News

Chicago—Observations of patients in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) after they had cataract surgery did not seem to show an accelerated progression to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared with patients matched for severity of AMD who did not have cataract surgery, reported Frederick L. Ferris III, MD, during retina subspecialty day at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

The president, president-elect, and executive vice president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recently offered a "state-of-the-profession" message during the opening session of the AAO annual meeting in Chicago. All three executives shared in a celebration of past achievements, current conditions, and future opportunities in ophthalmology

Chicago—Ophthalmologists at the Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, are warning their colleagues about a recent dramatic increase in cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis seen at their institution.

Chicago—A prospective study including consecutive eyes implanted with the KH-3500 IOL (Kellan TetraFlex, Lenstec) showed that pseudophakic implant is associated with encouraging results in measurements of subjective accommodation although its objective accommodating effect appears to be limited, reported Sunil Shah, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Rogers, AR—The recent approval of the Tecnis IOL (AMO) on an acrylic platform gives cataract surgeons another option in an expanding menu of choices, said Randy Cole, MD, FACS, who is medical director and founder of Boozman-Hof Eye Surgery and Laser Center, Rogers, AR.

Vienna, Austria—A sharp posterior optic edge design seems to be superior to a double round optic edge design in preventing posterior capsule opacification (PCO). Investigators reported significantly less PCO at 1, 2, and 3 years after implantation of the Sensar OptiEdge AR40e IOL compared with the Sensar AR40 model (both from AMO).

The development of IOLs has come full circle. In 1949, Sir Harold Ridley attempted to emulate the curvature and size of the natural lens with the development of the Ridley IOL. In subsequent years, the focus was on IOL mechanical issues, materials, and optics. Today, with wavefront technology, researchers are going back to the beginning and are attempting to emulate some of the more subtle features of the natural lens.

Lisbon, Portugal—Bilateral simultaneous surgery to implant an IOL seems to be a safe alternative for patients, and there are numerous advantages associated with performing a bilateral procedure, according to Richard Packard, MD, FRCS. In addition, using the AcrySof ReSTOR IOL (Alcon Laboratories) in this clinical situation provides excellent visual results and high patient satisfaction.

Chicago—Bimanual microincision phacoemulsification offers a number of advantages that make it a better method for lens removal than coaxial phacoemulsification and an especially attractive technique to use in complicated and challenging cases, said I. Howard Fine, MD, in his delivery of the inaugural Charles D. Kelman Lecture at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Lisbon, Portugal—A comparison study of the new aspheric SofPort Advanced Optics (AO) IOL (Bausch and Lomb) and a "parent" model, the conventional Soflex IOL, supported the manufacturer's claim that the AO lens does not induce aberrations, said Roberto Bellucci, MD, chief of the Ophthalmic Unit, Hospital of Verona, Italy.

Chicago—This past October, the FDA issued a labeling change for the drug tamsulosin HCl (Flomax, Boehringer Ingelheim) warning of the possibility of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS), stating "The patient's ophthalmologist should be prepared for possible modifications to their surgical technique."

Chicago—The ReZoom multifocal IOL (AMO) provides excellent distance vision and useful near and intermediate vision to afford complete spectacle independence for 80% to 90% of patients with the lens implanted, said Michael C. Knorz, MD, at the Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day Meeting sponsored by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Lisbon, Portugal—The results of the 7th annual survey on foldable IOLs indicate that dislocation and decentration are the most common reasons for lens explantation, with incorrect lens power the next most important factor.

Cleveland, OH —Howard S. Siegel, MD, and his wife, Judith, love a spin around a dance floor—whether it be with dance clubs, in showcases, when traveling, or teaching their students.

A patient complained of severe glare and light sensitivity associated with a persistent traumatic mydriasis of the right eye. After conservative treatment with topical miotics and a painted contact lens failed to decrease the mydriasis, a cerclage pupilloplasty was performed on the right eye resulting in a 4-mm round pupil. The patient experienced significant reduction of glare and photophobia.

The promise of 2004, that new anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) be developed, came to fruition in 2005, much to the excitement of ophthalmologists. These emerging treatments for AMD took center stage this year and resulted in numerous ideas about the effect of the pharmaceutical advancements and their impact on other retinal diseases.

Leading edge programming on contact lenses, solutions, and related eye-care issues is the focal point of the fourth annual Contact Lens and Eyecare Symposium (CLES), Jan. 11 to 15, 2006, at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, FL.

Cleveland, OH —Howard S. Siegel, MD, and his wife, Judith, love a spin around a dance floor—whether it be with dance clubs, in showcases, when traveling, or teaching their students.

Everyone who wears eyeglasses knows there are certain accessories that one absolutely must have in order to stay comfortable, safe, and secure. Sometimes people don't realize they need an accessory until they see someone else with one or they are in a desperate situation without one. That is when they will remember where they saw the thing they need. And that should be in your optical shop.

Pinellas Park, FL—Transitions Optical's traveling Eye Didn't Know That! exhibit helped inform more than 170,000 consumers about healthy sight before recently concluding its North American tour.

The landscape of glaucoma has been relatively quiet during 2005, but experts in the field agree there have been a few noteworthy developments.

Chicago-Jason T. Halverson, MD, of the Albert Florens Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, was named the winner of the third annual Ophthalmology Times Resident Writer's Award Program. The program was sponsored by Advanced Medical Optics (AMO). In a presentation at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in October, Dr. Halverson was the first-place winner for a case study report of traumatic mydriasis that was managed by cerclage pupilloplasty to reduce pupillary aperture.

Jason T. Halverson, MD, a senior ophthalmology resident at Albert Florens Storm Eye Institute at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, was named the winner of the third annual Ophthalmology Times Resident Writer's Award Program—presented during the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in Chicago. Dr. Halverson's winning submission is featured here. He was nominated by David T. Vroman, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology, Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery, Albert Florens Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina.

A patient complained of severe glare and light sensitivity associated with a persistent traumatic mydriasis of the right eye. After conservative treatment with topical miotics and a painted contact lens failed to decrease the mydriasis, a cerclage pupilloplasty was performed on the right eye resulting in a 4-mm round pupil. The patient experienced significant reduction of glare and photophobia.

Jackson, TN—The Toyos AquaChop procedure, which is a new technique for cataract extraction, takes advantage of the special properties of the AquaLase liquefaction device (Alcon, Fort Worth, TX).

Memphis, TN—TBI/Tissue Banks International has built the first National Eye Bank Center here to centralize the screening, evaluation, and shipping of eye tissue for corneal transplant surgery and ocular research.

Washington, DC—Daniel D. Garrett, senior vice president of Prevent Blindness America (PBA), helped to shape national policies for older Americans as an at-large delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging.

Aliso Viejo, CA—eyeonics Inc. is reducing the number of implants it requires ophthalmic surgeons to perform before providing credentials for crystalens IOL implantation.

Costa Mesa, CA—In an effort to retain patients who need to finance their refractive surgery, CareCredit, a division of GE Consumer Finance, is offering 95% approval rates through its CareCreditPlus program.

Fairfax, VA—The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) has formed a Retina Clinical Committee to provide members with a resource on the latest advances in retinal treatment.