Today is the official launch of a newly formed Coalition of medical, mental health, higher education, student and pharmaceutical organizations that will work together to help prevent misuse, abuse and diversion of ADHD prescription stimulant medication…
Month: August 2014
Topical cyclosporine A effective therapy before, following refractive surgery
Topical cyclosporine A was found to be an effective therapy for optimizing patients prior to refractive surgery, as well as for the treatment of new-onset or worsened dry eye following surgery, according to researchers.Researchers retrospectively analyzed 1,056 patients who were screened for refractive surgery during a 5-year period to assess levels of pre- and postoperative dry eye, as well as patients’ responsiveness to topical cyclosporine A treatment.
Triple therapy outperforms double therapy in treatment of PCV
Triple therapy comprising photodynamic therapy, intravitreal bevacizumab and subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injections markedly improved vision in eyes with treatment-naïve subfoveal polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, according to study findings.The retrospective, comparative, interventional case series included 36 eyes of 36 patients with treatment-naïve subfoveal polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Seventeen patients underwent PDT combined with intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech), and 19 patients underwent PDT, intravitreal bevacizumab and subtenon triamcinolone acetonide (STTA) injections. All patients underwent slit lamp biomicroscopy, fundus imaging, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography.
Standing on the shoulders of giants: Tribute to Morris Osher
According to Soosan Jacob, MS, FRCS, DNB, ophthalmology is growing in leaps and bounds. However, some problems still do occur and still are managed in the same old and effective ways. In this vblog, Jacob shows a few of her encounters with expulsive he…
A tiny eye implant could pair with a smartphone to improve the way doctors measure and lower a patient’s eye pressure
For the 2.2 million Americans battling glaucoma, the main course of action for staving off blindness involves weekly visits to eye specialists who monitor – and control – increasing pressure within…
No association found between lipid levels, pathway genes and AMD progression
Results from a meta-analysis showed no associations between cholesterol measures, history of statin use or lipid pathway genes and the incidence and progression of age-related macular degeneration, according to researchers.The meta-analysis included th…
Alcon to acquire WaveTech Vision, full rights to ORA System
Alcon announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire WaveTec Vision, according to a company press release.Upon completion of the acquisition, Alcon will gain full rights to the ORA System and plans to immediately begin integration of WaveTec int…
Genetics company receives $1.4 million NIH grant
The NIH has granted a total of $1,367,504 to 23andMe, a personal genetic testing company, for a 2-year project to enhance the company’s online database and research engine. The project will make access to aggregate, summary data available to outside researchers. Catherine Afarian, spokesperson for 23andMe, told HemOnc Today the company wants “the best and brightest minds in the world to have access” to their data. By granting access to outside experts, research that may have taken years to complete can be conducted quickly in real-time.
Biaxial cortex removal time comparable for femtosecond laser-assisted, standard cataract surgery
The time taken to remove the biaxial cortex during femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery was found to be comparable with that of standard phacoemulsification, according to study results.The study included 400 eyes of 400 patients who underwent fe…
Allergan requests preliminary injunction against Valeant, Pershing Square
Allergan has requested that the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California set an expedited schedule for discovery, as well as a motion for a preliminary injunction against Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Pershing Square Capital Management and…
How do surgeons approach enhancements in refractive surgery patients?
CEDARS Debates is a monthly feature in Ocular Surgery News. CEDARS — Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Surgery Society — is a group of cornea, cataract and refractive surgery specialists, here to discuss some of the latest hot topics in ophthalmology.As laser refractive surgery enters its third decade of widespread use in the U.S., an increasing number of patients are now returning for enhancements. LASIK patients, in particular, present the dilemma of how to approach the enhancement.
Increased macular pigment may improve outdoor vision
Individuals with greater amounts of yellow pigment in the eye may be better able to see distant objects in hazy conditions, suggests a study in the September issue of Optometry and Vision Science…
Retinal thinning can be used as an early marker for frontotemporal dementia, prior to the onset of cognitive symptoms
Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes and University of California, San Francisco have shown that a loss of cells in the retina is one of the earliest signs of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in…
Study examines ocular changes seen in astronauts to treat spaceflight-induced visual impairment
To reduce and better treat spaceflight-induced visual impairment, University of Houston (UH) optometrists are collaborating on a NASA study that examines ocular changes seen in a number of astronauts.
Canaloplasty poses risk of Descemet’s membrane detachment
Canaloplasty was associated with a slight risk of Descemet’s membrane detachment, with or without intracorneal hemorrhage, according to study findings.The retrospective study included 162 eyes of 115 patients who underwent canaloplasty. Researchers evaluated visual acuity, IOP, number of glaucoma medications and incidence of Descemet’s membrane detachment (DMD) for up to 1 year.
Telehealth technology may be key to adequate screening of patients with diabetes
As I discussed in a previous issue, but worth repeating, diabetes affects 382 million people worldwide, fully 3.3% of the population. The number of diabetics is expected to double in the next 20 years.Type 1 diabetes is caused by a failure to produce a…
FDA grants labeling extension to class 3 contact lenses, IOLS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on its website that the Center for Devices and Radiological Health has granted a 1-year extension of the Sept. 24, 2014, Unique Device Identification System compliance date for various class 3 medical dev…
FDA grants labeling extension to class 3 contact lenses, IOLS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on its website that the Center for Devices and Radiological Health has granted a 1-year extension of the Sept. 24, 2014, Unique Device Identification System compliance date for various class 3 medical dev…
Physicians Losing Money by Not Using Electronic Transactions
Report shows that billions of dollars could be saved if more transactions were automated; observers see some improvement in past 2 years. Medscape Medical News
Advances in imaging technologies improve screening, detection of diabetic eye disease
For years, the main reason for ophthalmic screening in patients with diabetes has been to detect the presence of diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema — both of which may lead to blindness if untreated — relying on either a dilated fundus examination or color photography.One expert estimated that a dilated fundus examination performed by an ophthalmologist detects diabetic retinopathy in more than 90% of cases. Even so, subtle diabetic macular edema may not be picked up without an optical coherence tomography examination, according to David M. Brown, MD, FACS, (Read more...)