“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”– Charles Spurgeon
Author: Healio ophthalmology
Providing eye care for professional sports teams involves commitment beyond game day
Sports have become a huge part of our country’s entertainment culture. This is especially true in Pittsburgh, which likes to bill itself the “City of Champions.” In many areas of the country, there is fanatical support for professional and college sports teams. Getting into a playoff, bowl game or March Madness can not only invigorate a city’s collective psyche, but also provide significant revenue to the local economy. In recent years, many teams and colleges have boosted the level of medical care to their athletes. This is a win-win situation (Read more...)
Preloaded IOL injectors for microincisions increase efficiency, safety
Cataract surgery continues to evolve and advance in terms of technology, along with improved techniques, to offer a final result of augmented visual quality and faster visual recovery for our patients, thus quickly returning them back to their normal a…
Practices face new Medicare payment structure, minimal coding changes
This year, practices will receive Medicare reimbursement based on a new payment system and face a few coding changes that may affect their bottom lines, according to a leading practice management consultant. Kevin J. Corcoran, COE, CPC, CPMA, FNAO, di…
Modification to sutureless scleral fixation for placing secondary IOL proposed
A proposed modification to sutureless scleral fixation during placement of a secondary IOL entails using a 24-gauge intravenous catheter to create and hold open the scleral tunnels for threading the haptics through the sclera. Once the haptics are secure, the catheters are then removed.“When performing prior cases of sutureless scleral fixation of an IOL, we found that a challenging step of the procedure was tucking the haptics into the scleral tunnels,” Joseph D. Benevento, MD, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Ocular (Read more...)
Minimally invasive techniques, advanced technologies enhance safety of cataract surgery in diabetic patients
Cataracts develop more frequently and at an earlier age in patients with diabetes, according to clinical and epidemiological studies. With the rapid increase of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes worldwide, the number of cataract surgeries in diabetic pat…
Instrument allows novel approach to ab interno trabeculotomy
The evolution of technology in microincision glaucoma surgery pushes ophthalmologists and developers to create new approaches to better control IOP. If we were to imagine the ideal glaucoma surgery, what would it include?The first issue is to decide be…
Generic latanoprost may improve patient adherence with lower costs vs. brand-name agents
Switching from a brand-name prostaglandin analogue to generic latanoprost may improve patient adherence in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma, according to a study presented at the American Glaucoma Society annual meeting.“It is well known that medication adherence is a major challenge for many patients,” Joshua D. Stein, MD, MS, said at the meeting, delivering study results that were published in Ophthalmology. “There are a number of reasons why patients struggle with adherence, one of which is medication costs.”
Exciting products on the horizon for dry eye therapy
The world of ocular surface disease has drawn great attention over the last few years, due mainly to the large expansion of diagnostic technologies to help decipher the dry eye code.Tear osmolarity (TearLab), MMP-9 detection (InflammaDry, RPS), Lipi-View and LipiView II with dynamic meibomian imaging (TearScience), in-office allergy skin testing (Doctors Allergy) and Sjö testing for early disease stage antibody detection (Bausch + Lomb) are just a few of the tools in the ever-expanding diagnostic armamentarium of dry eye disease. Nevertheless, our therapeutic approach to dry eye has been fairly (Read more...)
Anterior segment surgeons can take steps to manage diabetic patients who need cataract surgery
Diabetes and cataract are both age-related diseases. The median age that a patient undergoes cataract surgery in the United States is now approximately 69 years, having just recently dipped under 70 years. According to the most recent National Health a…
Anterior chamber depth measurement of fellow eye reduces refractive error
Fellow-eye postoperative anterior chamber depth measurements taken 1 month after cataract surgery predicted refractive outcomes better than measurements taken at 1 day, according to a study.Anterior chamber depth prediction error is the primary source …
ROTATE study shows letter gain in DME patients who switch anti-VEGF agents
VIENNA — Six-month results of the Genentech-sponsored ROTATE trial showed benefits of switching to ranibizumab 0.3 mg in patients with diabetic macular edema after recent, frequent and long-term treatment with bevacizumab. “Switching from Avastin to Lucentis in DME and other macular diseases is a common clinical scenario. However, prospective evaluations of DME switchers studies are usually not robust and usually have significant anti-VEGF washout periods,” Dennis Marcus, MD, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting.
Few complications associated with implantable telescope at 5 years
VIENNA — Five-year follow-up of patients with VisionCare’s Implantable Miniature Telescope shows significant visual improvement, few complications and long-term patient satisfaction, according to a presenter.The implant can be surgically implanted in patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration undergoing cataract surgery and provides 2.7 magnification.
VIDEO: Angio-OCT beneficial for diagnosis, management of retinal diseases
VIENNA — At the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting here, Kakarla V. Chalam, MD, PhD, MBA, discusses his presentation on angio-optical coherence tomography, a new technique that he believes is revolutionizing the diagnosis and management of retinal diseases.
Increased cataract-related complications seen in previously injected eyes
VIENNA — Retrospective analysis of Duke Eye Center records and U.S. Medicare claims data showed a higher rate of cataract surgery-related complications in eyes that previously underwent intravitreal injections. The Duke study identified 197 eyes with history of prior intravitreal injection in 10,105 cataract surgeries performed, and compared them with an equal number of control eyes, matched by age and surgeon.
VIDEO: Retina specialist introduces a new technique in OCT imaging
VIENNA — At the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting here, Richard F. Spaide, MD, from the Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, discusses the Founder’s Award lecture he gave on optical coherence tomography.
Researchers create seven-step preop checklist for patients undergoing lower eyelid blepharoplasty
Researchers created a standardized evaluation to determine the appropriate lateral canthal and ancillary procedures to perform for lower eyelid deformities or in patients at risk for postoperative lower eyelid malposition.Senior authors Elizabeth B. Je…
Physicians working sick despite health risk to patients
Many physicians and advanced practice clinicians work while sick regardless of the health risks they pose to patients, according to a survey published in JAMA Pediatrics.“This descriptive survey investigates the frequency with which and reasons why attending physicians and advanced practice clinicians at a single hospital provide clinical care while sick,” Julia E. Szymczak, PhD, of the division of infectious diseases at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues wrote. “These health care workers work with possibly contagious symptoms despite recognizing that this choice puts patients at risk.”
EyeGate grants Valeant rights to EGP-437 combination product
EyeGate Pharmaceuticals has signed a licensing agreement with Valeant Pharmaceuticals for rights to the EyeGate II Delivery System and EGP-437 combination product to treat uveitis, according to a company release.“This licensing agreement provides a significant validation for the EGP-437 combination product and has transformative potential for EyeGate,” Stephen From, president and CEO of EyeGate, said in the release. “Valeant is among the largest and most respected companies in the ophthalmology space, and we are thrilled to be working with them to advance our lead product candidate.”
Topical squalamine shows encouraging results in phase 2 studies
VIENNA — Final results of the phase 2 IMPACT study of topical squalamine lactate in the treatment of neovascular AMD showed a trend toward increased efficacy in specific lesion types, according to a speaker. Squalamine is a small molecule that counteracts multiple growth factors implicated in the angiogenic process, including VEGF and PDGF, Jeffrey Heier, MD, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting. The IMPACT study evaluated the effects of OHR-102 (0.2% squalamine lactate ophthalmic solution, Ohr Pharmaceutical) in combination with anti-VEGF in treatment-naïve patients with wet age-related (Read more...)