FLORENCE, Italy — A small prospective trial comparing the effect of two drugs showed better results with a dexamethasone implant than monthly ranibizumab when the same patient with diabetic macular edema previously did not respond well to ranibizumab.Eleven patients were included. They were stable, chronic patients with well-controlled diabetes, equal diabetic retinopathy and macular edema in both eyes, and a symmetric history of consistent anti-VEGF treatment every 4 to 6 weeks with suboptimal success and persistent DME, Tarek Hassan, MD, said at the FLOREtina meeting.
Author: Healio ophthalmology
VIDEO: Surgeon discusses IOL selection for presbyopia correction in challenging case
MIAMI — At the inaugural CEDARS/ASPENS meeting here, Quentin B. Allen, MD, reviews a panel discussion of the complex decision making that goes into IOL selection in challenging cases. In this case, a 75-year-old woman with cataracts was seeking a combination of multifocal lens and laser vision correction. She presented with hyperopia, pseudoexfoliation and a traumatically dilated pupil.
Clearside enrolls first patient in CLS-TA phase 3 clinical trial
Clearside Biomedical enrolled its first patient for the phase 3 clinical trial of CLS-TA to treat macular edema associated with noninfectious uveitis, according to a company press release.The phase 3 Peachtree clinical trial to evaluate efficacy of 4 m…
Publication Exclusive: Combination of ROP treatments may help eliminate ‘destructive’ laser therapy
Retinopathy of prematurity is a disease in premature infants who today, secondary to advanced neonatal intensive care units, are surviving at ever lower birth weights and weeks of gestation. These infants almost universally require oxygen supplementati…
OSN Europe: Awareness of antibiotic resistance growing among European ophthalmologists, but old habits hard to eradicate
The WHO has launched World Antibiotic Awareness Week, taking place Nov. 16 to 22. The aim of this new initiative is to increase awareness of the emerging global problem of antibiotic resistance and “to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers,” the WHO said in a press release. World Antibiotic Awareness Week is part of a global action plan endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May, with the motto “Antibiotics: Handle with Care.”“If we want to preserve the precious potential of antibiotics, which have (Read more...)
Keynote lecture explores modular organization of visual brain
VIENNA — The keynote lecture of the Advanced Retinal Therapy meeting focused this year on the brain basis of vision and modular organization of the visual brain.“Humans are highly visual animals. At least one-third of our cortex is devoted to the problem of figuring out what we are looking at,” Nancy Kanwisher, PhD, a professor at MIT, said.
Publication Exclusive Ten ways to avoid ophthalmic career senescence
As baby boomer statistics would have it, more than half of today’s ophthalmologists are now in the second half of their career. And like the second half of life, the back-half of one’s professional lifespan — let’s say from age 50 to 70 — is troubled with the progressive whiff of senescence.There is the year when your case volumes or income or both fall for the first time.
Protocol S evidence expands role of anti-VEGF in proliferative diabetic retinopathy, but laser still useful
VIENNA — DRCR.net Protocol S has shown non-inferiority of ranibizumab to panretinal photocoagulation in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, but laser still has a role, according to a speaker here. “I still think both options are useful, and we should get the best of both,” Robert L. Avery, MD, said at the Advanced Retinal Therapy meeting.
Use of anti-VEGFs in ROP still a concern for organogenesis, neurodevelopment
There may be a rationale for using anti-VEGFs in cases of severe retinopathy of prematurity to prevent neovascularization, but concerns exist about the possible detrimental effects of VEGF suppression on the organogenesis and neurodevelopment of preter…
Standard testing, electrophysiology can work together for early glaucoma detection
In recent years, the approach to glaucoma care has begun to change. Earlier detection is enabling earlier treatment, resulting in greatly improved outcomes. There are many medical and surgical options available to treat glaucoma, but catching the disea…
Suture-guided technique may eliminate intraoperative risk during CTR insertion
Using a suture-guided technique to insert a capsular tension ring into the capsular bag may lessen the potential for intraoperative complications such as capsule entanglement or iatrogenic zonular dialysis, according to a study.A capsular tension ring …
Ten ways to avoid ophthalmic career senescence
“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”– Betty Friedan
Review of 2015: Almost back to the future
It has been more than 107 years since my beloved Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Despite Marty McFly’s observation of the Cubbies winning the World Series in 2015 on a “holobillboard” in the movie Back to the Future Part II, the Cubs unfortunately could not fulfill even that prediction with a loss to the New York Mets in game 4 of the National League Championship Series, which I attended.Despite the disappointment of many Cubs fans across the globe, 2015 brought a lot of great news and technology, especially to (Read more...)
Quality of life improves after refractive surgery with ReLEx SMILE procedure
This issue’s Refractive Surgery Story is the first of the series to discuss the SMILE procedure, an acronym for small-incision lenticule extraction performed with the Zeiss VisuMax laser. This procedure is not yet approved by the FDA in the U.S., and in fact, submission of data for myopic correction has just begun.Dr. Dirisamer chose this procedure, performed in Europe, although he was a LASIK candidate, because he felt that the post-procedure structural integrity of the cornea would be better maintained than with LASIK. Other advantages may include higher predictability in (Read more...)
Middle-aged woman experiences refractory uveitis
A 46-year-old Indian woman was referred by her optometrist for uveitis in the right eye. She initially presented to the optometrist’s office 1 month before the referral with a 1-day history of blurred vision, tearing and photophobia. The optometrist prescribed prednisolone acetate 1% four times per day.On review of systems, she reported dysphagia and odynophagia for the past several months. Ocular history was significant for three to four prior episodes of anterior uveitis beginning 3 to 4 years before presentation, always in the right eye, as well as a choroidal (Read more...)
Pars plana approach can be used for surgical injection technique
Topical ocular medications are an integral part of the pre- and postsurgical therapeutic regimen for cataract and other anterior segment procedures. The use of these mostly multi-dose topical medications introduces issues such as patient compliance, cumulative added drug cost to the patient, preservative-related alterations to the ocular surface and secondary visual quality degradation.The introduction of the “dropless” approach to the surgical therapeutic regimen appears to be a welcome modality that negates many issues with drops. However, such a turn in the path of ocular drug delivery poses new challenges and (Read more...)
Combination of ROP treatments may help eliminate ‘destructive’ laser therapy
Retinopathy of prematurity is a disease in premature infants who today, secondary to advanced neonatal intensive care units, are surviving at ever lower birth weights and weeks of gestation. These infants almost universally require oxygen supplementati…
Cataract surgery yields improved vision in wet AMD without need for increased treatment
Cataract surgery improves visual acuity without worsening wet age-related macular degeneration in patients receiving anti-VEGF injections, according to a study.In the aging population, patients with wet AMD also commonly develop significant cataracts, …
Enrollment begins for phase 1/2 clinical study of topical presbyopia drug
Patient enrollment has begun for a phase 1/2 clinical trial of EV06, a topical treatment for presbyopia being developed by Encore Vision.The compound is designed to reverse age-related changes in the crystalline lens that decrease lens elasticity and a…
iPhone assists in high-speed photography
High-speed photography captures images with a remarkably quick shutter speed, and it is mostly used for capturing moments that are not appreciated with the naked eye. It is the art of photographing a rapidly occurring event. Scientists have used high-speed photography to study physical movement, measuring phenomena such as surface tension and gravitational effects. It is also employed for tracking the accuracy of missiles and rockets and recording the sequence of events at the core of nuclear explosions. Sports photographers use high-speed photography to shoot fast-moving sporting events and to (Read more...)