John A. Hovanesian, MD, relates positive findings from femtosecond-laser assisted cataract surgery results at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in New Orleans.
Author: Healio ophthalmology
VIDEO: Surgeon discusses the latest on the glued IOL technique
Amar Agarwal, MS, FRCS, FRCOphth, discusses the latest techniques on glued IOL at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in New Orleans.
Risk for retinal detachment not increased with fluoroquinolones
Oral fluoroquinolone use did not lead to higher risk for retinal detachment, researchers from Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark, have found.“Given the limited power, this study can only rule out more than a threefold relative increase in the risk of retinal detachment associated with current fluoroquinolone use,” the researchers wrote in JAMA. “However, any differences in absolute risk are likely to have limited, if any, clinical significance.”
No positive association found between AMD and Alzheimer’s disease, dementia
No positive association was found between age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, according to a study.Researchers examined English National Health Service hospital episode statistics from Jan. 1, 1999, to Feb. 28, 2011, which comprised 65,894 patients with AMD and 168,092 patients with dementia; more than 7.7 million people were in a reference cohort.Subjects were analyzed for risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia after diagnosis of AMD and risk of AMD after diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
BLOG: Optical performance guidelines, indices and pearls
In the typical $1 million revenue general ophthalmology practice without dispensing, adding an optical will add $150,000 to $250,000 to the top-line revenue of the practice. With full-cost allocation for space, administration, staffing and marketing, it’s reasonable for an in-house optical in the typical setting to enjoy a 25% to 30% profit margin. COGS stands for cost of goods sold, which is the largest single cost of running an optical dispensary. A reasonable COGS rate in the typical office is 30% to 40% of optical collections. A higher figure should (Read more...)
VIDEO: Cornea specialist discusses epi-on vs. epi-off crosslinking
William B. Trattler, MD, discusses the merits of epi-on corneal crosslinking here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology in New Orleans.
FDA warns genetic testing service to halt sales, seek formal approval
The FDA has order genetic testing services company 23andMe Inc. to immediately discontinue marketing its Saliva Collection Kit and Personal Genome Service without agency clearance.In a letter to company founder and chief executive Anne Wojcicki dated Nov. 22 and made public today, the FDA said most of the intended uses for the service are “medical device uses … that require premarket approval or de novo classification, as the FDA has explained to you on numerous occasions.”The warning letter points out that the agency has been “diligently working” to help 23andMe (Read more...)
Donor age does not affect most penetrating keratoplasties for endothelial disease
Donor age did not have a significant impact on the long-term success rates of most penetrating keratoplasty procedures for endothelial disease, according to the Cornea Donor Study.The multicenter, prospective, double-masked study comprised 1,090 patients who underwent PK at 80 sites; 62% had Fuchs’ dystrophy, 34% had pseudophakic/aphakic corneal edema and 4% had another corneal endothelial disorder. Patients were followed for up to 12 years.Corneas were provided by 43 eye banks from donors aged 12 years to 75 years.
BLOG: With human resources issues, what should I do when … ? Part 3
Read more from Corinne Z. Wohl, MHSA, COE.
PhysIOL files suit against Carl Zeiss Meditec regarding trifocal lens
PhysIOL has sued Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and its German distribution subsidiary for patent infringement, according to a PhysIOL news release.PhysIOL said the At Lisa tri 839MP, a trifocal lens from Carl Zeiss, infringes a patent and a utility model owned by PhysIOL, according to the release.
InSite reports quarterly revenue of $5.3 million
InSite Vision reported revenue of $5.3 million in the third quarter compared with $12.1 million for the same period a year ago, according to a press release.Royalties from Merck on net sales of AzaSite (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) included an additional $3.7 million and $9.3 million in the third quarters of 2013 and 2012, respectively. The decrease in minimum royalty payments was attributed to an amendment in August 2012 to the Merck license regarding payment terms.
Small-incision lenticule extraction largely predictable, speaker says
NEW ORLEANS — Patient- and surgery-related parameters had a minimal effect on the safety, efficacy and predictability of small-incision lenticule extraction for myopia, according to a study presented here.Jesper Hjortdal, MD, presented results during the Journal of Refractive Surgery’s Hot, Hotter and Hottest: Late Breaking News session on Refractive Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.Hjortdal’s presentation was based on a paper that was awarded the Journal of Refractive Surgery’s annual Waring Medal.
Bio-Tissue introduces two new biologic corneal bandage devices
NEW ORLEANS — Bio-Tissue introduced two next-generation biologic corneal bandage devices, Prokera Slim and Prokera Plus, here.“Cryopreserved amniotic membranes really represent a game changer that many of us in our careers have only witnessed once, but in this era, we have actually witnessed it many times. This is changing everything that we know about treating ocular surface disease,” Neel Desai, MD, said at a Bio-Tissue symposium.
RIDE, RISE extension study shows stable visual outcomes
NEW ORLEANS — A long-term open-label extension of the RIDE and RISE trials showed sustained gains in visual acuity in patients receiving ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema, according to a poster presented here.“The safety profile of ranibizumab in the open-label extension appeared similar to that observed in the controlled core studies, based on the types of [adverse events] reported,” David S. Boyer, MD, and colleagues reported in the poster at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.The RIDE and RISE trials included 759 patients with DME who received intravitreal injections of (Read more...)
Femtosecond cataract surgery causes less capsular bag shrinkage than standard surgery
NEW ORLEANS — There was significantly less capsular bag shrinkage up to 12 weeks after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery compared with standard cataract surgery, according to a poster presentation here.The prospective, randomized trial included 106 eyes of 53 patients who underwent either standard cataract surgery or laser cataract surgery with the Catalys (OptiMedica). Postoperative capsular bag diameter was the primary outcome measure. A capsular measuring ring was implanted in all eyes after anterior capsulotomy of 5 mm, the poster said at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
Speaker: System helps guide placement of toric IOLs
NEW ORLEANS — A speaker here said that the ORA System can measure the true total of astigmatic error in the eye in guiding toric IOL placement. “What I saw is that my toric cases were really being accurately targeted, so I started doing torics on everybody, and since incorporating ORA, I’ve seen a dramatic improvement in my toric refractive result,” Tal Raviv, MD, said at the ORA System Symposium, sponsored by WaveTec Vision.
New bill mandates national requirements for drug compounding, distribution
On Nov. 18, after more than 1 year of debate sparked by a deadly 2012 meningitis outbreak tied to compounded injectable steroids, the Senate passed the bipartisan Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), which will now go to President Barack Obama for signature.Title I of the legislation — the Compounding Quality Act — will create a new two-tier system for drug compounding regulation. While the legislation would largely maintain the current state-focused framework for regulating traditional pharmacy compounding of prescriptions written for individual patients, it also will create a new (Read more...)
Cross-linking shows early, transient results in children
NEW ORLEANS — Corneal cross-linking yielded early changes in children, but the changes were shorter lived than in adults, according to a study presented here.“On one hand, cross-linking seems to be efficient in pediatric and adolescent patients, but we have to pay particular attention to year 3 of the long-term follow-up,” Farhad Hafezi, MD, PhD, said during the Journal of Refractive Surgery’s Hot, Hotter and Hottest: Late Breaking News session on Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.Cross-linking should be performed in children and adolescents without (Read more...)
Ab interno trabeculotomy preferred for open-angle glaucoma, cataract
NEW ORLEANS — Ab interno trabeculotomy is preferable to other procedures in eyes with concurrent cataract and open-angle glaucoma, a speaker told colleagues here.Sameh Mosaed, MD, described the advantages of ab interno trabeculotomy with implantation of the Trabectome (NeoMedix). She also shared pearls on the procedure.First, the surgeon needs adequate visualization of the surgical field. Second, the patient’s head should be turned away from the surgeon, and the microscope should be tilted accordingly. Last, patient selection is critical for success, Mosaed said.
Speaker addresses billing of diagnostic system
NEW ORLEANS — A physician here discussed the precedence for billing at the ORA System Symposium, sponsored by WaveTec Vision.There is no specific ruling by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding the ORA System, so physicians should follow similar precedence, Robert Fintelmann, MD, FACS, said.Two key points to remember when billing are that refractions are not covered by Medicare and that practices should review the ruling for femtosecond lasers.