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Successfully managing progressive post-LASIK corneal ectasia can circumvent the need for keratoplasty. This article describes one technique.

Statin use does not appear to have a significant protective effect against choroidal neovascularization or geographic atrophy in patients with age-related macular degeneration, according to a recent analysis of data collected during the Complications of Age-related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial.

Vision loss is associated with increasing scores on the simplified severity scale for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. A correlation also has been found between vision loss and the four fundus lesions associated with advanced AMD. These findings suggest that the fundus lesions could be used as surrogates in prevention studies for development of advanced AMD.

Data analysis from the Complications of Age-related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial shows that choroidal neovascularization and geographic atrophy share some risk factors but have different influences as well.

Reliable measurement of the distance between a phakic refractive IOL and the crystalline lens is important in detecting direct contact, a risk factor for induced cataract. In a recent study using optical coherence tomography, investigators found that the phakic refractive IOL and anterior lens surface moved forward in all cases during accommodation; mechanical contact was infrequent but was found in all instances in which opacification developed.

Integrating the technology in a private practice is an investment in money and time, but the payoff is worth it, according to one ophthalmologist who recently upgraded his office. Here?s how he did it.

Interim results from a phase III study evaluating an accommodating IOL (Tetraflex [KH-3500], Lenstec) for pseudophakic correction after cataract surgery demonstrate that it provides good near and distance uncorrected visual acuity outcomes along with a favorable safety profile.

A novel investigational compound that removes heavy metals intraocularly following topical administration is being studied for the treatment of cataract, band keratopathy, asteroid hyalosis, and IOL calcifications.

Treatments for dry eye and ocular allergy typically are directed at symptoms. Researchers have begun developing therapeutics to target the causes of dry eye and to prevent the allergic reaction.

Dr. Allingham has been fly-fishing for about 10 years. A friend, also a physician, talked him into trying it, telling him it was very different from "regular" fishing. He can fly-fish locally in North Carolina on the Eno River near home for bluegill and bass, in the Appalachian Mountains, or on the ocean for tarpon.

There are three types of employees: climbers, quitters, and some who camp at mediocrity. Practice administrators who get to know their employees and what makes them tick will contribute to the success of the practice. It may be a matter of uncovering his or her true talents and finding the right place for that person within the practice.

Dianna Graves comments on her experience formally and informally training ophthalmic technicians. The task is often times difficult and good candidates are hard to find. Technicians however, serve an important service in a practice allowing physicians to carry out their jobs more efficiently.

Safeguard Your Sight is a Web-based refractive surgery database for keeping track of the patient's preoperative, operative, and postoperative cornea measurements.

Although medication use is common in ophthalmology offices there is still confusion on how to report these services. Describing it's service correctly can save practices money.

Newly identified factors that increase the risk of development of persistent esotropic amblyopia are delay in referral and anisometropia in children with infantile or accommodative esotropia.

The bar for refractive and vision outcomes has been raised in patients in whom multifocal IOLs have been implanted. Laser vision correction, therefore, has become an important enhancement tool. Multifocal IOL patients should be managed the same as laser vision refractive surgery patients, but additional issues should be considered.

When the performance of four different aspheric IOLs in scotopic light conditions was evaluated using a computer model, the results favored one three-piece lens (Tecnis, Advanced Medical Optics) for providing the best compromise between spherical and chromatic aberrations and depth of focus.

The therapeutic regimen chosen by a clinician can have a major effect on surgical success, practice, and patient well-being. Here are the attributes you should look for.

An ophthalmic formulation of the popular antibiotic azithromycin is now on the market for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.

The potent corticosteroid difluprednate is being developed as an emulsion for topical use. Phase III clinical trials of the treatment of postoperative inflammation have been completed and a phase III study of anterior uveitis treatment is under way. Positive efficacy and safety results were achieved in phase III clinical trials in Japan.

A prospective, randomized, contralateral eye-controlled study demonstrated that eyes treated with nepafenac 0.1% (Nevanac, Alcon Laboratories) for 4 to 5 days after PRK had significantly greater haze than eyes treated with ketorolac tromethamine 0.4% (Acular LS, Allergan). The study findings and similar experience of other surgeons raise questions about the safety of nepafenac use after surface ablation procedures.

Topical ophthalmic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs vary considerably in characteristics such as the number of days and the number of drops needed to reach the therapeutic endpoint. Although all are effective, doctors should learn to compare the NSAIDs based on their potency and penetration to make the best decisions for their patients.

Results of testing in an animal model demonstrated that topical moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution (Vigamox, Alcon Laboratories) provided effective prophylaxis against endophthalmitis following an intravitreal injection.

Nepafenac (Nevanac, Alcon Laboratories) administered three times daily after bilateral PRK, facilitated corneal healing that was comparable to ketorolac (Acular LS, Allergan) in a recently reported prospective, randomized, and double-masked study. In addition, pain relief occurred earlier in patients randomly assigned to receive nepafenac compared with patients who received ketorolac or bromfenac (Xibrom, ISTA Pharmaceuticals).

Appropriate management of malignant lesions of the conjunctiva requires detailed knowledge of the appearance and nature of the lesions. Here's how to recognize and treat the most common malignant lesions seen by ophthalmologists.

Keratoconus appears to be a "two-hit" phenomenon, a genetic predisposition propelled by external factors to result in damage to the cornea.

No difference exists regarding the prevalence of amblyopia and strabismus in a population of Hispanic and African-American preschool children, and the prevalence of the two pathologies increases with age, according to findings of the Multi-Ethnic Pediatric Eye Disease Study.

Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) has changed the landscape in cornea surgery. Compared with those who have undergone penetrating keratoplasty, DSEK patients have an easier time postoperatively with rapid visual recovery. DSEK also affects decision-making about cataract extraction, and data appear to indicate that in most cases cataracts should be removed before DSEK or as a combined procedure.

Many patients whose open-angle glaucoma is treated with phacoemulsification plus endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) are able to stop taking topical medications shortly after cataract surgery.

In a pooled dataset, the fixed combination of 0.2% brimonidine/0.5% timolol (Combigan, Allergan) showed greater reductions in IOP and a better tolerability profile than another combination agent, 2.0% dorzolamide/0.5% timolol (Cosopt, Merck). The twin advantages of greater pressure lowering and greater tolerability could help guide clinicians in choosing which therapy to choose when the initial treatment has not resulted in adequate improvement.