Author: Healio ophthalmology

Best practices for handling, preserving PDEK corneal tissue still being established

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Pre-Descemet’s endothelial keratoplasty, a new variant in the field of endothelial keratoplasty, mainly comprises the separation of the pre-Descemet’s membrane along with the Descemet’s membrane-endothelium complex from the residual donor stroma by the formation of a type 1 bubble. The feasibility of the PDEK procedure with adult or infant donor tissue makes it highly acceptable when there is a shortage of donor tissue. The problem is making the grafts, and today eye banks supply ready-made PDEK grafts to the surgeon.In this column, I would like to invite Sumit “Sam” Garg, (Read more...)

FDA plans to streamline regulatory processes for drugs, devices

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FDA announced today that it will soon unveil a comprehensive plan referred to as the Innovative Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to ensure the efficacy of the FDA’s regulatory processes so safe and effective new technologies can reach patients in a timely fashion.“We need to make sure that our regulatory principles are efficient and informed by the most up to date science,” Scott Gottlieb, MD, commissioner of the FDA, wrote in the FDA’s blog. “We don’t want to present regulatory barriers to beneficial new medical innovations that add (Read more...)

Multitasking, silent EHR use affects patient care

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Although most clinicians multitask while using electronic health records, which increases the risk for communication and timeliness errors, transitions to silent EHR use can have unclear ramifications, according to a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine.“Electronic health record (EHR) implementation may affect time allocation during patient visits,” Neda Ratanawongsa, MD, MPH, from the division of general internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations at San Francisco General Hospital, and colleagues wrote. “Clinicians may use EHRs in silence, risking lower patient (Read more...)

Device screens AMD susceptibility

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A researcher at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, has developed a device that can rapidly screen a patient’s macular pigment density, allowing clinicians to better assess those at risk for age-related macular degeneration, according to a press release from the university. Shelby Temple, PhD, from the university’s School of Biological Sciences, was researching the ability of octopuses, cuttlefish and coral reef fish to see polarized light, which humans are not normally able to see, when he developed the device to display polarized light to animals. He realized he could (Read more...)

Second Sight marks entry in South Korea

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Second Sight’s Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System has been implanted in two patients in South Korea, while Taiwan saw its second implant performed, marking the company’s entry into the region, according to a company press release.Young Hee Yoon, MD, department of ophthalmology professor at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, performed the two South Korean implantations in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. In Taiwan, Shih-Jen Chen, MD, performed the implantation at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in a patient with retinal degeneration, the release said.

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Speaker: Vision care should continue to be essential health care

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Vision screenings and vision health care, especially for children, should continue to be treated as an essential health benefit, a speaker said at the Prevent Blindness 2017 Focus on Eye Health National Summit in Washington, D.C.“Any country that cares about health care, that cares about education, that cares about identifying whether or not a kid has a disability or is becoming blind, cares about quality of life, would never make essential health benefits, including pediatric vision, negotiable or waivable by any political body,” Cyrus Habib, lieutenant governor of Washington, said.

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Latest LASIK platforms boost patient-reported outcomes

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A meta-analysis of FDA patient-reported outcomes showed significant improvement in night vision and driving after LASIK with three of the latest FDA-approved laser platforms. Patient satisfaction was high, and dry eye was mild and transient. The three platforms were the Star S4 IR excimer laser with iDesign Advanced WaveScan Studio system (Abbott Medical Optics, now Johnson & Johnson Vision), the Allegretto Wave Eye-Q laser system with Allegro Topolyzer topography system and T-CAT treatment planning software (Alcon), and the EC-5000 excimer laser system with Final Fit custom ablation treatment planning software (Read more...)