Cataract surgery significantly improved visual acuity in patients with all levels of age-related macular degeneration severity. Medscape Medical News
Tag: Ophthalmology
Cataract Surgery Outcome in Eyes With Keratoconus
A new study reports on the postoperative refractive outcomes in patients with keratoconus who underwent cataract surgery. What are the results? The British Journal of Ophthalmology
Blindness Down 50% in High-Income Countries, Causes Shifting
Rates of blindness have fallen sharply in high-income countries, but the main cause has changed from cataract to macular degeneration. Medscape Medical News
New Smartphone Devices Open the Door to Teleophthalmology
Researchers have developed low-cost smartphone-based devices that can obtain high-quality images of the retina and anterior segment of the eye. Medscape Medical News
FDA Wants More Info on Avedro’s Corneal Cross-Linking NDA
Company chief executive officer is ‘confident’ the issues surrounding riboflavin ophthalmic solution/KXL System for keratoconus and corneal ectasia after refractive surgery can be resolved. Medscape Medical News
Early Lens Implants May Be Inadvisable for Babies With Cataracts
For children with a congenital cataract, replacing the intraocular lens in infancy leads to more adverse events and a greater number of surgeries than using a contact initially and implanting a permanent lens later. Reuters Health Information
FDA Panel Recommends Intraocular Lens for Astigmatism
An FDA panel has recommended approval for Staar’s Visian toric lens for treatment of astigmatism, with reservations. Medscape Medical News
Intraocular Pressure and Hemodialysis
The convergence of glaucoma and chronic kidney disease in the same population means that hemodialysis could be an important factor in control of intraocular pressure. Medscape Ophthalmology
Pazopanib Eye Drops: A Randomised Trial in Neovascular AMD
Can patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration benefit from this topical therapy? The British Journal of Ophthalmology
Lifestyle Choices May Affect Vision Down the Road
Smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity may be associated with vision changes over the course of a 20-year period. Medscape Medical News
Low-Dose Doxycycline May Slow Diabetic Retinopathy
Researchers say the observation suggests a link between a low-dose oral anti-inflammatory agent and subclinical improvement in inner retinal function. Medscape Medical News
Reaching a Milestone in the Treatment of Keratoconus
Approval of cross-linking by the FDA would be an important step forward in the treatment of keratoconus and corneal ectasia following refractive surgery. Dr. Roger Steinert offers commentary. Medscape Ophthalmology
FluidVision Accomodating Lens Implant Automatically Adjusts Focus of Eye
A number of eye conditions can make a person to lose the ability to change the shape of the lens, also known as loss of accommodation. People with presbyopia and those that get traditional intraocular lenses for cataracts suffer from this frustrating condition. A new lens developed by PowerVision, a company out of Belmont, California, aims to restore the eye’s ability to focus by changing its shape much like a natural one.
The FluidVision implant harnesses the natural forces the eye produces to move fluid in and out of its lens. This allows the lens to change its thickness and so its refractive power. The device is implanted using the same techniques as any other intraocular lens and the first cataract patients in an initial trial are now beginning to get the implant.
Stanford Scientists Unveil Two Ophthalmology Smartphone Adapters
Researchers at Stanford University have developed two new smartphone attachments that allow imaging of the eye that would normally done with large, bulky instruments. Ophthalmologists imaging the anterior segment of the eye (cornea, iris, ciliary body, lens) use slit lamp instruments that shine a bright flat beam of light onto the eye in combination with a microscope. There already exist attachments for slit lamps that allow a smartphone to snap on and be used to capture and share images of the eye, but the slit lamp is still a bulky instrument.
The team developed a small iPhone attachment that snaps onto just about any smartphone to visualize the anterior segment. It consists of a small lens and an LED just next to it and is small enough to fit in your pocket. It’s positioned close to the eye, focused, and an image is taken. In a study published in Journal of Mobile Technology in Medicine they report that the device “satisfactorily portrays a wide range of pathology of the eyelids, conjunctiva, cornea, iris, and lens without the need for a slitlamp.”
Clinical Experience With a Novel Glaucoma Drainage Implant
How effective is the AGV M4 in reducing IOP in glaucoma — and how does it compare with other implants? Journal of Glaucoma
Optimizing Biometry for Best Outcomes in Cataract Surgery
Current best practice standards and available practical strategies for improving refractive outcomes for patients are reviewed. Eye
Vision Loss Reported After Cosmetic Facial Injections
Dermal filler injections in the forehead led to vision loss, a rare but devastating event, in 3 patients. Medscape Medical News
Italian Watchdog Says Novartis, Roche Colluded Over Eye Drug
Italy’s antitrust authorities said Novartis and Roche colluded to try to stop cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) from being used to treat a serious eye disease, and fined the Swiss drugmakers 182.5 million euros ($251 million). Reuters Health Information
Ocriplasmin Injection Linked to Impaired Vision
Two case reports add to previous reports and link ocriplasmin for the treatment of symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion with impaired vision and panretinal changes. Medscape Medical News
Dry Eye Syndrome Linked to Poor Air Quality, Weather
A new report has demonstrated a link between living in an area with poor air quality and the risk of developing dry eye disease. Medscape Medical News