From the American Journal of Ophthalmology comes a study finding that axial length of 30mm and greater was associated with a macular hole repair success rate of zero (!) compared to 26-30 mm (92%). It was 73 % in 26mm…
Category: Blogs
What is the Evidence for Free Radical Effect on AMD and Cataracts?
A recent review in Opthalmic Research discusses the epidemiological evidence for the effect of free radicals on the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Interest in this area stems from the “free radical theory” of aging, which purports…
Double Vision After Retinal Detachment Surgery
Decreased vision and double vision (aka diplopia) after retinal detachment surgery may occur, yet is not common. The perception of “double” is more common than actually seeing two of everything. There are several causes for really seeing two images following…
Reduction of Anterior Chamber Contamination Using Repeated Betadine Irrigation
AJO: Surgeons irrigated the eye surface every 20 seconds with 0.25% Povidone-Iodine, and demonstrated zero (!) bacterial detection in the anterior chamber compared to controls (5%). No changes in corneal endothelium were found. It is not a stretch to say…
NeoVista Epi-Retinal Strontium 90 Treatment for AMD: Update 4
NeoVista just released an update, discussing the first commercial utilization of its Epimacular Brachytherapy device in Germany. The Epi-Rad device, now renamed as the VIDION ANV (Anti Neo Vascular Therapy System) has been commercialized in Europe since November 2009. The…
Anti-RPE Antibodies Found in Best’s Disease
Archives: Researchers have discovered a paraneoplastic autoimuune reaction against RPE which they feel is the cause of this rare disease. This is the first report to date linking a human RPE disease with anti-RPE antibodies. Full Story →
Macular Degeneration Declining in the U.S.
The rate of macular degeneration seems to be decreasing in the United States. This may be due to improved diets and decreased smoking.
FDA Denies Iluvien
Iluvien, a promising sustained drug delivery system for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, fails to pass FDA scrutiny…but there’s hope.
Blue-Blocking IOL’s- A Bad Idea?
In an editorial in Ophthalmology, the authors are very critical of the lack of scientific evidence that blue-blocking IOL’s are of any value in reducing the progression of macular degeneration. They agree with the CMS that the relationship between blue light and AMD is speculative and not evidence-based. The authors make a compelling point. I […]
CATT Study Update 12: Status of WorldWide Studies
With the anticipated arrival of the one-year results of the CATT Study this Spring, I thought it would be appropriate to update where the other worldwide studies stand.During the Retina Subspecialty Day sessions, held prior to the recent 2010 AAO Meeti…
Iluvien Update: FDA Marketing Approval Delayed
Last July, I wrote a comprehensive report about Iluvien and the status and promise of other sustained release drug delivery systems (Iluvien and the Future of Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems). At that time, Alimera Sciences, the company developing Ilu…
Stem Cells in Ophthalmology Update 4: ACT Receives FDA Approval to Use hESCs to Treat Dry AMD
Advanced Cell Technology Inc., announced today that it had received approval from the FDA to commence its clinical trial using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to treat the dry form of age-rel…
Pressure Drops Do Nothing for Post-Injection Spikes.
Archives: Pressure-lowering drops given prophylactically before intra-vitreal injections simply don’t work. The spike is transient (less than 30 in 20 minutes) and should simply be observed and managed accordingly Full Story →
3 Causes of Flashes of Light
The cause of flashes of light are often due to a posterior vitreous detachment, but there other possibilities, too.
TrueVision 3D Cataract Surgery Is Here
For high volume surgeons, being able to do surgery by sitting in a relaxed position looking at a 3D high-def screen may be worth the small sacrifice in resolution. In the future, overlays can be used to guide incisions, and in the far future, the entir…
Persistent Flashes After Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD)
It is not uncommon for the symptoms of flashes to persist after a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD. Flashes and floaters, common symptoms of a PVD, may also be warning signs of a possible retinal tear. Retinal tears can cause…
The Second Ophthalmic Innovation Summit
Last October, the Second Ophthalmic Innovation Summit (OIS) was held just prior to the 2010 AAO Meeting in Chicago. As was the case last year, my old friend, Larry Haimovitch,an ophthalmic industry vetran, who attended the meeting and wrote about it fo…
Stem Cells Get FDA Nod for Stargardt’s Disease
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. gets FDA approval to use stem cells as a possible treatment for Stargardt’s disease, a inherited juvenile type of macular degeneration.
Avastin/Lucentis Update 44: United Kingdom Closer to Allowing Avastin for AMD
While the U.S. comes closer to showing the equivalency of Avastin to Lucentis for treating the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, when the CATT Study (Comparisons of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials) results become public, …
Can Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia be Treated With Inteferon?
The December 2010 issue of Ophthalmology reports on a retrospective study of 14 patients finding that subconjunctival recombinant interferon alpha 2b (IFN?2b) may be a viable medical alternative for the treatment of ocular surface squamous neoplasia. But future studies will be required to determine the ideal treatment regimen. Click here to access the study abstract and […]