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NEW ORLEANS – The American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Intelligent Research in Sight Registry is a useful tool for managing the difficulty cornea and external disease practices may face in the wake of the Affordable Care Act, according to a speaker here. “Simplify where possible,” David B. Glasser, MD, said here at Cornea Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. “The academy’s IRIS [Intelligent Research in Sight] Registry is a great way to do that if you’ve got a long-term health record.”

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NEW ORLEANS – In cases of primary angle closure glaucoma, phacoemulsification alone may be considered in eyes with mild degree of angle closure, one surgeon told colleagues here. “I ask myself: Is there a significant cataract? If yes, I consider phaco,” Tin Aung FRCS, PhD, told colleagues at Glaucoma Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. Basing his presentation on a review of peer-reviewed published literature, Aung said that phacoemulsification alone is generally effective in improving IOP control. Adding trabeculectomy lowers IOP and results in the need for (Read more...)

NEW ORLEANS — Phacoemulsification reduces IOP in glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous eyes, although clinicians are not certain about the underlying causes, a surgeon said here. During Glaucoma Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, Douglas J. Rhee, MD, OSN Glaucoma Board Member, discussed theories that may explain how phacoemulsification reduces IOP. “The conventional wisdom had been that pressure is usually reduced by about 1 mm Hg to 4 mm Hg, and this can be sustained for about 3 to 5 years,” Rhee said.

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NEW ORLEANS — Combined phacoemulsification and angle surgery with a microstent improves safety and clinical outcomes in glaucoma surgery, a speaker told colleagues here. Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, elucidated three surgical pearls for the combined procedure during Glaucoma Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. “Phacoemulsification is a platform for improving aqueous outflow,” Ahmed said. “The premise of microstenting is really based on safety, establishing and re-establishing physiologic outflow and, of course, utilizing flow to prevent hypotony. … This is designed to be a very complex procedure (Read more...)

NEW ORLEANS – The keratoprosthesis has been an inexpensive and safe artificial cornea for many patients in the developing world, and improvements in the design and protocol have greatly reduced complication rates, according to a presenter here.“The Boston Keratoprosthesis (B-KPro) is implanted in a standard corneal graft and then sutured in,” Claes H. Dohlman, MD, PhD, said in the keynote lecture at Cornea Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. Potential complications include tissue melt, infection, glaucoma and inflammation that can cause other problems, such as retinal detachment, (Read more...)

NEW ORLEANS – In the realm of glaucoma, although generic medications provide the patient the same reliable safety and efficacy as brands, with less cost, be cautious with mail-order products, a speaker here said. “Latanoprost, for example, does have a number of generics, but not everything that is sold, particularly things through mail-order, is the generic version of latanoprost,” Wiley A. Chambers, MD, told attendees at Glaucoma Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. “There are countries outside of the United States that make latanoprost products that are (Read more...)