Author: Healio ophthalmology

Nanotechnology targets degenerative cascades in retina

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LAS VEGAS — Nanotechnology can be used to restore visual function at a molecular or cellular level, a speaker said at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.Artificial photoreceptors and free radical scavengers can be used to restore vision in patients with macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and other chronic diseases, Emmanuel Chang, MD, PhD, said during a press briefing on “Innovations in vision: Nanotech, nearsightedness and neuro-ophthalmology imaging.”

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Young child referred for difficulty seeing in the dark

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A 5-year-old boy was referred to the retina service for progressively worsening night vision that began approximately 6 months before presentation. He denied changes in vision in well-lit settings, eye pain, redness, new floaters, photopsias and headaches. He had no history of trauma.His ocular history was remarkable for mild astigmatism not requiring correction. His medical history was remarkable for asthma, sinusitis and an equivocal work-up thus far for von Willebrand’s disease, which his mother has. He was born full-term without complications during the pregnancy or delivery. There was a family (Read more...)

Surgeon experience affects choice of intervention for symptomatic floaters

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Vitreoretinal surgeons may be more likely to intervene for symptomatic floaters if they have performed pars plana vitrectomy for floaters in the past and perform more vitrectomies each year, according to a study.Symptomatic floaters can interfere with daily functioning and affect patients’ quality of life. Either Nd:YAG vitreolysis or pars plana vitrectomy can be performed to treat this problem, but there is controversy whether retina specialists should proceed with surgical intervention in otherwise healthy eyes.

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Vitreoretinal surgeon relates stepwise approach to managing DME

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When managing patients with diabetic macular edema, it is important that clinicians have defined first-line and second-line therapies, according to one vitreoretinal surgeon.“We now have a much better handle on how to control diabetic macular edema based on recent research studies for guidance,” Ankoor R. Shah, MD, said, citing the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) Protocol T study findings.

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Which IOL calculation formula should you use for different scenarios?

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For many years we have been instructed to use theoretical formulae to do our IOL calculations. These formulae include the third-generation Holladay 1, SRK/T and Hoffer Q, as well as the fourth-generation Holladay 2, Haigis, Olsen and Barrett methods. All of these formulae have similarities, but they also have differences and eyes in which they are particularly well suited and eyes in which they are less accurate. There are additional modifications to these formulae, such as the Wang-Koch axial length adjustment for highly myopic eyes, in an effort to improve (Read more...)

OCTA represents next step in imaging technology

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OCT uses a relatively long wavelength near infrared light to create a three-dimensional high-resolution cross-sectional image of tissue. The light collected to create the images is reflected or backscattered from the tissue. OCT can image both transparent and opaque tissue and routinely penetrate 500 µm to as much as 1,000 µm into tissue. A typical OCT device used in an ophthalmology practice today has a resolution in the 10-µm range. Thus, a single cell such as a retinal ganglion cell, photoreceptor, retinal pigment epithelial cell or corneal epithelial/keratocyte/endothelial cell can (Read more...)

Noninvasive OCT angiography allows for detailed visualization of retinal vasculature

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September’s announcement by Carl Zeiss Meditec that its AngioPlex OCT angiography technology had received 510(k) clearance from the FDA set the stage for other systems to likely also soon become commercialized in the U.S. The technology allows extreme close-up imaging of the retinal vasculature for assessing retinal vascular diseases and holds potential for guiding treatment decisions and monitoring patient responses to therapy.“Over the past 20 years, OCT has developed rapidly as a ‘noninvasive’ method of imaging for medical diagnosis and defining activity criteria, such as intra/subretinal fluid, hyper-reflective dots and (Read more...)

Developing a dry eye clinic, part 2: The traditional dry eye practice

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In order to build a true dry eye practice, it is first necessary to make an open commitment to care for the dry eye patient. As pointed out in part 1 of this series, if you build a dry eye practice, dry eye patients will find you and they will come to your practice. In part 2, I will explore how to develop a traditional dry eye practice. The protocols for this type of practice can easily be layered onto your existing exams and can be done so without making (Read more...)

Low-dose atropine eye drops slow progression of myopia in children

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LAS VEGAS — A low-dose formulation of atropine slowed the progression of myopia in a 5-year clinical trial, a speaker told colleagues at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting here.“We think we can prevent myopic progression both safely and effectively in children for the first time. A 0.01% once-a-day [dose] appears to be able to reduce that amount of progression by about 50%,” Donald Tan, MD, said during a press briefing on “Innovations in vision: Nanotech, nearsightedness and neuro-ophthalmology imaging.”

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