Articles

It is possible to achieve a lower rate of endophthalmitis with a single injection of cefuroxime at the conclusion of cataract surgery than by using the more traditional subconjunctival/topical regimens, according to Per Montan of the St Erik Eye Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Swiss firm, Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems took advantage of the ESCRS congress to reveal its femtosecond laser Da Vinci to the ophthalmic community.

Mixing and matching diffractive and refractive multifocal lenses increases overall visual performance by enhancing range of vision, according to Angel López Castro of the Laservisión Clínica Oftalmológica in Madrid, Spain.

Refractive lens exchange (RLE) is not reversible so doctors need to apply their surgical wisdom to identify the most appropriate cases, Jorge Alió of the Instituto Oftalmologico de Alicante, Spain said. Often indications are based on the simplicity of the procedure but that doesn't always balance well with the best patient benefit.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is effective as both a primary and a secondary treatment for patients with ocular hypertension or primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), according to the results of two studies presented at the Ellex symposium.

Schwind's ESIRIS and Wavelight's 400Q laser systems are equally efficacious in correcting refractive error, according to a study presented by Yannis Aslanides, MD of the Emmetropia Mediterranean Eye Clinic in Crete, Greece.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) offers good long-term reductions in intraocular pressure (IOP), according to the results of a study performed by Rahul Yadav, MD and colleagues of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Wakefield, UK.

Great care and detailed assessment are essential for cataract extractions where another ocular surface disease (OSD) is present, Thomas Neuhann said. Diseases range from dry eye, conjuntivalisation, irregular surfaces and corneal scars.

The use of the ReSTOR intraocular lens (IOL) (Alcon) for patients requiring cataract surgery after prior laser photoablation can result in excellent outcomes if optical results fall near emmetropia, according to Samuel Masket of the USA.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) should be used before alteration of treatment or trabeculectomy, according to the findings of a study conducted by Bharat Kapoor and a team of colleagues from the UK.

A number of studies have been conducted and presented during a free paper session, supporting Alcon's research into its investigational AcrySof angle-supported phakic intraocular lens (IOL).

An initial clinical evaluation of the new ESIRIS excimer laser with integrated, online, optical coherence pachymetry (Schwind), showed that constant corneal monitoring is an important safety feature for LASIK procedures, Kumar J. Doctor said.

LASIK patients who make complaints symptomatic of dry eye may be suffering not from dry eye but from damaged, aberrantly regenerating nerve cells, said Timo Tervo.

There is no current proof that blocking blue wavelengths guarantees retinal protection and, couple this with the fact that blocking this form of light causes an actual loss in visual quality, Alessandro Franchini MD, suggests we concentrate our efforts on blocking UV and violet radiations instead.

The Tecnis multifocal intraocular lens (MIOL) is safe and efficacious for refractive lensectomy in hyperopia and presbyopia, according to Frank Goes, Belgium.

The Zyoptix XP (Bausch & Lomb) microkeratome achieved increased stromal bed quality when compared with both standard and zero compression Hansatome heads (Bausch & Lomb), Thomas Hammer said.

Phacoemulsification procedures consume significantly less fluid using torsional compared with longituinal ultrasound in hard cataract cases, according to Khiun Tjia of the Netherlands.

Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) announced the launch of the Tecnis CL intraocular lens (IOL) at the XXIV congress of the ESCRS.

The LADAR 6000 excimer laser with high-speed ablation (Alcon) offers excellent visual outcomes, according to Ángel López Castro of Spain, speaking at the Alcon symposium.

The age of refractive surgery has introduced new aberrations to the human eye that require a shift in how visual performance is evaluated, said Ray Applegate, MD. Mesopic low contrast acuity best quantifies vision quality; it overcomes the weaknesses of other metrics and it can predict visual function among individuals.

While smooth wavefronts are to be preferred, some abberations may be beneficial and further study is need to identify them, said Jos Rozema, MD, of University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium.

The new MICS lens (Ioltech-Zeiss) is appropriate for the correction of intermediate vision in pseudophakia, according to Carlos Verges, Jorge Cazal and Marc Menezo of the Department of Ophthalmology, Institut Universitari Dexeus, Barcelona, Spain.

It is mandatory to develop precise , reproducible and accurate methodologies to obtain objective measurements of quality of vision, namely night vision, in order to create surgical techniques that will eliminate post-refractive vision disturbances, Joachim Murta said.

The primary function of biomechanical measurements is to improve safety and doctors can readily use these metrics in clinical practice today through the use of proxies, said William J. Dupps, MD.

The ophthalmic equipment manufacturer, bon optic, has unveiled its new topographer to the ophthalmic community.

Central corneal thickness (CCT) may decrease over time, particularly in eyes with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) but this may not be related to disease progression.

Early surgical intervention and adequate orthoptic therapy are important when dealing with children who have undergone cataract surgery. A pseudophakic implant represents an effective solution for the management of aphakic children; a multifocal IOL can provide additional correction, without hindering quality of vision. Here, Klaus Weber, MD provides a brief overview of the incidence, causes and management of childhood cataract, and recommends potential avenues of treatment for the visual rehabilitation of paediatric patients with aphakia.

An FDA panel has recommended against the approval of VisionCare Ophthalmic Technology's Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT).

The management of paediatric glaucoma is primarily surgical. In the literature, goniotomy and trabeculotomy, despite success rates of only 40-90%, are still the initial surgical procedures of choice for most cases of primary congenital glaucoma. In the case of secondary glaucomas associated with conditions such as aphakia, aniridia, anterior segment dysgenesis and Sturge-Weber syndrome, the success rates of goniotomy or trabeculotomy are much lower.

I would like to give a warm welcome to all of our readers and, particularly to those of you who have recently joined the many ophthalmologists across Europe who read our publication. I have been delighted by the response we have had to Ophthalmology Times Europe so far and I would like to thank you all for your very kind words of support and encouragement. We have tried to make Ophthalmology Times Europe a little different to other publications out there, not only in the world of ophthalmology, but across industries. By providing broad coverage of the industry and presenting arguments and ideas in an easily digestible format, it has been our mission to supply you with something that you enjoy reading.