The U.S. Senate failed to vote today on a bipartisan bill that would repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate, a key factor in annual Medicare physician payment updates.The Senate was expected to vote upon returning from a 2-week spring break. The House pass…
Author: Healio ophthalmology
Meta-analysis: OCT has poor specificity in detecting reactivation of wet AMD
OCT showed poor specificity in monitoring reactivation of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, according to a study.“It is not recommended that OCT be used alone to detect reactivation of nAMD in patients being monitored. According to current evidence, OCT should not replace the reference standard of [fundus fluorescein angiography] for monitoring patients with nAMD,” the study authors said.
VIDEO: An introduction to OCT angiography
SriniVas Sadda, MD, gives an introduction to OCT angiography in his presentation at Retina 2015.
Woman presents with white retinal lesions
A 41-year-old Japanese-Caucasian woman was referred to the New England Eye Center for evaluation of retinal lesions in both eyes. Three weeks prior, she developed blurred vision, vertigo, headache, swollen neck glands, sore throat and malaise. She presented to an outside emergency department where she had a normal MRI of the brain and orbits and a positive throat culture for Streptococcus. She was seen by a consulting ophthalmologist who noted 20/200 vision in each eye with “white round patches surrounding the macula with areas of dot hemorrhages” in both eyes. (Read more...)
What is your practice’s fragility score?
“Life is strong and fragile. It’s a paradox … it’s both things, like quantum physics: It’s a particle and a wave at the same time. It all exists all together.” – Joan Jett
Utilize advanced diagnostics in an efficient manner for best outcomes
As premium cataract refractive surgeons, we are bombarded with a variety of outstanding advanced diagnostic tests to assist us in selecting the best options to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. Recently, the diagnostic armamentarium has conti…
Surgeon experiences ‘humanness’ of fear during LASIK
Contemporary LASIK has advanced in many ways compared with LASIK from the mid-1990s.We have better and more efficient instrumentation and lasers, larger ablation and blend zones, thinner flaps created by latest generation microkeratomes and femtosecond…
PDEK can be combined with glued IOL technique
Globally, bilateral corneal blindness is estimated to affect 4.9 million individuals and unilateral corneal blindness affects 23 million individuals. A subset of corneal blindness is secondary to endothelial decompensation.A combination of a corneal transplantation procedure with a glued posterior chamber IOL with an intrascleral pocket haptic fixation attempts to correct a cloudy cornea and pseudophakic requirements for optimal visual rehabilitation of the patient. Corneal clarity in cases of endothelial decompensation is usually achieved by endothelial keratoplasty, which includes Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty with donor corneal stroma and Descemet’s membrane endothelial (Read more...)
More studies comparing placement sites of tube shunts needed
Trabeculectomy and tube shunt implantation are the most frequently performed incisional surgeries for the management of glaucoma. Historically, trabeculectomy was the preferred procedure and tube shunt implantation was reserved for refractory glaucoma …
Light for Sight 21 raises awareness, promotes detection and treatment of keratoconus in children with Down syndrome
Within the framework of the Light for Sight 21 initiative, a large nonprofit cooperation of specialized centers worldwide is actively engaged in the effort to eliminate severe visual impairment in children with Down syndrome who have progressive kerato…
DMEK will eventually show superiority in hands of expert surgeons
The Eye Bank Association of America was founded in 1961 with 25 member eye banks. Today, 78 member eye banks harvest approximately 120,000 corneas per year in a high-quality, highly regulated and expensive undertaking. With this network of eye banks an…
Corneal surgeons overcoming challenges, maximizing outcomes with DMEK
Endothelial keratoplasty has largely supplanted penetrating keratoplasty, or full-thickness corneal transplantation, as the gold standard treatment for corneal endothelial disease.The leading endothelial keratoplasty technique is Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty or Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty. A newer iteration, Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty, is making steady inroads in corneal transplantation.
Coexisting conditions can alter aniridia approach
Aniridia refers to partial or total lack of iris tissue. This generally is hereditary when it is bilateral and associated with other ocular defects. It may also occur after trauma or as an intraoperative complication.Congenital aniridia is rare and has…
OSN Europe: Extrusion cannula used for levitation of dropped IOL
Dislocated IOLs in the posterior chamber have always been a cause of concern and a known complication after a posterior capsule rupture. Improper sulcus fixation, dislocation/subluxation of the IOL bag complex or improper judgment about the integrity o…
VIDEO: Improving toric IOL outcomes
At Hawaiian Eye 2015, Jack Holladay, MD, MSEE, FACS, discusses how to improve toric IOL outcomes by measuring astigmatism, calculating toricity and determining correct axis.
VIDEO: Update on central serous chorioretinopathy
At Retina 2015, Rishi P. Singh, MD, discusses diagnosis and management of central serous chorioretinopathy.
Study: Laser anterior capsulotomy may trigger increased prostaglandin level in aqueous humor
Inflammation associated with an increased prostaglandin level in the aqueous humor correlated strongly with femtosecond laser-assisted anterior capsulotomy, according to a study.The prospective study included aqueous humor samples from 67 patients; 19 …
FDA launches Expedited Access Pathway program for devices
The FDA has introduced its Expedited Access Pathway Program, a voluntary program designed to reduce the time from development to marketing decision for certain lifesaving medical devices, the agency said on its website.Under the program, sponsors of devices to treat life-threatening or debilitating conditions that address an unmet need can request an Expedited Access Pathway (EAP) designation. The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) will work with developers of these devices to decrease the time and cost to bring these devices to the market. The CDRH will collaborate (Read more...)
VIDEO: Adult intraocular tumors
At Retina 2015, Bertil Damato, MD, PhD, discusses the diagnosis of adult intraocular tumors.
OSN Cornea Health Round Table: Infection detection, prevention and treatment
At OSN New York 2014, Terry Kim, MD, OSN Cornea/External Disease Board Member, led a panel of experts in a discussion on detection, prevention and treatment of adenovirus, TASS, MRSA and MRSE, and endophthalmitis. Off-label uses were discussed.