The problem is so significant that some experts have referred to it as ‘an impending epidemic,’ and fear it may contribute to the projected shortage of surgeons in coming years. Medscape Medical News
Tag: News
New Angiography Technique Improves Imaging in Diabetic Retinopathy
Visualization of the retinal vasculature in patients with diabetic retinopathy is improved with swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) with extended field imaging (EFI), and the technique also affords greater patient comfort th…
Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes ‘Not a Benign Condition’
Patients who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 18 to 45 (early-onset) had the highest prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and worst glycemic control in a Danish national cohort. Medscape Medical News
Novel Antithrombotics and Lower Risk of Intraocular Bleeding
Novel antithrombotics such as dabigatran or rivaroxaban are associated, in some instances, with a decreased risk of intraocular hemorrhage compared with traditional anticoagulant therapy. Reuters Health Information
Blepharitis May Portend Metabolic Syndrome
Blepharitis may serve as an early sign of metabolic syndrome (MetS), according to a population-based study from Taiwan. Reuters Health Information
Solar Eclipse: High-Resolution Imaging Shows Retinal Damage
Young adults may be particularly susceptible to solar retinopathy and need to be educated about the risks of directly viewing the sun without certified, protective eyewear. Medscape Medical News
Artificial Intelligence Eyed as Diabetic Retinopathy Screen
A “deep learning system” can be taught to determine whether or not diabetic retinopathy is present across different ethnicities in a variety of settings.
Medscape Medical News
Heart Pump Powered by Electric Cable Routed Through Head
Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), popularized most famously by Dick Cheney, have become somewhat common in the past few years. They augment the cardiac output, and in many cases they have significantly extended the lifespans of heart failure patients. Managing LVADs can be a challenge, with a particular emphasis placed on keeping the area where […]
Optic Neuritis Widely Overdiagnosed, Study Suggests
Specialists could confirm the diagnosis of optic neuritis in only 40% of patients referred. Medscape Medical News
Medicare Advisers Urge Quick Action on MIPS Replacement Plan
MedPAC presses for replacement to Medicare doctor pay system that one adviser said should be in the ‘Bad Pay-for-Performance Hall of Fame.’ Medscape Medical News
Patient Factors, Postop Diplopia Tied to Dissatisfaction After Strabismus Surgery
Postoperative diplopia, depressive symptoms, “distressed” personality type, and visually obtrusive facial anomalies are associated with failure of strabismus surgery to improve patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL), researchers say.
Reuters Health Information
Tiny Medicare Raise Gets Tinier, Again
An annual 0.5% rate hike promised by MACRA wasn’t much to begin with. Physicians haven’t received it for 3 straight years, owing to Medicare math. Medscape Medical News
Robot Passes China’s Medical Licensing Exam
Earlier this month, a Chinese medical robot named Xiaoyi achieved a passing score of 456 on China’s medical licensing exam. It might not exactly be a score that would make you comfortable entrusting your health to it – a passing score is 360 out of 600. But it’s an impressive result considering the robot scored […]
A Reminder: Medical Sci-Fi Writing Contest
We are accepting entries in our annual Medical Sci-Fi Writing Contest. You still have time to polish the prose and to twist the story line. Medgadget is looking for science fiction stories that imagine the future of medicine. This future may involve the good and the bad, including fantastic treatments of disease and moral dilemmas […]
Eye to the Sky: Ophthalmologists Aided Hurricane Response
Eye care is one of the most common acute medical needs after natural disasters, and having a plan in place speeds aid. Medscape Medical News
Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Retinal Degeneration
Retinal pigment epithelial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells can be safely transplanted into the eyes of patients with retinal degeneration, with early signs of vision gain. Medscape Medical News
Choose DMEK Over DSEK After Glaucoma Surgery
Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty provides better outcomes than Descemet-stripping in patients requiring cornea transplant who have already had glaucoma surgery. Medscape Medical News
Diabetic Macular Edema Vastly Undertreated
Most patients with newly diagnosed diabetic macular edema are inadequately treated, according to findings from the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s IRIS Registry. Medscape Medical News
Mirrors Improve Imaging of Biological Specimens by Light Sheet Microscopy
Though we’ve reached the diffraction limit of light in optical microscopes long ago, scientists are continuing to improve the images produced by them. Researchers National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago just announced a new development that allows for much higher quality imaging of biological samples using light sheet microscopy, a common imaging technique. […]
CMS Will See You Now
Physicians’ voices are going to be heard in Washington, DC, and regulatory burdens that are dragging down physicians’ practices will be eased, Seema Verma said at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. Medscape Medical News