News

WaveLight hosted the educational symposium "Confronting the Wavefront: The Scientific Rationale for Wavefront-Optimized and Wavefront-Guided Treatments" at the Four Seasons hotel during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Modern Solution introduces its direct advertising package for growing a LASIK practice. The program offers LASIK surgeons a measurable method for new patient acquisition with a unique combination of targeting new patients, tracking campaign responses, and quantifying results.

Bausch & Lomb announces that the FDA has approved the 217z100 Zyoptix excimer laser. The 100 Hz laser operates at twice the speed of the company?s current system in both standard and custom treatment modes.

Conductive keratoplasty (CK) appears to be an effective and safe surgical option for treating astigmatism in eyes that are post-penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), said Darcey H. Wolsey, MD, MPH.

Early experience with corneal implants (Intacs, Addition Technology) to treat corneal ectasia including keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, and post-LASIK ectasia, seems promising, according to Audrey Talley-Rostov, MD.

Perforating keratoplasty can be performed using a femtosecond laser, according to Gerd Auffarth, MD, who described it as a "fascinating technology" at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

As follow-up increases, results continue to be favorable in the prospective multicenter study evaluating wavefront-guided epi-LASIK treatment for myopia using the Norwood EyeCare Epikeratome, reported Marguerite B. McDonald, MD.

Results of a pilot study suggest that "flapless epi-LASIK" may offer advantages compared with the standard technique for hastening epithelial healing, visual recovery, and reducing postoperative pain, reported Tom Elmer, MD.

With approximately 14 million Americans with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the latest developments in low vision aids for these patients is welcoming, noted Gholam A. Peyman, MD.

Two leading-edge technologies developed by the Japan Broadcasting Co. can help ophthalmic surgeons perform procedures more easily, replacing the traditional ophthalmic microscope, explained Kensaku Miyake, MD, who delivered the Charles D. Kelman Innovator's Lecture during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Correction of high myopia with a phakic IOL or by clear lens exchange does pose some risks for patients because these methods are intraocular procedures. To avoid the associated risks of IOL surgery - such as infection, cataract formation in the case of phakic lenses, possible endothelial damage, pupil ovalization, or zonular problem - surgeons might want to consider myopic keratophakia and excimer laser ablation instead, explained Luis A. Ruiz, MD.

"I just hired a new ophthalmologist. Can I bill his services under my name until I get him credentialed with the health plans?"

Word search puzzles are an effective way for patients to exercise their ciliary muscles after crystalens accommodating IOL (eyeonics) implantation, explained Paul Koch, MD, who developed a series of six exercise booklets, each containing 14 different puzzles.

The measurement of corneal hysteresis can play an important role in corneal pathologies and refractive surgery in an effort to improve patient outcomes. In a breakfast meeting Sunday, Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments presented a panel of physicians and scientists to discuss the principles of corneal biomechanical properties and the role of the company's Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) in measuring corneal hysteresis.

A study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the oscillatory movement in the new torsional handpiece (OZil) by Alcon was the highlight of the "Innovations in Ophthalmology" symposium Sunday night. The symposium was sponsored by Dulaney Foundation and supported by an educational grant from Alcon Laboratories.

The Ophthalmology Times staff, including Publisher Lauri Jorgensen and Editor-in-Chief Mark L. Dlugoss, welcomed members of the ophthalmic industry to the San Francisco Marriott on Sunday evening to celebrate the publication's 30th anniversary. A cocktail reception was held at the 39th Floor Lounge, The View, where more than 100 guests enjoyed the setting overlooking San Francisco.

Alcon Laboratories rolls out several extensions to its product offerings, including the AcrySof toric IOL, DisCoVisc ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD), and Systane Free lubricant eye drops.

Word search puzzles are an effective way for patients to exercise their ciliary muscles after crystalens accommodating IOL (eyeonics) implantation, explained Paul Koch, MD, who developed a series of six exercise booklets, each containing 14 different puzzles.

Short-term results with the Tetraform phakic IOL (Lenstec) implanted in eyes for the correction of high myopia indicate this anterior chamber lens is promising technology, said Donald R. Sanders, MD, PhD.

Results of a preclinical study undertaken at the John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, indicate higher aqueous humor concentrations of fourth-generation fluoroquinolones can be achieved by implanting an antibiotic-presoaked IOL compared with standard topical administration, reported Guy Kleinmann, MD.

The combination of an apodized diffractive IOL (AcrySof ReSTOR, Alcon Laboratories) in one eye and a refractive multifocal IOL (ReZoom, AMO) in the other provides greater patient satisfaction than the same diffractive IOLs (AcrySof ReSTOR) in both eyes, according to a study conducted by Henry L. Milne, MD.

Phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) appears to be a viable approach for treating carefully selected pediatric eyes with dense superficial corneal opacity, said Arias N. Kollias, MD.

Initial results from a prospective, randomized clinical trial show that both LASIK and PRK with adjunctive topical mitomycin-C (MMC) are safe and effective for decreasing myopia and astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) for keratoconus, but suggest a possible advantage of the surface ablation technique for better reduction of cylinder, reported Rene? Solomon, MD.

Eric Donnenfeld, MD, described the current recommendations formulated by the newly created Ectasia Committee at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS).

When other possible treatments for ectasia fail, lamellar keratoplasty (LK) or penetrating keratoplasty (PK) may be the last resort for these patients, said William Culbertson, MD.

Findings from the Swedish National Cataract Register tracking the incidence of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery in Sweden showed a low incidence of this complication with only 108 endophthalmitis cases after 225,000 procedures performed during 2002 and 2004, according to Mats Lundstrom, MD.

Early curvature changes on the corneal surface that are measured by topography need to be heeded in patients undergoing refractive surgery, according to Steven Klyce, PhD.

A new treatment strategy consisting of oral doxycycline and topical sodium citrate 10% may have a positive role in the treatment of post-LASIK inflammatory conditions characterized by increased collagenolytic activities, said Elias F. Jarade, MD.

The Synchrony dual-optic single-piece IOL (Visiogen) performed well in a small initial study of this lens. The visual results were good; there were no major complications; no glare and halos after implantation; and patient satisfaction was high, according to George Beiko, MD, FRCS, who reported his experience at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Cataract surgery and refractive surgery are merging into one discipline. This convergence reflects a bridging of the skill sets and the mindsets from refractive surgery pioneered by Jose Barraquer, MD, to the technology of the cataract and IOL surgery proposed by Charles Kelman, MD, explained Stephen Lane, MD, during the 29th Binkhorst Lecture at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery's opening general session.