Due to insufficient funding, dysfunctional organization and bureaucratic redundancy, patients with age-related macular degeneration and other macular diseases are often undermonitored and undertreated in Italy. A recent survey carried out in one of the wealthiest and best served regions of northern Italy showed that the average number of injections administered per patient per year is only three.“As president of the Italian Society of Ophthalmology (SOI), I have informed the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) and the Healthcare Commission that we are in a critical situation of not being able to provide (Read more...)
Author: Healio ophthalmology
New consensus document tackles nonstatin therapies for LDL reduction
In a new expert consensus statement, the American College of Cardiology recommends trying lifestyle and statin therapies before nonstatin medical therapies in patients who require LDL lowering to manage cardiovascular disease risk.“While evidence-based statin therapy remains the first-line standard of care for patients at risk for atherosclerotic [CVD], clinicians and patients may seek firmer and more specific guidance on adequacy of statin therapy and whether or when to use nonstatin therapies if response to statins is deemed inadequate,” writing committee chair Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, ScM, FACC, chair of the (Read more...)
Mark Humayun, MD, PhD, receives National Medal of Technology and Innovation for Argus II research
Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD, received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama on May 19, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.Humayun, of USC Roski Eye Institute, was recognized for his role in devel…
OCT angiography with projection resolution algorithm quantifies retinal vessel density
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Using OCT angiography and a novel “projection resolution and reflectance compensation” algorithm to remove artifact and signal effects, David Huang, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that glaucoma preferentially affects vessel density in the ganglion cell complex more than in deeper layers, according to a study presented at the American Ophthalmological Society meeting here.“This year I want to talk about studying the macula in the context of glaucoma,” Huang said. “Our technology has moved ahead so that our algorithm is a little bit different now. OCT angiography (Read more...)
VIDEO: Reverse side cuts with femtosecond laser enable better self-sealing of primary incision during cataract surgery
NEW ORLEANS —At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting, Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, discusses study results evaluating reverse side cuts using the Catalys Precision femtosecond laser from Abbott Medical Optics to create the primary incision for cataract surgery.
VIDEO: Antonio Scarpa SOI Medal Lecturer focuses on future of laser cataract surgery
MILAN — At OSN Italy, Burkhard Dick, MD, PhD, the Antonio Scarpa Italian Society of Ophthalmology Medal Lecturer, focused his talk on the current status and future of laser cataract surgery.
VIDEO: Laser scanner provides true color retinal images through small pupil
NEW ORLEANS — At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting, Farrell C. “Toby” Tyson, MD, discusses the Eidon scanner (CenterVue), a true color confocal scanner that uses laser technology to scan the back of the eye through an undilated pupil with a 60° field.
VIDEO: Surgeons talk about trifocal IOLs
PARIS – At the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology, Béatrice Cochener, MD, PhD, and Catherine Albou-Ganem, MD, share their opinions and experiences on trifocal IOLs.
Ophthotech reports $36.3 million net loss in first quarter
Ophthotech reported a first quarter net loss of $36.3 million, or $1.03 per diluted share, compared with a net income of $6.6 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2015, according to a press release.Collaboration revenue totaled …
VIDEO: Barriers, legal hurdles, limitations of anti-VEGF treatment in France
PARIS — At the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology, Laurent Kodjikian, MD, PhD, talks about Temporary Authorization for Use of Genentech’s Avastin bevacizumab injection for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration in France, and the barriers, legal hurdles and limitations that prevent doctors from taking advantage of this new opportunity.
VIDEO: Surgeon reports new data on the Tecnis Symfony IOL
NEW ORLEANS —At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting, James Loden, MD, reports data on the incidence of halos, glares and starburst patterns from U.S. and European clinical trials on the Tecnis Symfony IOL from Abbott Medical Optics.
Eye injuries few but severe in Paris attacks
PARIS — The victims of the Nov. 13, 2015, terrorist attacks in Paris had few orbital and/or ocular injuries, but the injuries were extremely severe with mostly unfavorable prognoses, Nathalie Butel, MD, said at the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology.At 9:20 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., two suicide attacks were carried out at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, and another one followed at 9:50 p.m. At 9:35 p.m., a shooting occurred outside cafes in the 10th arrondissement, followed by another suicide attack. At 9:40 p.m., several hundred hostages (Read more...)
Speaker: Omidria use decreases need for Malyugin ring in cataract surgery
NEW ORLEANS – Malyugin ring use decreased by about two-thirds in one surgeon’s experience when he used Omidria to maintain pupil width in patients undergoing routine cataract surgery.“The stuff works,” Luther L. Fry, MD, said in a presentation at the American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting. Fry described himself as a “skeptic” who wanted to test Omidria (1% phenylephrine and 0.3% ketorolac injection, Omeros) for himself.
VIDEO: Surgeon discusses benefits of the IC-8 IOL
NEW ORLEANS —At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting, Robert Ang, MD, talks about the benefits of the IC-8 small aperture IOL from AcuFocus for cataract patients.
VIDEO: OCT angiography optimizes treatment for AMD, diabetic retinopathy
PARIS — At the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology, Gabriel Coscas, MD, gives his perspective on OCT angiography and its role in optimizing treatment.
BLOG: Trocar ACM — New device for infusion
Maintenance of globe stability and wound architecture is an essential prerequisite in intraocular surgeries. Under such circumstances, viscoelastic and fluid infusion play a very important role. An anterior chamber maintainer, or ACM, and trocar cannul…
Severe ocular allergies a public health emergency in Maghreb region
PARIS — In North Africa, ocular allergies tend to be more frequent, more severe and more difficult to treat than analogous forms in Europe, and they are often the cause of visual impairment and blindness, according to a specialist speaking here.Epidemiological data show a high prevalence of both vernal and atopic keratoconjunctivitis in the Maghreb region. Both forms are characterized by a high tendency to develop severe corneal complications leading to high astigmatism, keratoconus, corneal scarring and eventually blindness.
VIDEO: Following FDA approval, Avedro set to enter market
NEW ORLEANS —At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting, Rajesh K. Rajpal, MD, chief medical officer of Avedro, discusses the recent approval of the company’s cross-linking system indication for treating keratoconus and the planned timeline to bring the technology to doctors’ offices in the U.S.
Neuropathic ocular pain in dry eye patients associated with non-ocular pain, mental health status
NEW ORLEANS — Neuropathic ocular pain correlated with non-ocular pain and low mental health scores in patients treated for dry eye syndrome, a speaker told colleagues here.“[Neuropathic ocular pain] symptoms may aid in identifying patients whose dry eye may indicate a broader pain syndrome. This may have repercussions on the health and well-being of patients with dry eye,” Ashley Marie Crane, MD, said at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.
Topical ocular aldehyde reduces anterior chamber cell in uveitis trial
Topical ocular aldehyde trap NS2 reduced anterior chamber cell count in patients with noninfectious anterior uveitis in a phase 2 clinical trial, according to a press release from Aldeyra Therapeutics.“[T]opical ocular NS2, a first-in-class aldehyde trap, demonstrated activity comparable to standard-of-care topical ocular corticosteroids in reducing anterior chamber cell count in patients with active noninfectious anterior uveitis,” the release said.