News

Chicago—A birthweight of less than or equal to 1,250 g was a dependable criterion for screening of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a small, single-center retrospective study. Using this standard also reduced the number of screenings performed and consequently lowered the cost of screening, said Shailesh K. Gupta, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville.

Chicago—Screening to detect preclinical vision loss in children is important and should ideally be done in the offices of pediatricians or family practitioners. In addition, it is now time to add objective testing to pediatric practices, according to Robert W. Arnold, MD, who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Chicago—An inverse correlation between age and recurrence of amblyopia following cessation of occlusion therapy was found in a large retrospective chart review, reported Rahul Bhola, MD, fellow, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City.

It might be wise to counsel patients regarding the possible but likely low risk of NAION, especially for individuals with a higher risk for NAION.

Chicago—The pegaptanib sodium (Macugen, OSI/Eyetech Pharmaceuticals) exploratory phase II data indicate that the drug seems to be successful for treating diabetic macular edema (DME), according to Steven D. Schwartz, MD. He reported the findings of the Macugen Diabetic Retinopathy Study Group during the retina subspecialty day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Baltimore—Given that many people fail to receive preventive screening for diabetic retinopathy or regular follow-up once diagnosed, telemedicine screening warrants a role in the effort to manage this disease better, according to Alan R. Malouf, MD, FACS. Dr. Malouf spoke at the Current Concepts in Ophthalmology meeting here, sponsored by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Ophthalmology Times.

Chicago—Empiric intravitreal therapy remains the mainstay for initial management of most cases of endophthalmitis while the roles of pars plana vitrectomy and treatment with systemic antibiotics are more variable, said Dennis P. Han, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Chicago—Diagnostic techniques such as ocular fluid sampling, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and genetic linkage analysis should be considered when a clinical examination fails to yield a definitive diagnosis of the etiology of primary inflammatory uveitis.

The anterior chamber width is one of the most important parameters when selecting patients for implantation of the anterior chamber phakic IOL.

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) President Harry A. Zink, MD, is a lot like most academy members. Dr. Zink is a comprehensive ophthalmologist who is in private practice in the Midwest with three partners. More than 88% of ophthalmologists are in private practice and 70% practice comprehensive ophthalmology a majority of the time. And, as secretary for member services from 1998 to 2004, he also knows a lot about you, having reviewed many surveys exploring members' major concerns and opinions.

I have long thought of this connection as a continuum—from helping one patient individually to helping society as a whole.

Chicago—The foldable version of the iris claw fixated myopic phakic IOL (Artiflex II/Veriflex, Ophtec/AMO) affords faster recovery of excellent uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) compared with the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) model (Artisan/Verisyse, Ophtec, AMO), but otherwise has the same favorable efficacy and safety profile associated with its widely used predecessor, according to results of a prospective, intrapatient comparison study reported by Jose L. Guell, MD, PhD, at the subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Chicago—Topographic- and wavefront-guided approaches to re-treatment of complex cases have advantages and disadvantages, but may be best viewed as complementary rather than competing techniques for managing the rare but suffering patients with poor quality of vision after excimer laser refractive surgery, said Terrence P. O'Brien, MD. He was speaking at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Lisbon, Portugal—The AcrySof angle-supported phakic IOL (Alcon Laboratories) seems to be safe and effective based on the preliminary clinical outcomes of the U.S. clinical trial that were reported at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons annual meeting. The IOL provides significant improvements in correcting stable, high myopia, according to Ronald Krueger, MD.

Depending on what tools and historic data are available, there are a number of methods to choose from in order to compensate for corneal power errors in these cases.

Chicago—IntraLASIK as a one-step procedure using the femtosecond laser microkeratome (IntraLase) for flap creation shows promise as a safe and effective approach for correcting ametropia after penetrating keratoplasty (PK), although the best refractive results may be achieved in eyes with only mild to moderate astigmatism, said Irina S. Barequet, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Los Angeles—A low-tech digital camera can offer a low-budget alternative for high-quality anterior segment photography, said Jonathan M. Davidorf, MD.

Lisbon, Portugal—Accurate adjustment of the new Light Adjustable Intraocular Lens (LAL) (Calhoun Vision) after implantation is possible using new digital light delivery systems and may eliminate the need for explantation of the IOL because of incorrect lens power after cataract surgery, reported Nick Mamalis, MD, at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Chicago—A number of incremental advances that have occurred in wavefront-guided treatment during the past year have added up to enhance outcomes of these customized procedures significantly, said Capt. Steven C. Schallhorn, MD, at the refractive surgery subspecialty day sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

Lisbon, Portugal—If presbyopia is the "final frontier" in refractive surgery, which surgical approach will stand out as the winner in treating patients with the condition? Will it be corneal surgery, intraocular surgery, or phakic-versus-pseudophakic approaches? Samuel Masket, MD, asked at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

Since its introduction more than a decade ago, the anti-inflammatory efficacy of ketorolac has been well documented.

Baltimore—Extensive research has already led to the identification of a number of surgery- and IOL-related factors that can be targeted to reduce the occurrence of posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Investigators are continuing to evaluate new strategies to reduce its risk further in the future, said Albert S. Jun, MD, PhD, at Current Concepts in Ophthalmology, Baltimore.

All films and posters will be available on-demand electronically at 40 kiosks during the meeting.

Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Inc.'s Tecnis foldable IOL has earned the title of New Technology IOL (NTIOL) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The designation follows labeling claims approved by the FDA in April 2004 that the lens reduced postoperative spherical aberrations compared with lenses with spherical optics and improved night driving simulator performance. The designation was effective Feb. 27.

The recently reported success with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) provides an important new therapeutic modality for wet AMD and an exciting victory for biotechnology. Yet, the best results will eventually come from interventions that target earlier steps in AMD pathogenesis.

Lisbon, Portugal—Newer tonometry technology seems to offer an improvement over Goldmann tonometry for more accurate IOP measurement in post-LASIK eyes, explained Jay Pepose, MD, PhD, at the XXIII Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Iowa City, IA—The University of Iowa's (UI) Center for Macular Degeneration (CMD) will be able to advance its mission with the creation of a large-scale nonprofit genetics testing laboratory, made possible by two gifts totaling $6.2 million.

Santa Ana, CA—Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) has launched its WhiteStar ICE technology for use in its Sovereign phacoemulsification system.

Bethesda, MD—Paris-based Neurotech is initiating a phase II human clinical trial here of its encapsulated cell technology (ECT) for the treatment of vision loss due to the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Kleinostheim, Germany—Schwind eye-tech-solutions is launching the Carriazo-Pendular microkeratome in the United States.