Future of Cataract Surgery Relies on Refractive Lens Exchange
November 15th 2001Ophthalmologists continue to be concerned about decreasing reimbursement for cataract surgery and the increasing nonreimbursed costs of utilizing new technology. I believe, however, that the future for lens and implant surgery is rosy.
Retinal Prosthesis May do Work of Photoreceptor Cells
November 15th 2001Houston-An artificial retina could be the answer for an estimated 1 million Americans with retinal blindness by conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, said Alex Ignatiev, PhD, professor of physics, chemistry, and electrical and computer engineering at the University of Houston.
Purite May be Gentler Preservative for Lubrication Solutions
November 1st 2001Almost all ophthalmic medications contain preservatives, which inhibit bacterial growth. The use of preservatives allows for the use of multidose bottles, which are the most cost-effective and user-friendly packaging for ophthalmic medications. However, some of the preservatives present in commonly used eye drops today have been shown to be disruptive to the cornea surface.1-5
Ophthalmologists 'Made a Difference' in Nation's Time of Need
November 1st 2001he American Academy ofOphthalmology and its members are to be commended for the immediate response to the need at New York's World Trade Center tragedy of Sept. 11. We have heard from many physicians who volunteered their services both at ground zero and emergency rooms in the area. Their stories have unified us and made us proud to be Americans. We will be hearing stories of selfless acts for months, perhaps years. They, and all the groups who volunteered their services, deserve all the praise and recognition they have received.
Standardization Called the Key to Improving LASIK Safety
November 1st 2001Overland Park, KS-Taking small, specific precautions throughout LASIK and adhering to proven techniques should help refractive surgeons eliminate most flap and other complications while improving visual outcomes, according to Dan Durrie, MD.
How to Manage Epithelial Ingrowth and Implantation
November 1st 2001Epithelial ingrowth is the migration of epithelial cells from outside the flap-bed interface into the interface postoperatively. Epithelial implantation is the placement of epithelial cells into the interface during the procedure. The incidence of epithelial ingrowth and implantation has been reported as high as 10%, although it can be as low as 0.2%1 to 0.4%2 if meticulous surgical technique is employed.
Treatment of pseudotumor cerebri reviewed
October 1st 2001Surgical maneuvers used to treat pseudotumor cerebri include some formof shunt procedure, such as a lumboperitoneal shunt, a ventriculoperitonealshunt, or optic nerve sheath decompression (ONSD). Shunting procedures areultimately designed to divert the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that is underpressure away from the neuro-ocular junction, where hydrodynamic forcescompress ganglion cells and their blood supply, leading to injury and/ordeath of these cells.
Web conferencing brings the world to your computer
October 1st 2001Most ophthalmologists agree that the Internet is a valuable resourcefor provider education. In addition to e-mail, physicians probably mostfrequently use the Internet to access information on diseases and medications.Increasingly they are also using it to access major medical journals andonline continuing medical education programs.
Anterior Vitrectomy Aids Cataract Surgery Complications
October 1st 2001Every comprehensive ophthalmologist performs anterior vitrectomy in association with cataract surgery complicated by vitreous prolapse. Even in the best of hands, rupture of the posterior capsule and vitreous prolapse occur in 1% to 2% of cataract operations.
Low, high IOPs should be carefully monitored immediately following phaco
April 19th 5Washington, DC — Patients who do not have glaucoma and those with glaucoma should be carefully monitored in the immediate postoperative period following phacoemulsification and at postoperative day 1 for low and high IOPs, according to Bradford J. Shingleton, MD.
OCT development, implications for the anterior segment surgeon focus of Innovators Lecture
April 20th 2Washington, DC — Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, was chosen to present the Charles D. Kelman Innovator's Lecture at the 2005 ASCRS Symposium on Cataract, IOL, and Refractive Surgery in recognition of his work as the co-inventor of optical coherence tomography (OCT).
State regulations dictate E/M versus ophthalmology codes
September 17th 1Today, when patients come for a visit, ophthalmologists have the discretionof using either the eye codes (92002 to 92014) or the E/M codes in billing.But, when is it truly appropriate to use a certain set of codes for a givenvisit? Unfortunately, there's no one standard. It all depends on the rulesset by the carriers in your state.
Radiation may have potential to treat subfoveal CNV
September 17th 1Augusta, GA-Despite negative results in an early trial, effortsare continuing to determine whether external-beam irradiation can slow visionloss caused by subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-relatedmacular degeneration (AMD), said Dennis M. Marcus, MD.