Quality of vision following surgery is the single most important factor that impacts patient satisfaction. Hence, the ophthalmic surgeon needs to deliver in order to meet patient expectations that have reached a new high compared with the past.Significant corneal astigmatism can degrade quality of vision and lead to patient dissatisfaction. It is important to identify and separate lenticular astigmatism from corneal astigmatism in the preoperative workup. Further, the surgeon has to consider both anterior and posterior corneal astigmatism when calculating toric IOL power. Because total corneal astigmatism is a combination (Read more...)
Author: Healio ophthalmology
Sun Pharma to own Ocular Technologies plus rights to dry eye treatment
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries will acquire Ocular Technologies Sarta, or OTS, the owner of the rights to the dry eye disease treatment Seciera, according to a Sun Pharma press release.Auven Therapeutics, which currently owns OTS, will receive a $40 million upfront payment from Sun Pharma, as well as “contingent developmental milestones and sales milestones,” and tiered royalties based on Seciera sales, the release said.
Wireless visual cortical stimulator successfully activated in first human subject
The first successful implantation and activation of a wireless visual cortical stimulator in a human subject has occurred, Second Sight Medical Products announced in a press release.Orion I, a wireless multichannel neurostimulation system, was implanted on the visual cortex of a 30-year-old patient in a UCLA proof of concept study that was supported by the company. The system was able to “perceive and localize individual phosphenes or spots of light” without adverse side effects, the release said.
Ciliary muscle electrostimulation may delay early presbyopia
CHICAGO — Electrostimulation of the ciliary muscle is a noninvasive method to delay early presbyopia in patients between the ages of 40 and 50 years, according to a speaker here. Patients who underwent four 8-minute ciliary body electrostimulation treatments in 2 months, and then an additional 8-minute treatment once every 3 months, saw an improvement in their near vision and reading speed time.
Boo! PQRS, Value Modifier penalties for 2017 sure to scare you
From international law firm Arnold & Porter LLP comes a timely column that provides views on current regulatory and legislative topics that weigh on the minds of today’s physicians and health care executives.On Sept. 26, CMS posted 2017 payment adjustment notices for the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and Value-Based Payment Modifier (Value Modifier) programs on the CMS Enterprise Portal. For some providers, downward payment adjustments under both programs may be as high as –6% of all Medicare services paid under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) in 2017 (–2% for (Read more...)
VIDEO: Cyclophotocoagulation effective at reducing IOP, medication burden
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Ahad Mahootchi, MD, discusses the implementation of the Cyclo G6 photocoagulator (Iridex) in his practice to reduce IOP and medication burden in patients with glaucoma.
Trend for methicillin resistance in ocular isolates remains high
CHICAGO — Methicillin resistance among both Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci remains high and the “issue is not going away,” a speaker here said in a report of a 10-year analysis of antimicrobial trends. “Methicillin resistance has not gone to zero, nor did we expect it to,” Penny A. Asbell, MD, FACS, MBA, said at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
VIDEO: Analysis shows earlier, more aggressive treatment may be needed in persistent DME
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, SriniVas R. Sadda, MD, discusses a post hoc DRCR.net Protocol I study analysis of persistent macular edema in patients undergoing anti-VEGF therapy for diabetic macular edema.The study showed that patients with more persistent macular edema at 1, 2 and 3 years had worse vision and may require more intensive treatment options earlier in the process.
11 pieces of advice from the physician-patient
LAS VEGAS — In an emotional lecture at ACG 2016, Philip O. Katz, MD, gave his colleagues a look into what a patient experiences and how to best treat a peer.“My view from the other side of the bed has given me insight into a part of medicine that I had never experienced,” Katz, chairman of the division of gastroenterology at Einstein Medical Center and clinical professor of medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, said during the David Graham Lecture. “Do you believe (Read more...)
VIDEO: Study shows no biomechanical benefit of rapid cross-linking combined with LASIK
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, J. Bradley Randleman, MD, discusses a study at USC Roski Eye Institute evaluating biomechanical changes in the cornea from rapid cross-linking performed with LASIK.
How would Clinton or Trump impact the country’s health care system?
Two separate analyses completed by the Commonwealth Fund and an economist at the Rand Corporation of proposed health care plans from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump show how each presidential candidate’s plan would affect citizens’ health care throughout America. Both analyses noted that Trump would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) if elected to the presidency and Clinton would modify the ACA.
Modern LASIK outcomes on par with PROWL results
CHICAGO — In a literature review of a large series of eyes looking at modern LASIK outcomes, no article gave a negative impression of LASIK, Kerry D. Solomon, MD, told colleagues at Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.“We can definitively say that modern LASIK surgery is significantly safer and more effective than [when] it was first approved by the FDA,” Solomon said. “Clearly our modern results have improved over time, as you would expect, with better screening processes and better technology that is available to (Read more...)
VIDEO: Pupilloplasty prevents iris capture in glued IOL procedure
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Priya Narang, MS, discusses her technique of performing pupilloplasty to prevent iris capture during glued IOL cataract surgery.
VIDEO: Surgeon says MIGS ‘inevitable’ in private practice
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Blake Williamson, MD, discusses his experience with microinvasive glaucoma surgery, specifically the iStent (Glaukos), in cataract surgery for glaucoma treatment.
VIDEO: ERG technology aids daily ophthalmic practice
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Mitchell A. Jackson, MD, discusses his experience using Diopsys’ ffERG Flicker technology to analyze cone function even through dense cataracts.
VIDEO: ERG technology aids daily ophthalmic practice
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Mitchell A. Jackson, MD, discusses his experience using Diopsys’ ffERG Flicker technology to analyze cone function even through dense cataracts.
VIDEO: ECP useful in conjunction with cataract surgery
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Robert Noecker, MD, discusses his use of endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (Beaver-Visitec International) for glaucoma treatment during cataract surgery.
Trabeculectomy more successful than tube shunt in Primary TVT study
CHICAGO —Trabeculectomy with mitomycin C had a higher success rate than tube shunt surgery in patients with uncontrolled glaucoma and no prior incisional ocular surgery, according to 1-year results of the Primary Tube vs. Trabeculectomy study presented here.The PTVT is a multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of tube shunt implantation with the 350-mm2 Baerveldt glaucoma implant vs. trabeculectomy with 0.4 mg/mL MMC.
VIDEO: ‘Dropless’ formulation benefits practice, patients
CHICAGO — At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here, Sydney L. Tyson, MD, discusses the advantages and remaining reimbursement challenges in his use of a “dropless” formulation (Imprimis Pharmaceuticals) in cataract surgery in his practice.
Anti-Ang2 combined with anti-VEGF improves visual acuity, central retinal thickness
CHICAGO — Visual acuity and anatomical improvements were achieved at all dose levels of nesvacumab combined with aflibercept in patients with diabetic macular edema or neovascular age-related macular degeneration, according to a study presented here. David M. Brown , MD, told colleagues at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting that observations in a preclinical model of chronic vascular leak showed that nesvacumab, an anti-Ang2 agent, combined with aflibercept, an anti-VEGF, increased duration of anti-leak action of aflibercept. The observation led to the hypothesis that the combined product could produce a (Read more...)