Preserving the lens important in young phakic patients undergoing DMEK

Endothelial keratoplasty, or EK, appears to be the epicenter of the corneal transplantation scene, and it has surpassed penetrating keratoplasty for the surgical correction of endothelial decompensation and corneal edema in the United States. This preferred choice of EK over PK is largely due to the superior quality of vision that returns relatively quickly after EK surgery and the lowest endothelial rejection rate as compared with other forms of corneal transplantation; in addition, the majority of the patient’s own cornea is retained without any full-thickness corneal wound, and the use of conventional sutures, for the most part, is eliminated in EK.All three segments of ophthalmic surgical care — the patient, the corneal surgeon and industry — have seemed to contribute in a positive way to make EK prominent in the corneal transplantation arena. The patient wishes for a better quality of vision to match an active lifestyle; the surgeon seeks an improved surgical procedure; and industry develops new EK instruments to facilitate the transition from full-thickness surgery to selective tissue corneal transplantation. In addition, eye banks have embraced EK procedures and are providing ready-to-use EK donor tissues for corneal surgeons. These efforts from all sides have helped EK move to the preferred procedure of choice when dealing with endothelial decompensation and corneal edema with or without associated Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy.

Modified capsular tension ring injector minimizes risks

A modified injector reduces risks associated with the insertion of capsular tension rings in eyes with lax zonules, according to a report.“Inserting a CTR with two instruments is quite difficult, especially for a beginner surgeon,” corresponding author Anca Cristina Dogaroiu, MD, told Ocular Surgery News. “When a CTR is implanted using the classic maneuver, there is a very high risk of intraoperative complications including the implantation of the CTR into the sulcus or, worse, into the vitreous cavity.”

Looking back at a year of LipiFlow

There I was on the podium at a small winter meeting, escaping the snow and once again keeping company with Sheri Rowan and Alan Crandall, talking about dry eye. A year ago, almost to the day, the “Great LipiFlow Ambush” took place in the same setting. The only thing missing this year was Patti Barkey. Last year, my three colleagues, all LipiFlow evangelicals in the Church of Chirillo, ganged up on me, the nonbeliever, in an effort to get me to see the light about the benefits of TearScience’s offering. Even though I was tipped off that it was coming, it is always a little bit daunting to be put on the spot in front of an audience of your peers.Thankfully, I survived to tell the tale.

Delayed dark adaptation may herald AMD

Delayed rod-mediated dark adaptation in older adults with normal macular health may be associated with the incidence of early age-related macular degeneration 3 years later, according to a study.People in the early phase of AMD have slowing in the reco…

Intraoperative OCT benefits anterior segment surgeries

With FDA clearance of three intraoperative OCT systems over the past 2 years, the technology is rapidly moving from potential to practice.These microscope-integrated systems — the En-Focus intrasurgical OCT system (Bioptigen, a division of Leica Microsystems), the Rescan 700 (Carl Zeiss Meditec) and the iOCT (Haag-Streit) — allow for real-time, high-quality imaging that can influence surgical decision-making and potentially contribute to achieving better outcomes in anterior segment surgery.