After more than a year and a half of negotiations, shareholders
of both Alcon, Inc. (Huenenberg, Switzerland) and
Novartis AG (Basel, Switzerland) have approved the merger
of the two companies. Alcon will become a newly formed
division within Novartis …
Category: Cataract
Focus on Complications and Complexity: Dry Eye After LASIK
Essentially all patients have dry eyes at least transiently after LASIK.sup1/sup Dry eye disease is arguably the
most common problem facing refractive surgeons 2-4 today. Because the cornea overlying the flap is significantly anesthetic for 3…
Rayner Recognized for Profit Growth
Rayner Intraocular Lenses, Ltd. (East Sussex, United
Kingdom), was included in London’s Sunday Times
Pricewaterhouse Coopers Profit Track 100, “Ones to
Recognize,” which lists 10 companies that have either had or
predict good profit growth. In ad…
Focus on Complications and Complexity: Excimer Laser Enhancement After RK
PI have performed tens of thousands of RK surgeries over the years, and I have had to provide excimer laser enhancements to some of these patients. This article reviews the necessary workup and discusses the appropriate options for treatment.
…
Toric IOL Reduced Astigmatism After Cataract Surgery
Refractive astigmatism after cataract surgery in patients
with corneal astigmatism was significantly lower when a
toric IOL was implanted compared with a spherical IOL.1
Researchers conducted a retrospective review of clinical
records that included pat…
Focus on Complications and Complexity: Managing Infectious Keratitis
Infectious keratitis is a rare but sight-threatening complication of LASIK. Its incidence has risen during the past decade, and trends in causative organisms sup1/sup have shifted. The prompt diagnosis of the condition and the early initiation…
Merck to Acquire Inspire Pharmaceuticals for $430 Million
Merck and Co., Inc. (Whitehouse Station, New Jersey),
announced that it will acquire Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Raleigh, North Carolina), for $430 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, Merck, through a subsidiary,
will commence a tender offer …
Chopping 101
Prior to 1993, the most common technique for nuclear disassembly was probably divide and conquer. Surgeons would sculpt four trenches in the nucleus and then crack them apart to create four triangular segments,sup1/sup each of which was emulsi…
Calcium Supplements May Increase Risk of Heart Attack in Postmenopausal Women
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of cardiovascular
events, namely myocardial infarction, in postmenopausal
women, according to a study in the BMJ.1
Ian R. Reid, MD, of the University of Auckland, New
Zealand, and colleagues reassessed data fro…
Focus on Complications and Complexity: Corneal Epithelial Defects Associated With LASIK
A LASIK-associated corneal epithelial defect is a potentially significant complication that may result in suboptimal visual results. This article discusses the etiology, management, and prevention of this clinical challenge.
h4CLASSIFICAT…
London Eye Hospital Performs First Bifocal LAL Eye Surgery
The London Eye Hospital has completed the world’s first
bifocal Light Adjustable Lens (LAL; Calhoun Vision, Inc.,
Pasadena, California) eye surgery apart from clinical trials,
the hospital announced in a news release. Bobby Qureshi,
BSc, MBBS, FRCS, …
Making Phacoemulsification Safer
Advances in phaco machine modalities have made the procedure much safer. For example, whether you are using a bimanual or coaxial technique, smaller incisions reduce the amount of fluid in the eye, making the chamber more of a closed system. Small…
New Gene Regions Linked to CAD
An international research consortium has identified 13
new gene regions linked to coronary artery disease (CAD)
and has validated 10 previously discovered sites, according
to a study published in Nature Genetics.sup1/sup
The investigators performed a m…
Focus on Complications and Complexity: Battling Post-LASIK Striae
n my experience, the incidence of micro- or macro-striae in the LASIK flap has decreased significantly over the past 5 years. I attribute this change to surgeons’ having successfully recognized, managed, and, finally, mostly prevented the occurr…
Managing Challenging Cataract Cases
Undoubtedly, the best preparation for the challenging cataract is experience. Sage advice for approaching a particularly difficult upcoming case early in your career, then, is to swallow your pride and refer the patient to a more experienced surge…
Clear the Runway for a Flying Eye Hospital
hat is perhaps the most singular DC-10 aircraft in today’s skies carries a team of international ophthalmic experts each year to between eight and 10 developing countries worldwide. These volunteer medical professionals provide ophthalmic surgic…
Laser Cataract Surgery: Initial Reactions
emLaser cataract surgery is just getting its start. What do you anticipate will be the benefits of, challenges of, negative aspects of, or other issues with this surgical approach in the short term (1-2 years) and the long term (3-10 years)?/em
…
Focus on Complications and Complexity: Decentered Ablations
A cornerstone of successful laser vision correction is the accurate centration of the ablation zone over the entrance pupil. Symptoms of poor visual acuity, poor quality of vision, loss of contrast sensitivity, halos/glare/starbursts, and multiple…
The Basics of Phacoemulsification
Consistently successful phacoemulsification begins with preoperative planning. The key surgical steps are (1) anesthesia, (2) prepping, draping, and the microscope’s setup, (3) the incision, (4) the capsulorhexis, (5) nuclear disassembly, (6) co…
5 QUESTIONS WITH ROBERT GRANT
h4How did you come to pursue a career in the ophthalmic industry?/h4
I joined the ophthalmic industry in the early 1990s when I was appointed as the Asia-Pacific sales and marketing manager of HGM Medical Lasers in Salt Lake City. I recall at…