By Dr. Ari WeitznerA small study in AJO demonstrated a nice response to Valtrex in these AZOOR patients. This suggests that the Herpes virus is indeed the culprit. Although AZOOR is rare, a larger, prospective study might be nice.
Category: Blogs
Which is Better to Lower IOP – Travatan vs. Lumigan vs. Xalatan
By Dr. Ari Weitzner A study compared Xalatan/Timolol combination to Travatan and Lumigan/Timoptic combinations. The Lumigan combination lowered the IOP the most (1.7 more than Xalatan, 0.7 more than Travatan). I dread getting an earful from the drug rep…
Should We Be Administering Besivance or Azasite Via DuraSite After Phaco?
By Dr. Ari WeitznerAn article in AJO compared Besivance, Azasite (both using DuraSite vehicle) and Cipro when injected into rabbit eye anterior chambers. It seems the Durasite blocks the trabecular meshwork and may be toxic. The authors advise not using these drops after clear corneal surgery unless a suture is placed. I don’t know anybody […]
AAO Chicago 2010: Social Media and Medicine
I just returned from Chicago where I attended the American Academy of Ophthalmology. I learned a lot about how doctors are not yet using the Internet to improve their medical practices. Full Story →
Is Elevated Anti-Cardiolipin a Risk Factor in Glaucoma Progression?
By Dr. Ari Weitzner An article in Archives demonstrated a much higher rate of progression in visual fields in glaucoma in those patients with an elevated anti-cardiolipin. Many have argued that there is an inflammatory and/or vascular component to glaucoma, and this would buttress that argument. Maybe we should be ordering this test and being a […]
Do Anti-VEGF Injections Increase the Risk of Stroke or Heart Attack?
By Dr. Ari WeitznerSome have speculated that the anti-VEGF injections we give to macular degeneration patients may get into the bloodstream and have adverse vascular effects. According to a recently released retrospective study (appearing in the October 2010 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology), using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) blockers to treat neovascular age-related […]
Low Vision Aids: Hand Held Magnifiers
Hand held magnifiers are a common low-vision aid. These magnifiers come in different powers and the user must be aware that the more the magnification, the less that is seen at one time. Make sense? Full Story →
AMD Update 13: Retinal Procedures on the Rise
A new study, just published in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology and reported by Ophthalmology Web, MedPage Today, and Medscape Medical News, shows that among those in the Medicare population (age 65 plus), treatments for retinal con…
Parents’ Weekend and Your Eye Exams
I just went to both Parents’ Weekends to check on my kids. While I didn’t suspect any problems, I needed to make sure they were doing well. The same is true for getting your eyes examined! Full Story →
Decreased Vision Following Retinal Detachment
Loss of vision may occur after successful retinal detachment surgery. Causes include a change in refraction (strength of glasses), cataract, retinal disease or recurrent detachment. Full Story →
Menu 17: Updates for June – September 2010
June through September turned out to be busier than anticipated. A number of new technologies emerged that I decided to write about. Included in these were a new sustained release drug delivery system, Iluvien; the use of lasers to treat…
Happy Birthday Betty!
Today I celebrate the birthday of a good friend, Betty. Betty is my OR nurse, but she also taught me my surgical skills. Happy Birthday!
Avastin/Lucentis Update 42: One-Year Results of Controlled Comparison Study Published
Last October, I came across the six-month results of one of the first blinded, double-masked comparison studies run between Avastin and Lucentis, sort of a mini-CATT Study. This study was done by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine …
INDEX/SEARCH
INDEX/SEARCHFor your convenience, and because only the last ten posts are shown on the opening page, here is a means for finding all of my posts in an easy-to-use fashion.Use the Blog Search box in the upper left-hand corner of the header above, enter …
Using Lasers to Treat Vitreous Floaters: Laser Vitreolysis in the UK and Europe
In July, I decided to write about the use of lasers to treat eye floaters. I found three doctors in the United States specializing in this technique. After obtaining information about their practices, I wrote about their experiences in treating floater…
Apeliotus Vision Science’s AdaptDx Device for Early Detection of Dry AMD – A First Report
I follow The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) on Twitter, and late last month I noticed a message looking for candidates to participate in a trial using the Apeliotus AdaptDx to detect the early stages of AMD. This was the first I had h…
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) Technology for Treating Open-Angle Glaucoma to be Featured on the Discovery Channel
I received the following press release from Lumenis, that it’s SLT technology was going to be featured on the Discovery Channel’s Health Heroes program during the September 24-27, 2010 period. It got me thinking about how I have always been a belie…
A Primer on the Use of Stem Cells in Ophthalmology
I recently came across an interesting news release from International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) announcing that it had formed a new business unit, Cytovis, to focus on stem cell programs in ophthalmology, including CytoCor for the cornea and CytoRet…
Stem Cells in Ophthalmology — An Update: AstraZeneca Joins the Fray
As reported by The Guardian (UK), AstraZeneca and University College London (UCL) have announced a research partnership, to develop medicines that use stem cells to repair damaged eyesight in people with diabetes.Under the three-year partnership, funde…
Femtosecond Laser Cataract Removal: The Second Revolution? And, What is Laser Photolysis?
I read the following writeup on the use of femtosecond lasers for cataract removal and thought it was especially well written. It also piqued my curiosity about some of the “new” applications suggested for femtosecond lasers, including the use of