News

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was designed to provide health insurance for millions of uninsured citizens with no exclusions for pre-existing conditions, expanded services like screening and preventive health coverage, and be less costly for patients and the government.

The probability of blindness due to glaucoma has decreased by nearly half since 1980, according to a study published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) has named one of its own-Rohit Varma, MD, MPH-to become chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and director of the USC Eye Institute, as well as to serve as professor of ophthalmology and preventive medicine and hold the Grace and Emery Beardsley Chair in Ophthalmology.

Studies evaluating treatment of progressive keratoconus with corneal crosslinking (CXL) show greater benefit using an epithelium-off versus epithelium-on technique. However, epithelial removal by laser-assisted phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) may give better results than manual debridement, according to a study presented by Ronald N. Gaster, MD.

Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced dosing of the first patients enrolled in its phase IIb study of PG324, a novel fixed-combination treatment for glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

The FDA has issued 510(k) Clearance for Nidek’s new CEM-530 specular microscope.

Prevent Blindness is now accepting applications for its 2014 Joanne Angle Investigator Award.

Is it practical for medical practices to retain only stellar employees and pay them well above other practices, while letting one-fourth to one-fifth of their workforce go every year, to be replaced by new workers who will hopefully prove to be stellar? Would it be consistent with the culture of medical practices to reproduce the Netflix system of “high performance”?

The Affordable Care Act will affect ophthalmologists and their patients in the upcoming years.

The goal of restoring accommodation in presbyopic eyes with femtosecond laser treatment seems to be getting closer.

The future of treatment for diabetic macular edema is likely to include a wider range of treatment options, improved efficacy, and the possibility of disease prevention.

With modern techniques and recent innovations, adjustable suture strabismus surgery can be performed in nearly all pediatric and adult cases, provided that ophthalmologists have had sufficient training.

Ocular oncologists are using enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography to identify and learn about choroidal tumors.

Nowhere does it state in staff contracts that they have to like everyone, but they will work together professionally and kindly.

The 2014 version of Current Procedural Terminology contains two important changes for ophthalmologists who provide glaucoma services.

According to recent study results, transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy is a better alternative procedure than other refractive methods when treating myopia that involves epithelium mechanical manipulation.

Corneal astigmatism may be reduced or nearly eliminated after intrastromal femtosecond laser astigmatic keratotomy.

The natural history of diabetic retinopathy is modified by long-term treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab, relates one ophthalmologist.

Calculating intraocular lens (IOL) powers has become simpler and more accurate in eyes with long and short axial lengths with use of intraoperative aberrometry and an optimized method of regression analysis.

Results of a study comparing matched groups of eyes undergoing myopic correction by small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) or LASIK show that the optical quality was better and the cornea retained higher tensile strength after the flapless SMILE procedure.

The refractive surgical decision tree is augmented by a new option for topography-guided custom ablation.

Intracorneal ring surgery, when combined with an optical coherence tomography-guided femtosecond laser, will be a boon to centers providing high-volume LASIK and keratoconus treatment, relates one surgeon.

Preliminary 1-year data highlight patient satisfaction; dry eye can be problematic for some

A Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI) research team has pioneered a novel technology treatment for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).

The FDA has granted final approval for Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co. Inc.’s Abbreviated New Drug Application for its bromfenac ophthalmic solution, 0.09% (once-a-day).

The future of treating Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy may be evolving, said Gerrit R.J. Melles, MD, PhD.

Rapid Pathogen Screening Inc. (RPS) has received a Medical Device License from Health Canada for its AdenoPlus, a point-of-care test to help quickly and accurately determine whether a conjunctivitis infection is caused by Adenovirus.