I think duty cycle control is the most misunderstood of our recent surgical parameters. The definition of duty cycle is the percentage of time that the cutter remains open in a given cut cycle. As far as I know, the only surgical device to have duty cy…
Author: Healio ophthalmology
Retina expert Stephen J. Ryan, MD, dies at 72
Stephen J. Ryan, MD, honored with the Laureate Recognition Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2012, died April 29 after a short illness.Ryan, 72, served as a member of the Allergan board of directors. He had announced his retirement in J…
Visual field sensitivity higher in winter months
Visual field sensitivity was significantly higher in winter months, particularly in regions of the United States that exhibit vast seasonal climate changes, according to a study.The study authors wanted to determine if visual field sensitivity changed …
Panretinal photocoagulation does not affect quality of life
Panretinal photocoagulation for treatment of bilateral proliferative diabetic retinopathy had no significant effect on quality of life in terms of severe visual or social impairment, according to a study.The prospective study included 20 patients with …
Air bubble tamponade manages early-onset Descemet membrane detachment after phaco
Air bubble tamponade was effective in managing acute early-onset Descemet membrane detachment after phacoemulsification. However, two procedures may be required to achieve success, according to a study.In the retrospective study, 16 patients with Desce…
Assessing your practice’s ‘financial health’
“Double entry bookkeeping was a hell of an invention.”
Man presents with gradual, painless enophthalmos
A 39-year-old man presented to his ophthalmologist with a complaint of his right eye looking “different” from his left eye for the past 6 months. He denied any pain, foreign body sensation, double vision or other ocular complaints. He also denied any history of trauma or recent facial surgery; he had a history of a broken nose as a teenager and nasal surgery to correct it at that time.
Weighing the benefits of femtosecond laser cataract surgery
More than 3 million Americans undergo cataract surgery each year, with more than half of them older than 65 years. In fact, cataract surgery as we know it today is one of the safest and most commonly performed surgeries in the United States.
Use social media as a marketing tool for your practice
Patient referrals have always been an integral part of any eye clinic’s marketing program. Traditionally, these referrals might have come about while chatting at a social gathering or on the phone with a trusted friend. Now, however, social networks are the places where these interactions take place.
Gel formulation lowers inflammation, pain following cataract surgery
A new gel formulation of loteprednol etabonate treated inflammation and pain after cataract surgery without elevating IOP, according to a study.
Study: OCT reliably measures anterior segment after femtosecond cataract surgery
Optical coherence tomography imaging of the anterior segment immediately following femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery detected morphological changes that correlated well with desired results, according to a study.
Study: Response to anti-VEGF therapy not predictable by AMD-associated genes
A genetic profile of patients enrolled in the Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials found that four well-documented single-nucleotide polymorphisms within four different genes associated with age-related macular degeneration …
OSN debuts ‘News You Can Use’ column
I am pleased to pen the inaugural column of “News You Can Use from UPMC Eye Center” for Ocular Surgery News. This column will present clinically relevant information, insights and techniques that we as clinicians can apply to our daily practice of ophthalmology. We at the UPMC Eye Center will do our best to present the most up-to-date material, keeping the focus on the clinical and the here and now. We will also report on the soon-to-come or the just around the corner research and breakthroughs that we see having a significant impact on our clinical practice and patients.
In-office dispensing improves medication adherence, may boost revenue
Patient noncompliance with prescriptions and, in some cases, the substitution of generic drugs for name brands can result in adverse events, poor outcomes and increased physician liability. Compliance and frequent follow-up are particularly critical in…
Blunt, penetrating and perforating injuries pose threat of severe damage
Physical injuries to the eye can be a serious threat. These can be in the form of blunt, penetrating or perforating injuries. All of these can cause devastating damage.
Two techniques may help manage tubal retraction associated with glaucoma drainage implants
Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting about 70 million people. It is characterized by progressive loss of optic nerve axons and resultant visual field damage. Unfortunately, due to its insidious course, it is …
Barriers challenge development of aqueous outflow drugs
Among the top challenges in developing new aqueous outflow drugs, the first is determining whether there is an unmet medical need; the second is raising the funds needed to develop those drugs, according to a physician.
Prostaglandin analogues produce no significant differences in tolerability after 3 months
Open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension patients treated for 3 months with prostaglandin analogues with different preservatives showed no significant differences in ocular surface tolerability, a study found.The randomized, multicenter, investigato…
Femtosecond laser pretreatment linked to small, transient increase in IOP
Femtosecond laser pretreatment to cataract surgery was associated with a slight, transient increase in IOP without complications, according to a study.In the interventional, prospective study, 25 eyes of 25 patients underwent femtosecond laser pretreat…
Short-term external buckle effective in retinal detachments with inferior retinal breaks
Short-term placement of an external buckle with pneumatic retinopexy was effective in treating patients with a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with inferior retinal breaks, according to a study.The retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case s…