Ophthalmology Times back issues from May 2006:
Establishing target IOP an essential element in glaucoma management
May 01, 2006; ... Consider factors Reviewed by Eve J. Higginbotham. MD São Paulo, Brazil-A target IOP should be set for each patient as soon as the diagnosis of ocular hypertension or glaucoma is made, and it should be continually re-evaluated to assess whether existing treatment is achieving its ...
America-bashing not limited to other countries
May 01, 2006; ... Why do we have such a low opinion of ourselves? Excuse me for possibly being a little thin-skinned, but sometimes all this America-bashing really annoys me. When I was a little boy, I was taught to stand every morning and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, to be thankful for all the ...
IOL technology must be matched to patients' needs
May 01, 2006; ... Multifocal, accommodative lenses Reviewed by Louis D. "Skip" Nichamin, MD Dorado, Puerto Rico-Physicians delving into the refractive cataract surgery arena should be careful screening and selecting patients to ensure the best results. In order to do this, surgeons need to survey ...
Pfizer explores options for OTC drug unit
May 01, 2006; ... 'Entertaining offers' Visine among products that could be sold New York-Pfizer Inc. is looking to boost shareholder earnings by studying optionsincluding a sale or spin-off-for its overthe-counter (OTC) drug unit, which includes the Visine line of eye drops. Earlier this ...
Board OKs continuing Medidur clinical trial
May 01, 2006; ... Data safety monitoring Atlanta-Alimera Sciences Inc. and pSivida Limited have announced that following a planned interim review, an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has recommended the continuation of their phase III clinical trial of Medidur. The DSMB met March 16 ...
B&L's newest excimer laser approved
May 01, 2006; ... Reduced treatment times Rochester, NY-The FDA has approved Bausch & Lomb's 100 Hz excimer laser, the 217z100, for use as part of the Zyoptix personalized laser vision-correction system for refractive surgery. The combination of beam diameters and laser speed of the 217z100 ...
Dry eye is here to stay but all treatments not equal
May 01, 2006; ... Managing chronic disorder Dry eye is here to stay but all treatments not equal With greater understanding, clinicians have more to offer patients in terms of quality of life Reviewed by Penny A. Asbell, MD, FACS, MBA New York-It's more an evolution than a ...
Modified prolate IOL compensates for changes due to aging
May 01, 2006; ... Helps night driving Modified prolate IOL compensates for changes due to aging Lens improves functional vision by eliminating positive ocular spherical aberration Reviewed by Mark Packer, MD, FACS Eugene, OR-The Tecnis Z9000 modified prolate IOL (AMO) improves ...
Combination drug gets nod in European Union
May 01, 2006; ... Reduction of IOP Irvine, CA-The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended that the European Commission approve Ganfort, Allergan's bimatoprost (Lumigan)/timolol ophthalmic solution combination product for glaucoma. The CHMP opinion serves as the basis for a ...
Drug tested for use in geographic atrophy
May 01, 2006; ... NEI clinical trial Exton, PA-Othera Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced the initiation of a phase II clinical trial by the National Eye Institute (NEI) of Othera's topical eye drop OT-551 in patients with geographic atrophy (GA). The NEI will investigate OT551's potential to slow ...
Artificial tears are valuable for symptomatic relief during initial topical cyclosporine therapy
May 01, 2006; ... Palliative treatment Artificial tears are valuable for symptomatic relief during initial topical cyclosporine therapy Reviewed by Steven E. Wilson, MD Cleveland-Artificial tears are an important complement to topical cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Restasis, ...
Dry eye surface disease: inflammation or osmolarity?
May 01, 2006; ... Diagnosis and treatment Dry eye surface disease: inflammation or osmolarity? Controversy currently leaning toward elevated tear film osmolarity as cause Reviewed by Jeffrey T. Gilbard, MD Woburn, MA-The chicken-and-egg controversy has swirled for years about what ...
Drops help prevent dry eye pain after cataract surgery
May 01, 2006; ... Nerve damage Drops help prevent dry eye pain after cataract surgery Product restores ocular surface to preoperative state to increase patient comfort Reviewed by Uday Devgan, MD, FACS San Francisco-Just as during LASIK procedures, cataract surgery can damage the ...
Letters
May 01, 2006; ... From the desk of Peter J. McDonnell, MD Whether these correspondents agree with my ruminations about resident training or think I am totally off-base, it speaks to the quality of ophthalmologists that so many people wrote in response to my editorial, "Do U.S. ophthalmology departments ...
Managing dry eye disease now and in the future
May 01, 2006; ... Diagnosis and treatment Increased knowledge of underlying causes, better therapies aid physicians Our understanding of dry eye has evolved and improved dramatically, as well as our ability to diagnose and treat this multi-faceted disorder. Despite its prevalence, estimated at 11% ...
Regular eye exams in elderly help functional vision
May 01, 2006; ... Improving sight Longitudinal analysis demonstrates the relationship between regular screenings and vision status Durham, NC-Elderly people who receive regular eye examinations experience less decline in functional vision, suggest the results of a recent longitudinal ...
Liquid gel therapy broadens role of dry eye product line
May 01, 2006; ... New preparation Liquid gel therapy broadens role of dry eye product line Lubricant eye drop formulation incorporates unique self-preserving ionic buffer system Reviewed by Ernest W. Kornmehl, MD Miami-The introduction of Systane Free Lubricant Eye Drops (Alcon ...
ISTA sees positive results with drug for dry eye
May 01, 2006; ... Preliminary outcomes FROM STAFF REPORTS Irvine, CA-ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced positive preliminary results from its three-arm phase lib clinical study of ecabet sodium, a prescription eye drop being evaluated for the treatment of keratoconjunctivitis sicca. A ...
Things to do on your next vacation: change the world
May 01, 2006; ... Making a difference The Foundation of the AAO's EyeCare Volunteer Registry can now be accessed online What's New at the AAO Here's a change of pace for your next vacation: instead of seeing the world, why not try to change it? Become an international volunteer. In ...
Topical cyclosporine continues to be effective for several months, small study shows
May 01, 2006; ... Open-label trial Topical cyclosporine continues to be effective for several months, small study shows Treatment found to increase tear volume in both new, established patients with dry eye Reviewed by James H. Peace, MD Los Angeles-Results of a small clinical ...
Cataract surgery: Lessons from the first 100
May 01, 2006; ... Ups and downs Dealing calmly with inevitable complications is part of the learning curve I recently passed a residency milestone: my 100th cataract surgery. It turned out to be a tough case with a very dense cataract and the need for iris hooks. But it went well, and it felt ...
Multifocal IOLs deliver for carefully selected candidates
May 01, 2006; ... Refractive lens exchange Lenses ideal for patients who desire spectacle independence, but unsuitable for mesopic vision Istanbul, Turkey-An evaluation of two new multifocal IOLs-Tecnis MF and ReZoom by Advanced Medical Optics-indicated that both correct far, intermediate, and ...
Fourier-based wavefront LASEK appears promising
May 01, 2006; ... Off-label procedures Early results from small studies show enhancements correct highly aberrated eyes Reviewed by Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, FACS New Orleans-Preliminary results from small studies suggest Fourier-based wavefront LASEK may provide a safe and effective ...
Business plan competition deadline nears
May 01, 2006; ... West Lafayette, IN-Purdue University is accepting entries for a business plan competition that will award $134,000 in cash and business services for startup companies that describe the best path to market for products and technologies in the life sciences, biotechnology, and biomedicine ....
LRIs good option for pre-existing astigmatism in phaco surgery
May 01, 2006; ... Perfecting refractive results Cataract surgery or RLE patients benefit with up to 3 D of astigmatism correction Reviewed by Louis D. "Skip" Nichamin, MD Dorado, Puerto Rico-Cataract surgeons should learn how to perform limbal peripheral arcuate astigmatic relaxing ...
Femtosecond laser, keratome provide similar results
May 01, 2006; ... Comparison study Reviewed by Edward E. Manche, MD PaIo Alto, CA-A prospective comparison study of the IntraLase femtosecond laser (IntraLase Corp.) and the Hansatome keratome (Bausch & Lomb) in myopic LASIK with VISX CustomVue (Advanced Medical Optics) showed that both ...
All dose groups of siRNA show positive change in visual acuity
May 01, 2006; ... Phase I results Patients tolerate single injection up to 1,200 µg Reviewed by Edward J. Quinlan, MD Baltimore-Intravitreal injection of a small interfering RNA molecule (Sirna-027, Sirna Therapeutics Inc.) appears to be safe and well tolerated by patients for treatment of ...
Genetic therapies may provide new treatment mode for CNV
May 01, 2006; ... New class of compounds Intravitreal siRNA would allow intervention earlier in the disease process; tests show promise Reviewed by John T. Thompson, MD Baltimore-A new class of compounds has been making headlines lately as a potential treatment of choroidal ...
Adenoviral vectors good for proliferative retinopathies
May 01, 2006; ... Ocular gene therapy Intravitreous injection of AdPEDF suppresses CNV in mouse models Reviewed by Peter A. Campochiaro, MD Baltimore-Adenoviral vector-mediated ocular gene transfer is one of several promising approaches to the treatment of choroidal neovascularization ...
Federal government can play big role in improving vision coverage for kids
May 01, 2006; ... Public health issues Federal government can play big role in improving vision coverage for kids Medical societies urged to exert their influence on behalf of next generation Reviewed by Michael X. Repka, MD Baltimore-Although vision screening is a state issue and ...
Lions Clubs support cataract surgery in China
May 01, 2006; ... Oak Brook, IL-Lions Clubs International, in partnership with the Chinese government, has supported 4.3 million cataract surgeries in China since 1997. The group also worked with Chinese health officials on SightFirst China Action, a project to establish surgical eye units in 104 rural ...
Pediatric vision screening worthy of advocacy
May 01, 2006; ... Access health-care funds Pediatric vision screening worthy of advocacy Making screening a pay-for-performance item would be best bet, according to surgeon Reviewed by James Bradford Ruben, MD Sacramento, CA-Obtaining reimbursement and resources for vision ...
IOL use in infants, children becoming more mainstream
May 01, 2006; ... Still off-label IOL use in infants, children becoming more mainstream Reviewed by M. Edward Wilson Jr., MD Charleston, SC-IOL insertion is the standard of care after uncomplicated cataract surgery for children beyond infancy, despite the fact that these implantations are ...
New Products & Services
May 01, 2006; ... Instrument strips endothelial layer during DSEK Katena Products Inc. presents the Rosenwasser Irrigating Endothelial Stripper for removal of the endothelial layer during Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK). The instrument has a thin, semicircular tip angled 90° ...
Mountain high
May 01, 2006; ... New heights Dr. Modi makes 7-day trek to summit of Mount Kilimanjaro Satish Modi, MD, FRCS, reached a new peak this year. The self-described "quintessential couch potato" traveled to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. On Feb. 1, he stood at the summit, Uhuru (meaning "freedom") ...
Cancer drug linked to reports of visual loss
May 01, 2006; ... Adverse events Washington, DC-The FDA and Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. are warning of the risk for visual loss associated with the use of denileukin diftitox injection (Ontak), a drug used in patients with persistent or recurrent cutaneous T-cell lymphoma whose malignant cells express the ...
Evaluation of normal-tension glaucoma includes broad differential diagnosis
May 01, 2006; ... Possible causes of NTG Reviewed by Christopher A. Girkin, MD, MPH, and Andrew G. Iwach, MD The diagnosis of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) should be approached as one of exclusion, according to Andrew G. Iwach, MD. There are a number of ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic ...
CLINICAL GLAUCOMA: ADVANCING SCIENCE, ENHANCING CARE
May 01, 2006; ... MEETING REPORTER Highlights of New Frontiers in Clinical Glaucoma II, a conference sponsored by Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and held at the New York Academy of Medicine, New York, New York, November 11-12, 2005 HELD TO HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO ...
Dr. Schepens, 'father of modern retinal surgery', dies
May 01, 2006; ... In memoriam The late Charles L. Schepens, MD, was well-known by ophthalmologists worldwide as the father of modern retinal surgery after having discovered a way to re-attach retinas and restore vision to nearly 90% of patients, and having invented the binocular indirect ...
Cause of recent TASS outbreak unknown
May 15, 2006; ... Search continues Reviewed by Francis S. Mah, MD, Nick Mamalis, MD, and Arjun Srinivasan, MD Teams of investigators are searching for the source of a recent outbreak of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) following cataract surgery that has been reported in sites throughout ...
Phantom authorship is kind of spooky
May 15, 2006; ... Unattributed 'studies' Lending name to ghost writer makes credibility questionable In the movie "Back to School," Rodney Dangerfield plays a businessman who buys his way into college in order to spend quality time with his son. When a term paper is due on the topic of Kurt ...
Health officials scramble to find source of fungal keratitis cases
May 15, 2006; ... Still unknown Atlanta-With a growing list of states reporting suspected cases of an uncommon fungal keratitis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other U.S. health authorities continue to search for the cause of an apparent outbreak of the rare fungal infection ...
Keratoprosthesis offers many advantages in cases of pediatric corneal opacity
May 15, 2006; ... Clear visual axis possible Reviewed by James V. Aquavella, MD An impressive track record with the Dohlman-Doane Boston keratoprosthesis in adults at high risk for corneal transplantation has motivated corneal surgeons to use the device in pediatric eyes with corneal opacities, ...
Ophthalmic committee develops guidelines for treating patients at risk for ectasia
May 15, 2006; ... Prevention, treatment Team recommends topography for all patients even though no absolute indicators exist Reviewed by Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD San Francisco-A team of ophthalmologists founded the Ectasia Committee in the hopes of summarizing the current knowledge regarding ...
Changes in pegaptanib labeling prompted by adverse reactions
May 15, 2006; ... Revisions Reviewed by Ernest W. Kornmehl, MD New York-On March 6, OSI Pharmaceuticals/Eyetech Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer issued changes in the product labeling for pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen), which was approved by the PDA for the treatment of neovascular age-related ...
Letters
May 15, 2006; ... Pay for performance Fair reimbursement is in ophthalmology's best 'interest' I am responding to the article quoting William L. Rich III, MD, FACS ("Pay for performance likely to become physicians' reality," Ophthalmology Times, March 1, 2006, Page 1). While Dr. Rich did not write ...
Mechanical microkeratomes maintain place in surgery
May 15, 2006; ... Several advantages Older refractive technology offers low-tech alternative to femtosecond laser for flap creation Reviewed by Cesar A. Carriazo, MD Barranquilla, Colombia-Mechanical microkeratomes have a number of advantages compared with the femtosecond laser ...
Surgeons may put down the blade for femtosecond laser
May 15, 2006; ... One surgeon's perspective Laser offers versatility to program flap thickness and flexibility for manipulating hinge position Reviewed by William W. Culbertson, MD Miami-Versatility, predictability, and safety are the top three reasons why LASIK surgeons should consider ...
Treat as bacterial infection until fungus is positive, experts say
May 15, 2006; ... Tips for physicians Pittsburgh-U.S. health officials are recommending that ophthalmic professionals who see patients with microbial keratitis should consider whether it might be caused by the Fusarium fungus, rather than assume it is a bacterial infection as they might have in the ...
ASCRS film festival winners announced
May 15, 2006; ... FROM STAFF REPORTS Fairfax, VA-The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) announced the winners of the 2006 ASCRS Symposium Film Festival in March. Jaime Zacharias, MD, of Chile, received the grand prize for his ...
Microkeratome delivers 80-µm flaps for thin-flap LASIK
May 15, 2006; ... Good surface, edge quality Flaps created with device are reasonably accurate and predictable with a high safety profile Reviewed by Ernest W. Kornmehl, MD San Francisco-Thin-flap LASIK with the K-4000 microkeratome (Becton Dickinson) is safe and delivers flaps that are ...
Graft harvesting in centralized facility found a viable option
May 15, 2006; ... Pay attention to pain relief Procedure brings posterior lamellar keratoplasty into hands of more cornea transplant surgeons Reviewed by Roy S. Chuck, MD, PhD, and RayJessen, MPH Baltimore-Harvesting of lamellar grafts in a centralized facility is a feasible strategy, said ...
Microkeratome creates high-quality, predictable flaps and smooth beds, studies show
May 15, 2006; ... Flap results Surgeons describe performance of Zyoptix XP device compared with other flap-creation technology Reviewed by Hung Ming Lee, MD and Robert K. Maloney, MD Studies evaluating the new Zyoptix XP microkeratome (Bausch & Lomb) indicate that it performs safely ...
Surgical strategy returns to the surface
May 15, 2006; ... Pay attention to pain relief Surgeon describes his technique, visual outcomes with Epi-K keratome Reviewed by Henry "Rick" Milne III, MD San Francisco-Advanced surface treatment (AST) with the Epi-K keratome (Moria) is a significant advance in laser vision correction but ...
Versatility key feature of upgraded keratome
May 15, 2006; ... Safe, reliable Device offers dual utility for lamellar and epithelial flap creation, surgeon says Reviewed by Y. Ralph Chu, MD Edina, MN-The Amadeus II (Advanced Medical Optics) is a surgeon-friendly microkeratome that can be used safely and reliably to create ...
PTK reduces bullae formation, pain after cataract surgery
May 15, 2006; ... Alternative therapy Indian study shows improvement for eyes with postoperative nonresolving corneal edema Reviewed by Jeewan Titiyal, MD New Delhi, India-In eyes with nonresolving corneal edema after cataract surgery, phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) appears to be ...
IntraLase launches fourth-generation laser
May 15, 2006; ... FROM STAFF REPORTS San Francisco-IntraLase Corp. introduced its fourth-generation FS Laser, a system that allows for a 100% blade-free LASIK procedure, according to the company. Doubling the speed of the first laser used to create LASIK corneal flaps reduces the flap procedure ...
Mild to moderate myopia successfully treated with Epi-LASIK
May 15, 2006; ... Multicenter study UCVA significantly improved at 3 months after surgery using epikeratome, discomfort mild Reviewed by Ernest W. Kornmehl, MD New Orleans-Mild to moderate myopia can be treated successfully using the EyeCare Epikeratome for Epi-LASIK (Norwood EyeCare). The ...
Cytosol Ophthalmics selling off assets after TASS outbreak in fall
May 15, 2006; ... Lenoir, NC-Cytosol Ophthalmias, whose balanced salt solution (BSS) product, Endosol, was implicated in an outbreak last fall of toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS), is selling off its assets to raise funds to compensate those affected by a recall of the BSS. In mid-February, Cytosol ...
Cataract surgery benefit on visual function largely durable
May 15, 2006; ... Self-assessments Patients report positive results for 7 to 8 years postoperatively, Swedish study finds Reviewed by Mats Lundström, MD, PhD Lund, Sweden-The effect of cataract surgery for improving visual function decreases over time, but a high proportion of patients ...
Corneal collagen cross-linking shows early positive effects
May 15, 2006; ... Stabilizing keratometry Riboflavin/UVA-induced treatment halts progressive changes in range of unstable corneas Reviewed by Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD Beverly Hills, CA-Corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin (C3-R) appears effective for stabilizing keratometry in ...
Dry eye therapies improve stromal HSK frequency, severity
May 15, 2006; ... Alternatives Topical cyclosporine, punctal occlusion help reduce recurrences, allow steroid-sparing strategy Reviewed by John D. Sheppard, MD Norfolk, VA-Topical cyclosporine emulsion 0.05% (Restasis, Allergan) and/or punctal occlusion may be considered for the management ...
Determining cause of diplopia can be difficult
May 15, 2006; ... Monocular or binocular Physician provides systematic approach using steps and rules to aid in its diagnosis Oklahoma City, OK-Ferreting out the causes of diplopia can be tricky. To make the task easier, R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, outlined his four steps to finding the causes of ...
Differentiating between divergence, convergence disorders is a challenge
May 15, 2006; ... Evaluation/treatments Expert describes subtleties of these conditions as well as management solutions Baltimore-Divergence and convergence abnormalities are similar in nature and can be difficult to differentiate. Michael Repka, MD, described the subtleties as well as what works ...
How to choose the most suitable methods of detecting, following early glaucoma
May 15, 2006; ... Available tools Physician reviews latest tests for early diagnosis, progression of disease São Paulo, Brazil-Early detection of glaucomatous functional loss and its progression are facilitated by reliance on a single test program and use of the computer-assisted interpretation ...