News

Medical therapy for glaucoma is not becoming obsolete, but it is evolving away from conventional topical administration.

L. Jay Katz, MD. outlined the benefits of home IOP monitoring. These devices will offer a wealth of information that should lead to increased understanding of glaucoma and better patient care.

Eye surgeons should use intracameral antibiotics only in select situations; they should avoid aminoglycosides, and they should not use vancomycin as prophylaxis. Michael Jumper, MD, offered this perspective as part of an overview of antibiotics used in intraocular surgery during the Glaucoma Symposium at the 2017 Glaucoma 360 meeting.

All corticosteroids matter when it comes to the risk of an intraocular pressure (IOP) response, and that is an important point for ophthalmologists to remember because opportunities for corticosteroid exposure are growing.

Although the aim of glaucoma management is to maintain visual function, the role of the ophthalmologist does not end once a patient has lost useful vision. Robert L. Stamper, MD, discussed care for patients with end-stage glaucoma.

An expanding armamentarium of minimally invasive and micro-invasive glaucoma surgery procedures is transforming glaucoma management.

Adrienne Graves, PhD, and Andrew Iwach, MD, welcome attendees to Glaucoma 360 with their focus set on next year's conference, February 9, 2018 in San Francisco.

No matter how you celebrated the 4th, you can have your own “freedom day” in your practice starting today! What this means is you have the freedom to be your best, every single day of the year.

Fifty years after the idea for phacoemulsification came to Charles Kelman, MD, few would have predicted that surgical platforms would evolve to where they are today.

As the ophthalmic community celebrates 50 years of phacoemulsification (phaco) innovation, surgeons and industry alike mark its progress since the inspiration for the procedure came to Charles Kelman, MD, after a visit to the dentist.

Many maintain that rising early, getting to work, accomplishing a lot during the day, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour is the route to success in life. But a body of evidence suggests that human behavioral tendencies to do too much, in some cases, can reduce the likelihood of a good result. At the same time, laziness can produce outcomes that are either negative or positive.

At its 2017 general business meeting in May, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) welcomed a new president, Claude F. Burgoyne, MD, FARVO. Dr. Burgoyne, a glaucoma clinician and surgeon, is senior scientist, Van Buskirk Chair for Ophthalmic Research, and director of the Optic Nerve Head Research Laboratory at Devers Eye Institute, Portland, OR. He also serves as clinical professor of ophthalmology at Oregon Health and Sciences University, Eugene.

A disposable device for automated anterior capsulotomy that uses precision pulse technology (Zepto, Mynosys Cellular Devices) demonstrated excellent performance in a series of 38 eyes.

Wisconsin ophthalmologist Gerald P. Clarke, MD, has developed a new horseshoe-shaped dilator for use during cases of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome.

A new silicone phacoemulsification sleeve (Ridged Sleeve, ASICO) designed with a variety of novel features is enabling safe and efficient microcoaxial cataract surgery, said Takayuki Akahoshi, MD.

Cataract surgery in eyes undergoing simultaneous endothelial keratoplasty requires several modifications in techniques.

Preloaded IOL systems can save almost 30 seconds of operating time in cataract surgery, according to Damien Goldberg, MD, who participated in a trial with a preloaded delivery system (AcrySof IQ IOL Model AU00TO with UltraSert, Alcon Laboratories).

Los Angeles ophthalmologist Mitchell Shultz, MD, shares some of his clinical experience with a next-generation phacoemulsification platform (Stellaris Elite, Bausch + Lomb). The new platform received 510(k) clearance from the FDA in April.

Joshua Mali, MD, provides clinical evidence and recommendations for pseudophakic CME and represents a new formal standard to first-line management.

See the highlights and program overview from the Glaucoma Research Foundation's 2017 Glaucoma 360!

As the most common procedure performed by the ophthalmic surgeon, in 2014, 4.3 million cataract operations took place in the European Union Member States. It is estimated that more than 23 million procedures will be performed worldwide in 2016.

Progress of ocular allergy treatment in 2017 starts with the fact that this is a mature therapeutic space, with a range of existing choices for clinicians and patients. Progression in therapies from artificial tears to antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers to topical steroids provides a suitable choice for most patients with ocular allergies.

Sometimes, we ophthalmologists-accustomed as we are to high-success rates with our therapeutic interventions-become inured to the impact our efforts can have on patients’ lives.

A phase II study investigating a novel topical cyclosporine product (CyclASol, Novaliq) formulated in a semifluorinated alkane (SFA) vehicle showed promising efficacy, safety, and tolerability. Planning is ongoing for the phase III trial of cyclosporine in the SFA technology.

In a study of normal volunteers, once-daily dosing of netarsudil mesylate ophthalmic solution 0.02% lowered IOP relative to baseline by increasing outflow facility and decreasing episcleral venous pressure.

Using the Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) procedure can produce better visual results and lower risk of rejection than using the previous methods (DLEK and DSAEK). The method has become easier to learn and use than in the past, and should be considered as the primary EK procedure for most routine cases of endothelial failure.

Advancements in wavefront-guided technology include improved resolution that provides not only better spot quality but also the ability to scan highly aberrated eyes that often did not produce treatable images using earlier technology, according to Edward E. Manche, MD.

A careful clinical workup, along with genetic testing, can help pinpoint what is behind congenital and infantile nystagmus.

Advances in presbyopia, dry eye and allergy, and age-related macular degeneration filled this year’s meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.