News

The topographically guided algorithm in the EC-5000 CX (Nidek) excimer laser provided a good visual outcome for patients with myopia, with 95% of patients achieving 20/20 or better visual acuity and no induction of total aberrations, according to a study by Mihai Pop, MD.

Los Angeles-Wavefront-guided LASIK using the CustomCornea platform (Alcon Laboratories) yields superior outcomes compared with conventional LASIK when treating hyperopia and hyperopic astigmatism, said James J. Salz, MD.

Minneapolis-Wavefront surface ablation seemed to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with substantial degrees of coma or trefoil in the early follow-up period. The 1-year data in a small number of eyes showed that the results remained stable, according to David R. Hardten, MD.

Baltimore-Tunnel creation for placement of corneal implants (Intacs, Addition Technology) in eyes with corneal ectasia is a promising new use for the femtosecond laser (IntraLase FS, IntraLase), according to Alisa Kim, MD.

New York-Some imaging devices may help predict which patients will develop glaucoma, but "they will not supplant clinical assessment of the optic disc by a trained observer," said Christopher A. Girkin, MD, MSPH, to attendees of the Glaucoma 2006 meeting here.

Editor's Note: As defined by the FDA, the term "biologics" refers to a wide range of products that includes vaccines, blood and blood components, allergenics, somatic cells, gene therapy, tissues, and recombinant therapeutic proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments.

Ann Arbor, MI-An aging population plus the need for more space for clinical care, surgery, and research have led the University of Michigan's (U-M) W.K. Kellogg Eye Center to launch a $121 million expansion that will almost double the size of its existing facility. Kellogg officials expect to open a 222,000-square-foot building adjoining the current structure by 2010 and say the enlarged center could serve as a model for other eye centers confronting similar issues.

Alameda, CA-InSite Vision Inc. submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA for a topical 1% azithromycin formulation (Aza-Site) for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.

Monrovia, CA-The People's Republic of China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) granted approval to STAAR Surgical Co. to market its Visian implantable collamer lens (ICL) in China.

Louisville, KY-Potentia Pharmaceuticals Inc. and University of Pennsylvania entered into an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement that allows Potentia to develop and commercialize the university's Compstatin class of complement-inhibiting peptides for the treatment of ocular diseases. The agreement allows Potentia to move forward with preclinical development of the first complement-inhibiting drug product aimed at treating both wet and dry forms of age-related macular degeneration.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL-The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute opened one of the most technologically advanced eye-care centers in the United States on Aug. 1. The new campus triples the size of the institute's facilities in Palm Beach County.

Lexington, KY-Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) selected Jayakrishna Ambati, MD, for the 2006 Lew R. Wasserman Award for research in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

New York-Cynthia L. Grosskreutz, MD, PhD, co-director of Glaucoma Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, and assistant professor of ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, received the New York Academy of Medicine's 2006 Lewis Rudini Glaucoma Prize for the discovery of an enzyme that contributes to nerve cell death in the eye in glaucoma.

Miami-Medical errors in refractive surgery can be avoided by engaging in a fastidious checking and rechecking of the patient, the site, and the chart before entering the surgical suite, according to Sonal B. Dav?, MD.

Philadelphia-Changes in the way ophthalmology is practiced have led Wills Eye Hospital to transfer its inpatient and ophthalmology residency programs to Thomas Jefferson University and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

New York-A patient with exfoliation syndrome (XFS) may have the worst type of open-angle glaucoma, according to Robert Ritch, MD, who opened a session on XFS at the Glaucoma 2006 meeting.

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A CME Breakfast Symposium

A CME Breakfast Symposium

A CME Breakfast Symposium

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Joseph L. Demer, MD, PhD, acknowledges that stunt flying makes even the pilot flying the plane sick. But for part of his 22 years of flying, Dr. Demer did stunts in the skies over California.

Editor's Note: When it comes to high-end elective refractive surgery procedures, what happens outside the surgery suite can be just as important as what happens inside. Physicians and practice staff must be attuned to patients' fears and meet their expectations before surgery, rather than focus solely on postoperative visual outcomes as a measure of quality, said Shareef Mahdavi, president, SM2 Consulting, Pleasanton, CA, who regularly works with ophthalmology practices and companies on marketing issues.

The use of botulinum toxin by ophthalmologists to treat a variety of disorders has exploded over the past several years. It has highlighted many issues of interest, including off-label use, supply charges, and cosmetic indications. All of these have important implications for coding, billing, and reimbursement.

San Francisco-Treatment of low-to-high myopia with transepithelial PRK (tPRK) has poorer predictability and results in greater induction of corneal spherical aberration compared with epi-LASIK, reported Osamu Hieda, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

San Francisco-The quest for relief of visual dysfunction for presbyopic patients continues with the design of a new accommodating lens-the OPAL posterior chamber accommodating IOL (Bausch & Lomb).

San Francisco-In an initial analysis, the Synchrony dual-optic single-piece IOL (Visiogen) performed well. The visual results were good, there were no major complications and no glare or halos after implantation, and patient satisfaction was high, according to George Beiko, BM, BCh, FRCS.

Manchester, England-Retinal detachment (RD) is a significant risk in refractive lens exchange (RLE) surgery for high myopia, said Emanuel S. Rosen, MD.

With so many refractive options available now, many surgeons are focused on fine-tuning their refractive results to get the best visual results for their patients.

Cape Coral, FL-New-generation refractive IOLs that provide a range of vision are valuable additions for a standard cataract practice, said Farrell C. Tyson II, MD.