News

Lisbon, Portugal – In an effort to create a synergy that will benefit all of the European ophthalmic community, the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) and the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) have announced that the ESCRS will assume the administrative duties of the retina society.

Lisbon, Portugal – Reading visual acuity and reading speed may depend of the type of IOL, according to one surgeon. Werner Huetz, MD, and colleagues compared three IOLs: the Array SA40N (AMO), the Tecnis ZM001 (AMO), and the AcrySof ReSTOR (Alcon Laboratories).

Lisbon, Portugal – Pupil ovalization after implantation of IOLs is a rare occurrence. However, when it develops, it must be addressed immediately and effectively, according to Antonio Marinho, MD, PhD, of the University of Porto, Portugal.

Lisbon, Portugal – Cataract surgery in developing countries is a massive problem, but the cost of performing phacoemulsification in these countries is highly prohibitive.  For that reason, extracapsular cataract surgery is performed with implantation of a polymethymethacrylate (PMMA) IOL.

Lisbon, Portugal – Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) after cataract surgery is an evolving process, Oliver Findl, MD, from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, explained Saturday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Lisbon, Portugal – Sealed capsule irrigation (SCI) using steroids in water is a new technique being studied that may prevent posterior capsular opacification (PCO) after cataract surgery. Gerd Auffarth, MD, PhD, from Heidelberg University Eye Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany, described this approach Saturday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting.

It may come as no surprise to many patients of Richard Gotlib, MD, PhD, that he is passionate about his life's work as an ophthalmologist.

Washington, DC—Rotating corneal autograft offers a viable method for visual rehabilitation in highly traumatized eyes that are at risk for a poor outcome after penetrating keratoplasty (PK), said Sai Kolli, MD, at World Cornea Congress V.

Needham, MA—Outcomes achieved with the fluid-ventilated, gas-permeable Boston Scleral Lens (Boston Foundation for Sight) in approximately 1,000 eyes underscore its role as a valuable option for eyes with severe ocular surface disease and many other corneal disorders that would otherwise be candidates for penetrating keratoplasty, said Perry Rosenthal, MD.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Increased knowledge about detecting visual field deterioration has been garnered from glaucoma trials.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Early treatment of ocular hypertension can decrease the incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma. Risk factors can be assessed relatively simply in the office to identify patients at high and low risk of developing glaucoma, Michael Kass, MD, said.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—A comparison of penetrating with non-penetrating glaucoma surgery, specifically deep sclerectomy and trabeculectomy, indicated that the latter provided better control of IOP 7 years after the surgery, according to Stefano Gandolfi, MD. When deep sclerectomy was converted to a penetrating procedure, the surgical success rate increased significantly.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—A new study offers hope that the serious adverse effects of carboplatin chemotherapy for retinoblastoma could be minimized by local delivery in a fibrin sealant sustained-release vehicle.

Santa Barbara, CA—Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), have made discoveries that could lead to improved recovery after retinal reattachment surgery and inhibition of undesirable cellular effects that lead to proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

Montreal—Combination treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using verteporfin photodynamic therapy (Visudyne PDT, Novartis/QLT Inc.) plus intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide appears to improve visual outcomes and reduce the number of re-treatments necessary to achieve lesion regression compared with standard PDT alone, albeit with the recognized steroid-associated risks of cataract progression and IOP elevation, said Albert J. Augustin, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists.

Boston—Epinastine HCl 0.05% ophthalmic solution (Elestat, Inspire/Allergan) safely and effectively relieves the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis due to cat dander, according to the results of a clinical trial conducted by researchers from New England Eye Center, Tufts University, Boston.

Orangeburg, NY—The low-dose modified corticosteroid loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.2% (Alrex, Bausch & Lomb) is effectively used during the acute phase of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, according to Ayman Matta, MD, PC, FACS.

The conjunctival allergen challenge model is highly reproducible and has a highly standardized grading system.

Miami—Despite the presence of new therapies for ocular allergies on the market, nedocromil sodium ophthalmic solution 2% (Alocril, Allergan) may be an effective choice for some patients, said William Trattler, MD, in private practice at the Center for Excellence in Eye Care, Miami.

Washington, DC-An unstable tear film can decrease functional visual acuity and may be the primary target for treatment of dry eye, said Kazuo Tsubota, MD, at World Cornea Congress V.

Fort Lauderdale, FL-Contrast sensitivity and visual acuity improved in a small group of subjects with dry eye following instillation of one of three types of artificial tears administered in a study of tear layer disruption. The fact that only one solution produced an enhancement in visual performance suggests that practitioners need to match a patient's dry eye subtype with an appropriate artificial tear supplement to gain the most improvement, said William H. Ridder III, OD, PhD, FAAO.

Washington, DC-Initiation of topical cyclosporine 0.05% ophthalmic emulsion (Restasis, Allergan) is associated with rapid onset of relief in most LASIK patients with mild-to-moderate chronic dry eye, said Karl G. Stonecipher, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Washington, DC-Dry eye disease affects millions of people worldwide and with that has come a recent greater awareness among patients that it is indeed a problem. As the recognition of the magnitude of dry eye is changing, so too has knowledge of its pathogenesis, the technology facilitating diagnosis, and the drugs that are becoming available to treat it. General ophthalmologists will be increasingly challenged to learn more about the disease and the best ways to treat individual patients, according to Michael Lemp, MD.

Orlando—When a child receives the diagnosis of Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) or another genetically based disease, too often parents hear from the ophthalmologist that nothing can be done. Whether the doctor intends to deliver such a negative message or conveys it inadvertently by using cold, clinical terminology, it is the wrong message, according to Edwin M. Stone, MD, PhD.

Orlando— A series of recent studies of amblyopia therapy seem to be suggesting that less aggressive or shorter treatments could be more effective than previously thought.

It was important to educate the nurses, respiratory therapists, and families that more oxygen was not necessarily better.

Ann Arbor, MI—The University of Michigan Health System is planning a $120 million expansion of its U-M W.K. Kellogg Eye Center to devote more space to vision research, education, and patient care.

Orlando—The high-frequency ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM) can reliably estimate the distance of horizontal muscle insertion from the limbus in eyes that had previous strabismus surgery on the same muscle, according to Shuan H. Dai, MB, BS, FRANZCO, a pediatric ophthalmologist.

Rochester, NY—Bausch & Lomb and three of its employees have been honored by two organizations for their research efforts.

New York—Pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen) has won recognition as a major scientific breakthrough from an organization accustomed to novel pharmaceutical products. The drug, the first FDA-approved treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), was named Innovative Pharmaceutical Product of the Year at the 2005 Pharmaceutical Achievement Awards.