Surgery

Baltimore-Significant postoperative pain can occur after enucleation surgery. Multimodal anesthesia, combining oral agents and a local anesthetic, can provide superior pain relief, according to Shannath L. Merbs, MD, PhD, FACS, associate professor of ophthalmology and oncology, Wilmer Eye Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Fort Worth, TX-The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) New Technology Intraocular Lens (NTIOL) classification of Reduced Spherical Aberration has been applied to the AcrySof IQ IOL (Alcon Laboratories). The IOL gained inclusion by proving the same or greater clinical benefit as the lens that established the NTIOL subset, according to Alcon Laboratories.

Baltimore-Significant postoperative pain can occur after enucleation surgery. Multimodal anesthesia, combining oral agents and a local anesthetic, can provide superior pain relief, according to Shannath L. Merbs, MD, PhD, FACS, associate professor of ophthalmology and oncology, Wilmer Eye Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Dorado, Puerto Rico-Make sure that your billing department is aware of common myths associated with ophthalmic surgery billing, so that surgery claims being filed are correct, advised Donna M. McCune, CCS-P, COE, who spoke during Current Concepts in Ophthalmology.

Los Alamitos, CA-Larry Geisse, MD, a surgeon in private practice in Los Alamitos, CA, recently encountered a case of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) that might hold lessons for other clinicians in the treatment of TASS.

San Francisco-The most common complications involving foldable IOLs and requiring explantation showed little change over the past 2 years, according to an annual survey sent to members of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

Dislocation, decentration concerns for foldable IOLs,survey finds

The femtosecond pulses offer real, precise subsurface effects, with the least amount of energy required.

The femtosecond pulses offer real, precise subsurface effects, with the least amount of energy required.

Des Plaines, IL-The Internal Revenue Service has authorized the Foundation for Keratoconus Care to commence operations.

Implant extrusion following evisceration is a known complication, observed ever since the procedure was first performed more than 100 years ago.

Khon Kaen, Thailand-A study of a new approach to preparation and storage of posterior lamellar corneal grafts for transplantation has demonstrated that centralized harvest, cold storage, and shipment by airmail result in viable grafts 2 days later, according to Olan Suwan-apichon, MD, assistant professor, department of ophthalmology, faculty of medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Heat generation was assessed with a temperature-sensitive film that changes color from brown to yellow when the temperature rises above 53? C.

Des Plaines, IL-Sales of corneal implants (Intacs, Addition Technology Inc.) for the treatment of keratoconus and myopia increased 75% in the first quarter of 2006 compared with the same quarter in 2005, according to the manufacturer. Compared with Q4 2005, corneal implants sales increased 12%.

STAAR Surgical Co. received CE mark approval for its KS-3Ai preloaded IOL injection system with an aspheric optic design. The company will now be allowed to market this IOL for use in cataract surgery in 21 countries. STAAR will begin shipments to distributors this month.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) added the AcrySof IQ IOL (Alcon Laboratories) to the New Technology Intraocular Lens (NTIOL) classification of Reduced Spherical Aberration. Effective May 19, ambulatory surgery centers using the AcrySof IQ IOL for cataract surgery will receive an additional $50 from Medicare. The IOL gained inclusion by proving the same or greater clinical benefit as the lens that established the NTIOL subset. The NTIOL subset and adjusted payment will remain in effect until Feb. 27, 2011.

S?o Paulo, Brazil Brazil-Deep sclerectomy is not the "holygrail" of glaucoma surgery, but available evidence indicates thatit is definitively safer than trabeculectomy, according to Tarek M.Shaarawy, MD. Deep sclerectomy can also result in long-term successrates comparable with those of trabeculectomy when performed withproper technique by experienced hands, he added.

San Francisco-The crystalens accommodating IOL (eyeonics)improved visual outcomes "dramatically" in a study of patients withhigh myopia or high hyperopia. The IOL achieved similar near visualacuity levels in both patient groups, reported Harvey Carter, MD,at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract andRefractive Surgery.

Compulsive graft management, questions, appropriate differentialdiagnosis are key, surgeon says

Eugene, OR-The Tecnis Z9000 modified prolate IOL (AMO)improves functional vision by eliminating positive ocular sphericalaberration, which increases by 0.15% a year, according to MarkPacker, MD, FACS.

Dorado, Puerto Rico-Physicians delving into the refractivecataract surgery arena should be careful screening and selectingpatients to ensure the best results. In order to do this, surgeonsneed to survey patients about their needs and desires pertaining totheir vision, so that the appropriate IOL technology can be chosen,explained Louis D. "Skip" Nichamin, MD, who spoke during theCurrent Concepts in Ophthalmology meeting here.

Trevor Lamb, ScD, FRS, FAA, of the John Curtin School of MedicalResearch, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, andEdward Pugh Jr., PhD, from the F.M. Kirby Center for MolecularOphthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia, share the 2006 Proctor Medal and Lecture for thedevelopment of a comprehensive model of photoexcitation in rodreceptors and its application to the electroretinogram (ERG). Thiswork led to the use of the ERG in the analysis of deficits in avariety of basic and clinical situations.

There are common molecular and cellular mechanisms in differenttissue types and key genes that regulate wound healing.Transforming growth factors (TGFB) and connective tissue growthfactor (CTGF) are important growth factors that interact in thesteps leading to scarring, according to George Schultz, PhD, whospoke at the annual meeting of the Association for Research inVision and Ophthalmology.

There are common molecular and cellular mechanisms in differenttissue types and key genes that regulate wound healing.Transforming growth factors (TGFB) and connective tissue growthfactor (CTGF) are important growth factors that interact in thesteps leading to scarring, according to George Schultz, PhD, whospoke at the annual meeting of the Association for Research inVision and Ophthalmology.

Transforming growth factor B3 (TGFB3) is instrumental in woundhealing without scar formation. Mark Ferguson, PhD, described aseminal discovery that wounds made in embryos?which have highlevels of TGFB3 and low levels of TGFB1 andTGFB2?heal scar-free.

For thousands of ophthalmologists and vision researchers, a springtrip to Fort Lauderdale, FL, is an annual tradition that mixes alittle bit of sunshine with a whole lot of academics. Thattradition continues this year, with the 2006 Association forResearch in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting fromSunday, April 30 to Thursday, May 4.

For thousands of ophthalmologists and vision researchers, a springtrip to Fort Lauderdale, FL, is an annual tradition that mixes alittle bit of sunshine with a whole lot of academics. Thattradition continues this year, with the 2006 Association forResearch in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting fromSunday, April 30 to Thursday, May 4.

Fort Lauderdale, FL?For thousands of ophthalmologists and vision researchers, a spring trip to Fort Lauderdale, FL, is an annual tradition that mixes a little bit of sunshine with a whole lot of academics. That tradition continues this year, with the 2006 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 30 to Thursday, May 4.

New York?The Scleral Spacing Procedure (SSP) for Presbyopia with PresVIEW Scleral Implants (PSI) (Refocus Group Inc., formerly PresbyCorp) provides significant improvement in near visual acuity (VA) and no change in the uncorrected distance VA, according to Barrie D. Soloway, MD, FACS.

Atlanta?A 6-year study confirms the safety of dual-laser blepharoplasty for aesthetic rejuvenation of the upper and lower eyelids. Describing a series of 320 blepharoplasties, Harley Freiberger, MD, a dermatologic cosmetic surgeon in Los Angeles, reported that no permanent complications were observed, and that lesions healed rapidly and patients were quickly able to return to normal activity.