Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis implantation in children was associated with a high complication rate, device failure and poor visual outcome in a retrospective case series generated at three tertiary referral centers in Canada. The study included 11 ey…
Author: Healio ophthalmology
Treat-and-extend comparable to monthly injections in AMD
A multicenter 12-month phase 3b study showed that treat-and-extend administration of ranibizumab is “statistically noninferior and clinically comparable” with monthly treatment in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.The TREND study recruited 650 treatment-naïve patients with active choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD in 90 centers across 18 countries, randomly assigned to treat-and-extend or monthly ranibizumab 0.5 mg.
European Commission approves Actemra/RoActemra for giant cell arteritis
Actemra/RoActemra has been approved by the European Commission for the treatment of giant cell arteritis, according to a Roche press release.The anti-IL-6 receptor biologic Actemra/RoActemra (tocilizumab) was approved for giant cell arteritis (GCA) bas…
Gurman says, ‘Our voice is their voice’ in explaining the importance of physician advocacy
At a time when the state of health care is in flux, it is critical that physicians engage in the national debate by telling their stories and those of their patients to help create change, according to Andrew W. Gurman, MD, immediate past president of the AMA.“Our country deserves better, and it is up to us as America’s doctors to keep the health and vitality of our patients, our fellow citizens [and] our friends at the forefront of these discussions,” Gurman said in a presentation at the American Society for (Read more...)
AAO recommends shingles vaccine at 50 years
A shingles vaccine is now recommended for individuals aged 50 years and older, 10 years younger than a previous recommendation, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Dermatological Association.Shingles (herpes zoster) can …
Elevated IOP, glaucoma complications of herpetic anterior uveitis
A study confirmed that elevated IOP and secondary glaucoma are frequent complications of herpetic anterior uveitis and that the number of IOP peaks is correlated with the risk for glaucoma.The medical records of 73 patients with herpetic anterior uveit…
Timing key to success of repositioning misaligned toric IOLs
IOL repositioning due to misalignment of toric IOLs should be performed between 1 and 3 weeks after primary surgery, according to a study. The data of 6,431 eyes implanted with toric IOLs at eight surgical sites in Japan were retrospectively reviewed. Forty-two eyes (0.653%) underwent repositioning surgery at an average of 9.9 ± 7.5 days.
Graham-Cassidy proposal: What you need to know
The latest Republican legislation attempting to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act drafted by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-La.), and thus deemed the Graham-Cassidy proposal, has gained growing disapproval from several health care organizations, including the AMA and the American College of Physicians. Within the past week, the AMA and the American College of Physicians (ACP) sent separate letters to the Senators conveying their strong opposition to the bill, citing as main concerns the loss of health care insurance for millions of Americans and its (Read more...)
Nicox enters agreement with Eyevance for US commercialization of Zerviate
Nicox has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Eyevance Pharmaceuticals for the commercialization of Zerviate in the United States, according to a Nicox press release.Eyevance will make a one-time upfront payment of $6 million to Nicox under th…
FDA finalizes guidelines on interoperable devices
The FDA recently issued final guidelines outlining its nonbinding recommendations for safe and secure interactions among medical devices and other information systems, calling for devices to be designed with interoperability as an objective.The guideline is intended to highlight what medical device manufacturers should consider to provide a “reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness” for their interoperable medical devices, and provides manufacturers with design considerations and recommendations regarding information to include in premarket submissions and device labeling.
Major physician groups urge Senate to stabilize health insurance markets
A coalition of major physician groups submitted a testimony to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee emphasizing the importance of stabilizing health insurance markets to ensure that patients have access to a variety of affordable …
Cambodia, Laos eliminate trachoma
Trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, has been eliminated as a public health problem in Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, according to a WHO press release.WHO launched the Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by the year 2020 in 1997, and in 1998 the World Health Assembly passed a resolution targeting trachoma for elimination as a public health problem.
Recent news in refractive surgery
Refractive surgery has been the focus of many recent studies ranging from how to make SMILE procedures more effective to measuring visual acuity improvements after treatment for keratoconus.Here is a roundup of refractive surgery news from Healio.com/OSN:
VIDEO: Bowman layer transplantation
Surgeons John Parker, MD, and Jack Parker, MD, perform Bowman layer transplantation in a surgical maneuver developed by Gerrit R.J. Melles, MD, PhD, of the Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery.
More Democrats than Republicans OK with how media covers science
More Democrats than Republicans think the news media does a good job of covering science, according to the results of a new study.The Pew Research Center polled more than 4,000 U.S. adults and found that although most — 54% — regularly get their science news from general news outlets that cover a range of topics, just 28% believed these sources get the facts right. Specialty sources, including museums, science magazines and documentaries, were trusted more, with around half of respondents saying they are accurate most of the time.
AMA urges Senate to reject Graham-Cassidy proposal
The AMA recently sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Charles Schumer strongly opposing the Graham-Cassidy legislation, emphasizing that the bill would result in the loss of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans while destabilizing health insurance markets.“Similar to proposals that were considered in the Senate in July, we believe the Graham-Cassidy Amendment would result in millions of Americans losing their health insurance coverage, destabilize health insurance markets, and decrease access to affordable coverage and care,” James L. Madara, MD, CEO and executive vice (Read more...)
Ciliary muscle electrostimulation improves near vision
Patients with emmetropic presbyopia who underwent pulsed ciliary muscle electrostimulation demonstrated improved short-term near vision ability, according to a study. Researchers examined the effects of pulsed ciliary muscle electrostimulation in 27 pa…
Ophthotech announces new Zimura clinical trials
Ophthotech will begin an open-label phase 2a clinical trial of Zimura, a complement factor C5 inhibitor for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, according to a press release.Zimura (avacincaptad pegol) will be administered in combination…
Six steps for conducting an internal evaluation and management audit
Evaluation and management coding patterns are under the microscope. CMS is monitoring evaluation and management code usage by specialty, state and nationally. The Recovery Audit Program of CMS aims to identify and correct improper Medicare payments thr…
Combination surgery lowers IOP, reduces need for medications
In patients with late IOL dislocation and elevated IOP, transscleral IOL fixation combined with an Ahmed glaucoma drainage device decreased pressure and reduced the number of glaucoma medications needed, according to a study. The retrospective study co…