Anterior and posterior higher-order aberrations and back-scattered light persisted for 6 months in eyes with Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy that underwent Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty, according to a study.The retrospective study included 118 eyes of 118 patients who underwent DMEK for Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy. A control group comprised 27 eyes of 27 age-matched subjects with no ocular disease.
Author: Healio ophthalmology
5 ways to improve your ophthalmology practice
How many patients do you see in clinic each week? Staff and technology changes are sometimes necessary in order to improve professional capacity, software enhancements, trust among team members and patient wait time or visit duration.Here are five ways…
BLOG: Subluxated capsular bag-IOL complex with CTR and dislocated endocapsular segment
A subluxated capsular bag is often addressed by surgeons during cataract surgery. It may exist as a preoperative entity associated with the subluxation of the lens, as an intraoperative entity due to pull or traction on the capsular bag, or as a postoperative entity due to progressive weakening of the zonules, which is usually seen in pseudoexfoliation, Marfan’s syndrome, and other metabolic and connective tissue disorders. For cases of mild subluxation, a capsular tension ring (CTR) can be used, and the timing of its implantation into the capsular bag depends (Read more...)
Abbott reports positive second-quarter financial results
Abbott reported a second-quarter ongoing EPS of $0.54, marking a growth of 17.4% above the previous guidance range of $0.50 to $0.52, according to a company press release.The company also reported diluted EPS of $0.30 from continuing operations under G…
Eylea shows sustained improvements in BCVA vs. laser photocoagulation
Data from the phase 3 VIVID-DME trial indicate that aflibercept injection provided sustained improvements in best corrected visual acuity from baseline at 2 years compared with laser photocoagulation in patients with diabetic macular edema.Patients in …
BLOG: Managing associate optometrists in your practice, part 2
The first step before you start placing ads is to clarity of scope of work actually needed in your practice. Optometrists can fill several different, sometimes overlapping roles. Here are the most common: Refractionist or ‘super-tech’A few surgeons use optometrists as refractionists only. In my view, this is a vast underutilization of resources.
Add-on sulcus-fixated multifocal IOL, conventional multifocal offer similar outcomes
A conventional multifocal IOL and an add-on multifocal IOL yielded similar visual outcomes and safety profiles, according to a study. The prospective, randomized study included 29 eyes of 19 patients implanted simultaneously with a monofocal IOL in the…
Intraoperative OCT may impact decision-making during vitreomacular traction surgery
Subclinical findings on optical coherence tomography during vitreomacular traction surgery can affect decisions made during the course of the surgery, according to study findings.The retrospective, consecutive case series included 12 eyes of 12 patient…
Dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination effective for normal-tension glaucoma
Researchers have found dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination to be an effective IOP-lowering agent for patients with normal-tension glaucoma.A prospective, open-label, multicenter study included 37 patients with treatment-naïve, normal-tension glaucoma who received dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination therapy for 12 weeks to reduce IOP. For each visit, the researchers measured patients’ IOP at 9 a.m. prior to the administration of dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination therapy; IOP was then measured again at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. IOP was also measured at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the 12-week follow-up.
Nicox granted expanded North American marketing rights for Sjö
Nicox S.A. has announced the acquisition of extended North American marketing rights for Sjö, an advanced diagnostic panel used for early detection of Sjögren’s syndrome.Under the agreement with Immco Diagnostics, Nicox will be the sole promotional entity of Sjö to health care practitioners in North America; however, Immco will carry out the test in its Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-approved laboratory in Buffalo, NY. Immco will also be responsible for regulatory activities and reimbursement, according to a press release.
Victus granted 510(k) clearance for lens fragmentation procedure
Valeant announced Bausch + Lomb has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Victus Femtosecond Laser Platform for femtosecond laser-assisted lens fragmentation during cataract and refractive surgery.The Victus platf…
BLOG Keep doing your homework
At a seminar a few years back, I heard an interesting statistic: the average preschooler asks around 500 questions every day, whereas the average adult asks only five. If you’ve raised children, you’ll know that 500 is a lot, but only five seems a shame.To stay current in our industry and our careers, we have to learn, ask questions and investigate. When you’ve been working in the ophthalmic marketplace for more than 20 years, you may have a great deal of expertise, built on a variety of experience, but our (Read more...)
Ozurdex implant yields significant visual gain in pseudophakic patients with DME
A steroid-eluting implant improved vision for 3 years in pseudophakic patients with diabetic macular edema, according to an expert.In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ozurdex (dexamethasone intravitreal implant 0.7 mg, Allergan) for…
Collagen copolymer toric phakic IOL provides stable visual, refractive outcomes
The use of a collagen copolymer toric phakic IOL was shown to be safe, effective and provide stable visual outcomes for the correction of high and low levels of astigmatism, according to a study. The prospective case series included 35 eyes of 20 patie…
Half of quality improvement studies found ineffective
While researchers reported that audit and feedback can potentially improve the quality of health care, results from a new study indicate that only half of all quality improvement studies lead to improvements in medical practices.Investigators at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto showed that feedback and testing audits can improve quality, but the implementation of the intervention is key to achieving beneficial results.
Subjective estimation of ILM peeling surface without dye improves with experience
Junior and senior surgeons’ ability to subjectively estimate the internal limiting membrane peeling surface without the use of dye was fair; however, surface areas were larger for more-experienced surgeons, researchers found.In a prospective study, 30 eyes of 30 patients underwent epiretinal membrane surgery; half of the patients had surgery performed by a senior surgeon, and the other half had surgery performed by two junior surgeons. All patients underwent an eye examination, which included measurement for best corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination and a dilated fundus ophthalmoscopy.
BLOG: Your website SEO may need a check-up
Recently I received an email from a practice in New York that had let its search engine optimization, or SEO, slip very dramatically during the last few years. I asked if they were still using the same SEO Company and they said they were not because a colleague confirmed their suspicion that SEO and web were not a good return on investment in New York City. Unfortunately, their friend/colleague made an uneducated judgment that affected their practice in a big way. Since stopping SEO, most of their keywords such as (Read more...)
Costs for health care vary dramatically
A new study shows wide variation in the amount of money patients pay for common medical treatments and diagnostic procedures. Additionally, the report says the costs of in-network services range widely within cities.Castlight Health, a health care clou…
Costs for health care vary dramatically
A new study shows wide variation in the amount of money patients pay for common medical treatments and diagnostic procedures. Additionally, the report says the costs of in-network services range widely within cities.Castlight Health, a health care clou…
Accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking effective for stabilizing keratoconus
In patients with mild to moderate keratoconus, accelerated corneal collagen cross-linking is effective for stabilizing topographic parameters after 12 months, according to study findings. Researchers retrospectively reviewed data from 16 eyes of 14 pat…