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Welcome to another edition of CEDARS/ASPENS Debates. CEDARS/ASPENS is a joint society of cornea, cataract and refractive surgery specialists, here to discuss some of the latest hot topics in ophthalmology.Vitreous floaters remain frustrating to many patients. Not only may these be visually debilitating, but also there are few effective treatment options available. In general, patients are forced to “live with it.” This month, Karl G. Stonecipher, MD, and Shachar Tauber, MD, two of my fellow Tulane alums, discuss the options of YAG laser vitreolysis and pars plana vitrectomy for the treatment of vitreous floaters. We hope you enjoy the discussion.

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All of us who do cataract surgery see a significant number of patients who have glaucoma as a comorbidity. At least 10% of patients who come to have cataract surgery also have a diagnosis of glaucoma or ocular hypertension, and a review of Medicare sta…

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A 4-month-old previously healthy full-term infant presented to her pediatrician with tearing and discharge from both eyes. The mother noted this had been present since birth and did not note any associated symptoms. On exam, the pediatrician noted normal development and bilateral tearing. The infant was diagnosed with nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Warm compresses and nasolacrimal massage were recommended.The patient was sent home; however, a week later she returned to the emergency department with right eye injection and mild edema around the right eye. She was playful on exam and had appropriate intake/output for her age. The emergency department prescribed polymyxin B-trimethoprim eye drops, and the patient was again discharged. A week later, she returned to the emergency department with bilateral ocular discharge and injection in both eyes. Again, she had no change in activity or appetite. She was prescribed erythromycin ointment. She was referred to our clinic for non-resolution of symptoms. The mother noted near complete improvement of symptoms; however, she noted that the right eye “looked smaller than normal.” The patient had no change in activity, appetite, or urination and stool output and had no fevers. Medical history was noncontributory.

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Many practicing ophthalmologists work as consultants to industry, helping to steer research and development efforts. Some have more substantial and demanding leadership positions, particularly in small companies that focus on specific ophthalmic subspe…

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For some reason I get all confessional with you here. Doubtless it has something to do with our shared experience in the trenches, stomping out dry eye wherever it threatens our patients. Here is my latest: I would really rather be in the operating roo…

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Cesare Forlini, MD, an internationally acclaimed vitreoretinal surgeon, passed away Feb. 9, ending what he himself defined as “a fierce fight in the mouth of the dragon.” The former head of the trauma unit and ophthalmology department of Ravenna City Hospital, Italy, Forlini trained at the school of Prof. Egidio Dal Fiume, one of the pioneers of Italian ophthalmology, carrying forward his master’s vocation for complex and combined surgeries. His pole to pole “global strategy” and “multidistrict” approach to eye injuries, in which the surgeon moves between the anterior and posterior segment “like a dancer,” has become a paradigm in ocular traumatology and won him the 2013 Helen Keller Lecture at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

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