News

San Francisco-The AcrySof Natural IOL (Model SB30AL, Alcon), containing a covalently bonded, blue light-filtering chromophore (ImprUV), more closely mimics the light transmission spectrum of the precataractous adult human crystalline lens compared with standard UV-absorbing IOLs without any adverse effects on vision, said Paul H. Ernest, MD, at the American Society of Cata-ract and Refractive Surgery an-nual meeting.

San Francisco-Bimanual phacoemulsification can be performed safely and effectively with the Millennium Microsurgical System (Bausch & Lomb), said Rosa M. Braga-Mele, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-IOL implantation in pediatric eyes with traumatic cataract offers the opportunity for a favorable visual outcome, but success in these cases depends on a properly timed procedure and diligent surgical care, said M. Edward Wilson, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-With its proprietary apodized diffractive technology, the AcrySof ReSTOR pseudoaccommodative IOL (Alcon) provides patients with excellent near and distance vision and only infrequently causes visual symptoms that are generally minimal and easily tolerated, said David Allen, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

The focus of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's (AAO) annual meeting in Anaheim this November can be summed up in one word: fresh. As always, the annual meeting and subspecialty day meetings will provide the latest clinical updates and practical tools that attendees have come to expect, but with a fresh focus on their needs on everything from offerings to scheduling.

Baltimore-Effective July 1, Peter J.McDonnell III, MD, leaves his post as chairman of the ophthalmology department at the University of California-Irvine to take the helm as director and William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute.

San Francisco-The newly redesigned model CQ2003V Collamer 3-piece IOL (STAAR Surgical) provides patients with excellent visual results during the early postoperative period. The new IOL tolerates injection through a small cartridge compared with the previous design, according to Stephen Bylsma, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting.

San Francisco-Implantation of an aniridic colored IOL (Ophtec) in patients with traumatic aniridia is associated with improved photophobia and high patient satisfaction, reported Pascal Rozot, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Santa Clara, CA-VISX Inc. is celebrating the FDA approval of its CustomVue laser-vision correction procedure, as its board survived an attempt to dethrone one member in a takeover plan by financier Carl C. Icahn.

Future Bascom Palmer chief resident

Milwaukee-When an anophthalmic implant is required, in most cases, oculoplastic surgeon Russell S. Gonnering, MD, prefers using a non-wrapped porous sphere.

London-Subconjunctival injection of botulinum toxin type A (Botox, Allergan) can offer an effective treatment for upper eyelid retraction associated with thyroid eye dis-ease, said Jimmy M. Uddin, MD.

San Francisco-Patients who repeatedly miss appointments or do not follow prescribed treatment plans can be walking litigation time bombs, according to attorney Paul Weber, JD, a risk manager at the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Co.

With daily operating costs rising, reimbursement rates declining, and concerns over soaring liability insurance prices, profitability is a hot topic for the modern ophthalmology practice. Some groups are finding an effective solution in the symbiosis between ophthalmology and optometry. By adding optometrists to their staffs, ophthalmologists are offering a more complete vision-care package to their patients and driving up profits in the process. The advantages, as seen by the doctors involved in these relationships, are many.

Reseda, CA-The Centurion SES Microkeratome, recently approved by the FDA, has features that differentiate it from conventional microkeratomes used for standard LASIK procedures: a combination blade/cartridge component, a bar applanator, and a resultant gutterless flap.

San Francisco-The new zero-compression head for the Hansatome microkeratome (Bausch & Lomb) represents an important safety advance for that instrument because it significantly reduces the risk of intraoperative epithelial defects compared with the standard head, said Thomas Kohnen, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-Refractive surgeons using the MK-2000 (Nidek) microkeratome can expect to achieve high-quality flaps whether using the manufacturer's own or another's blade, but they need to recognize that blades from different manufacturers and even from different lots of the same manufacturer may produce flaps that can vary dramatically in thickness, said Robert T. Lin, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-The CB Single Use microkeratome (Moria, Antony, France) is a reliable instrument for flap creation, offering advantages in safety and ease of use, said Karl B. Stonecipher, MD, at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-The femtosecond laser (IntraLase FS, IntraLase Corp.) holds promise as a useful tool for performing keratectomy in eyes undergoing lamellar keratoplasty procedures, said Melvin A. Sarayba, MD,at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-LASIK surgeons seeking to create thin flaps in order to maximize ablation depth while maintaining a 250-?m stromal bed would be prudent to set 120 to 130 ?m as their lower limit for intended flap thickness, said Lee T. Nordan, MD, at the American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Monrovia, CA-STAAR Surgical has introduced an environmentally controlled cartridge for its injector systems that appears to maintain high lubricity and improve performance during IOL implantation, accord-ing to several physiciansfamiliar with the new system.

The Kawai Capsulorrhexis Forceps (model AE-4388, ASICO) are designed for use in difficult cases of continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC), according to their creator, Kenji Kawai, MD.

The pupil that dilates poorly is frequently associated with both glaucoma and complications during combined surgery. With newer endolenticular techniques, especially with nucleofractis procedures and chop techniques, pupils do not need to be as large as previously required.1-4 However, there still are numerous instances in which the pupil is inadequate to allow the surgeon to proceed, and some form of manipulation or surgery is required.

Atlanta-When performing aphakic IOL calculations in eyes that have undergone corneal refractive surgery, contact lens over-refraction is the single best method for determining the value of corneal power (K). When preoperative K is known, averaging values obtained from both contact lens over-refraction and the keratometric history technique yields even better results. Nevertheless, both techniques remain suboptimal, yielding highly variable results, according to George O. Waring III, MD.

When Bruce Koffler, MD, brought optical dispensing into his practice, he was not convinced completely that it was a good idea. That was 3 years ago. Now, he wishes he had done it sooner.

San Francisco-Corneal topography and wavefront data are key to assessing the internal aberrations of the eye accurately and are essential for surgeons to perform customized ablations accurately, said Stephen D. Klyce, PhD, who spoke during the Innovator's Session at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

San Francisco-Refractive surgery continues to evolve as researchers strive to achieve better quality of vision for patients, said Ioannis G. Pallikaris, MD, PhD, the first ophthalmologist to deliver the Charles D. Kelman Innovator's Lecture at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting.

Editor's Note: What has 100 years of history done for ophthalmic knowledge? In many areas-cataract surgery for example-a revolution has occurred and great strides have been made. In others, surprisingly, very little has advanced.

San Francisco-Creativity is the key to innovation and can best be described by the three "I"s-inspiration, insight, and intuition-according to Charles D. Kelman, MD.

Rochester, NY-Bausch & Lomb will delay the regulatory filing for the intravitreal fluocinolone acetonide implant (Retisert), a treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME), for up to 3 years while the FDA reviews 12-month safety data of additional eyes treated with implants.