News

New York-The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI) celebrates the grand opening of its $1 million, 1,200-square-foot Microsurgical Education Center for Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology.

Therapies for the management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have progressed rapidly in recent years. Ophthalmology Times convened a panel of cutting-edge retinal specialists from across the United States to discuss the latest in the diagnosis of AMD and to explore current practice patterns with pharmaceutical and surgical treatment options.

The FDA approval in mid-September of the Verisyse/Artisan phakic IOL [Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) and Ophtec USA] for use in patients with myopia could be the start of a revolution comparable to the advent of LASIK, according to Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, FACS, one of the investigators who took part in clinical trials of the lens.

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Bethesda, MD-Baseline data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) have shown a protective effect for fish consumption in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Emily Y. Chew, MD. Furthermore, 5 years of additional follow-up have yielded new data on mortality.

Nashville-Although outcomes data from the Submacular Surgery Trials are not yet available, quality-of-life information from the study will help investigators evaluate the effectiveness of various treatment options for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Paul Sternberg Jr., MD.

New York-The 3-D Anatomy Imager software, the latest modular feature associated with the Retinal Thickness Analyzer (RTA) ophthalmic imaging system (Talia Technology), offers a new level of interactivity in retinal imaging, according to Richard B. Rosen, MD, FACS.

San Diego-An off-label use of conductive keratoplasty (CK) is treatment of presbyopia in patients who had undergone a previous LASIK procedure. Stephen Pascucci, MD, demonstrated that CK improves near vision in these patients and has little effect on the uncorrected binocular distance visual acuity. Patient counseling is mandatory to prepare them for 3 to 4 months of blurry distance vision.

San Diego-Scleral ablation with the 2.94 erbium:YAG laser for the treatment of presbyopia seems to be an effective and safe procedure in most patients, according to Bobby Maddox, MD, here at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Diego-LASIK using the Allegretto Wave Laser (WaveLight Laser Technologie AG) can be effective to treat anisometropic amblyopia in the absence of any other appropriate treatments. Well-centered ablations can be achieved even in patients with poor fixation because of the eye tracker.

When the lens was implanted in patients with hyperopia, very good results were obtained in patients with up to 12 D of refractive error.

SEE concluded that the preventable risk associated with pre-surgery lies in obtaining an adequate patient history and performing a thorough examinationof the patient.

Who gets Lyme uveitis, and what are the historical and clinical clues that help make the diagnosis?

Durham, NC-Results of a 9-month randomized, dose-masked, multicenter clinical trial of a fluocinolone acetonide sustained drug delivery system to treat posterior uveitis resulted in significant gains for the eyes that received implants when compared with fellow eyes that did not receive implants, said Glenn J. Jaffe, MD.

The breadth of offerings at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Resource Center and Technology Pavilion at the first joint meeting with the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) is extraordinary. Physicians can try the demo for the Basic and Clinical Science Course on CD-ROM, flip through the latest patient education products, get help with critical business issues such as coding, and learn the ins and outs of acquiring and installing an electronic medical records system.

Tel Hashomer, Israel-Results of preclinical studies suggest that minocycline has potential utility as a neuroprotective agent in the management of optic nerve diseases, said Hani Levkovitch-Verbin, MD.

The diagnosis of glaucomatous progression is a daunting task for the ophthalmologist. Just 20 years ago, we began subjectively evaluating stereoscopic optic disc photos and series of visual fields.

New York-"The time to think about preventing a shallow anterior chamber is the moment you decide to perform a trabeculectomy," said Jody R. Piltz-Seymour, MD, at the Glaucoma 2004 meeting here.

New York-The best time to start treating a bleb-associated infection resulting from trabeculectomy is when its first warning signs appear, reported Paul J. Lama, MD, at the Glaucoma 2004 meeting here.

New York-Hypotony maculopathy-damage to the macula caused by clinically significant low IOP-has several causes, including overfiltering blebs, bleb leak, cyclodialysis cleft, and ciliary body effusion/detachment, reported Celso Tello, MD, at the Glaucoma 2004 meeting here.

New York-How do you determine whether a patient identified as having suspected glaucoma has glaucoma or will develop glaucoma? When should you treat a patient? How aggressive should treatment be?

That particular charm that belongs only to New Orleans has lured the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) back to this magical city for its annual meeting.The 2004 meeting is the first joint meeting with the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE).The main meeting will be preceded by 2 days of subspecialty presentations on Friday, Oct. 22 and Saturday, Oct. 23. All subspecialty day events and those of the main conference, Oct. 23 to 26, will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

New York-The 2004 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research, given posthumously, honors Charles D. Kelman, MD, for transforming cataract surgery "from a risky and lengthy ordeal (2-week hospital stay) into a safe and quick outpatient procedure that has spared millions of people throughout the world from blindness," as well as for inspiring similar advances in a number of other medical specialties.

New York-The 2004 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research, given posthumously, honors Charles D. Kelman, MD, for transforming cataract surgery "from a risky and lengthy ordeal (2-week hospital stay) into a safe and quick outpatient procedure that has spared millions of people throughout the world from blindness," as well as for inspiring similar advances in a number of other medical specialties.

New York-It is not usual for a memorial ceremony to be punctuated by roars of laughter, but the commemoration held here on Sept. 13 for Charles D. Kelman, MD, was as unusual as the man himself. The tribute was as full of the liveliness, enthusiasm, and love that he expressed for everything in his life-from saxophone playing to song composing to helicopter piloting and to his medical and scientific studying that revolutionized ophthalmology.

The [VETS] coalition wants nothing short of surgery by surgeons and said it is dedicated to seeing to it that veterans receive their right to the highest quality of medical care.

Los Angeles-The results from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) demonstrate Latinos suffer high rates of visual impairment and blindnessin association with high prevalencesof several vision-threatening eye diseases that may often go undiagnosed and untreated, said the study's principal investigator Rohit Varma, MD, MPH

There has been a recent trend toward thinner flaps for LASIK to decrease the risk of corneal ectasia following surgery. Other advantages exist as well for patients undergoing thin-flap LASIK.

San Diego-The Artisan Hyperopia IOL (Ophtec BV) appears to be safe, effective, and stable for the treatment of high and extreme hyperopia, according to Edward E. Manche, MD, who reported the interim results of the FDA phase III clinical trial at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Lewiston, NY-The Magellan Mapper Corneal Topographer (Nidek) is a valuable new tool for the preoperative evaluation of refractive surgery patients, said Claus M. Fichte, MD.