation and management of patients with AMD and glaucoma.

On Feb. 13, Merck announced that it received approval from the FDA to market its one-of-a-kind, preservative-free, prostaglandin analog, tafluprost ophthalmic solution 0.0015%, for lowering IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Ocriplasmin can eliminate the need for surgery to close macular holes in a substantial percentage of patients.

On Jan. 30, vismodegib became the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma.

Loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.2% is a safe and effective first-line therapy for the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis.

Use of spectacles, contact lenses, or medications does not inhibit the progression of myopia for any length of time, as seen in in large major studies in children.