News
PRK recommended procedure for U.S. Naval aviators
August 1st 2004San Diego-U.S. Naval aviators can benefit from PRK in terms of restoration of visual acuity to 20/20 and enhanced flight performance, said David J. Tanzer, MD, surgical director, refractive surgery center, department of ophthalmology, Naval Medical Center, San Diego.
Glaucoma expert urges a new look at screening
August 1st 2004Fort Lauderdale, FL-More aggressive glaucoma screening methods and a better understanding of disease progression as well as its incidence and prevalence among various population groups are essential to lessening the devastating impact of this disease worldwide, said Harry A. Quigley, MD, during the 2004 Friedenwald Award lecture at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting.
Single-use microkeratome produces predictable flaps
July 15th 2004San Diego-The M2 single-use microkeratome with a 130-?m head (Moria, Antony, France) appears to produce predictable flap thickness without causing any significant complications during or after LASIK, according to Richard A. Norden, MD, FACS, who spoke during the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS).
Pursuit of 'perfect' vision requires search outside the box
July 15th 2004San Diego-"The pursuit of perfect vision is analogous to the pursuit for the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is the symbol for a large and mysterious power, closely guarded, concealed, and protected. Like the Holy Grail, perfect vision is the ultimate prize, but it is elusive," Roger F. Steinert, MD, said when he delivered the Binkhorst Lecture, "The Pursuit of 'Perfect' Vision: Ophthalmology's Holy Grail?" at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.
Redesigned microkeratome blade produces consistent flaps
July 15th 2004San Diego-A safety and reliability study of the redesigned BD Beaver microkeratome blade (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) in LASIK indicates that the blade results in uniformly consistent flap thickness and is unlikely to cause any intraoperative complications, said Paul J. Dougherty, MD, who presented his findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Quality of vision does not depend on corneal shape
July 15th 2004San Diego-The shape of the cornea, prolate or oblate, does not seem to affect the visual acuity or the quality of visual outcomes following wavefront-guided refractive surgery. The spherical aberration seems to be the most important element, based on the results of the VISX mul- ticenter FDA trial.
Survey shows patients happy with progressive multifocal IOL
July 15th 2004San Diego-Patients with the zonal progressive multifocal IOL (Array, AMO) report implanted improved depth of field at all levels of vision, which translates into enhanced quality of life, according to Guy E. Knolle Jr., MD, who spoke at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.
Accommodating IOL good option for hyperopic presbyopia
July 15th 2004San Diego-Lens-based surgery with an accommodating IOL (Crystalens, eyeonics) offers advantages for treatment of aging patients with hyperopic presbyopia that make it likely to replace laser keratorefractive procedures as the procedure of choice for the management of that patient population, ex- plained D. Michael Colvard, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Glaucoma 2004 yields tools, techniques for 21st century
July 15th 2004New York-Glaucoma specialists considering the future of the disease and its prevention and treatment should look to cardiovascular disease as a model, attendees at "Glaucoma 2004: Mastering Tools and Techniques for the 21st Century" here were told.
Blue light-filtering IOL does not impede vitreoretinal surgery
July 15th 2004San Diego-Presence of the blue light-filtering pseudophakic IOL (AcrySof Natural, Alcon) has no adverse effect on the surgeon's ability to perform vitreoretinal procedures following cataract extraction and IOL implantation, said David L. Parver, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Refractive/diffractive IOL allows good distance, near vision
July 15th 2004The new Restor IOL (Alcon, Fort Worth, TX), a single-piece refractive/diffractive implant, achieved good uncorrected distance and near visual acuity levels in a trial of initial results. There were few complaints of unwanted visual images.
IOL filters blue wavelengths, does not affect color vision
July 15th 2004San Diego-The AcrySof Natural IOL (SA60AT, Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX) that filters blue light does not negatively affect patients’ color perception. The IOL more closely mimics the human crystalline lens and scotopic vision is excellent in these patients, Robert Cionni, MD, stated..
Blocking blue light may compromise scotopic vision
July 15th 2004San Diego-Blocking light from the blue portion of the spectrum is thought to be advantageous to the eye, and IOL manufacturers have developed IOLs with this feature. However, aging eyes may be negatively affected by filtering out blue light, according to Randall J. Olson, MD
Flow-field analyses characterize fluid pulse dynamics
July 15th 2004San Diego-High speed video photography and 2-dimensional laser visualization have helped researchers better understand the dynamic characteristics of the fluid pulses from the AquaLase liquefaction device (Alcon Laboratories). This information is beneficial for surgeons as they develop and refine their cataract removal technique using this new technology, said Ramon C. Dimalanta, PhD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Intracameral antibiotic use helps to avert endophthalmitis
July 15th 2004San Diego - Based on a computer-generated model of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the anterior segment, intracameral antibiotic use appears to be a rational approach to endophthalmitis prophylaxis after cataract surgery, reported Randal Peterson, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.
Toric IOL outperforms comparable spherical lens in FDA trial
July 15th 2004San Diego - The AcrySof Toric IOL (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX) is outperforming a comparable spherical IOL in uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) levels and the low level of residual astigmatism. The interim safety and efficacy results of the FDA clinical trial of the AcrySof Toric IOL were presented here at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Bimanual microincision phaco system appears safe, efficient
July 15th 2004San Diego - Bimanual microincision phacoemulsification with the Millennium System (Bausch & Lomb) is safe and associated with excellent visual acuity results, said Mark Packer, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.
Outcomes favorable in 2-year experience with silicone IOL
July 15th 2004San Diego - Two-year follow-up of eyes with the ClariFlex with OptiEdge silicone IOL (AMO) implanted show that the second-generation silicone IOL with its novel edge design is performing well. Furthermore, risk of posterior capsular opacification (PCO) and glare was minimal, according to the results of a study presented by Elizabeth A. Davis, MD, FACS, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
Sharkfin sign in corneal stroma indicates focal thermal injury
July 15th 2004San Diego-A newly identified biomicroscopic sign, the sharkfin sign, seems to indicate that focal thermal damage to the stroma has occurred during phacoemulsification. The sharkfin sign seems to be a curvilinear lucency in the corneal incision.
