Cataract & Refractive

Crystalens AO is the first aberration-free accommodating IOL

Dr Bobby Qureshi, the first surgeon in the UK to carry out implant surgery using light adjustable lenses, he talks to OTEurope about the procedure

2009 heralded more interesting developments for ophthalmology. OTEurope asked some of Europe's leading key opinion leaders for their thoughts on the news and developments that generated most excitement or had most significance in the Cataract & Refractive sector

Rayner Intraocular Lens Limited, has marked a milestone with a celebration to honour the 60th anniversary of the implantation of the first intraocular lens (IOL) in a patient. The late Sir Harold Ridley implanted the first IOL on 29 November 1949 at St. Thomas Hospital in London. Due to the controversial nature of the surgery, this first surgery was conducted in almost total secrecy.

In the December issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology Brandeis University researchers published a paper about the highly precise scleral lens, to treat severe cornea or ocular surface disease, the Boston Ocular Surface Prosthesis (BOS-P).

Performing surgery in unfamiliar surroundings.

A doctor's perspective on what influences IOL lens design.

Several manufacturers are developing femtosecond laser technology as a tool for multiple applications in cataract surgery. Three surgeons, who presented at this year's ESCRS Congress look at its uses and results.

A superior refractive corneal correction can be achieved by the preservation of corneal tissue as well as optimization of ablation profiles that are better adapted to human sight.

A new Tecnis intraocular lens harnesses the ease of implantation of a one-piece implant design and combines it with a glistening-free hydrophobic acrylic material for another next generation IOL.

An accommodating lens has the potential to provide functional vision at all distances in a seamless continuum and overcome dysphotopsias.

One surgeon's preference for an ophthalmic viscosurgical device of 1.6% sodium hyaluronate was reinforced by a study that found it superior to another OVD during phaco and OVD removal

Professor Mats Lundstrom, chairman of EUREQUO, talks to OTE about the project and its dissemination in Europe.

A proprietary phacoemulsification system featuring fluidics control software that allows automatic switching from longitudinal ultrasound to transversal on recognition of occulsion and back again to longitudinal on occlusion break.

A new bimanual capsulorhexis technique, suing a specially developed instrument allowing a tri-dimensional, sub 1mm capsulorhexis with improved maintenance of the anterior chamber.

In the second of a two-part article Dr David Tanzer says that in today's US Navy the preferred refractive procedure today is wavefront-guided LASIK with a thin flap made with a femtosecond laser.

A new phaco tip (Fine Ozil Tip, MicroSurgical Technology) for use with a proprietary handpiece (Ozil, Alcon Laboratories) improves the safety and efficiency of phacoemulsification using torsional ultrasound with a biaxial microincisional technique. Modification of the phaco parameters improves chopping and segment removal.

Dr Stephen Lane believes that the large variety of available ophthalmic viscosurgical devices now allows the surgeon to tailor the surgery to meet any specific needs a patient may have.

An ophthalmic viscosurgical device is a helpful adjuvant in a multimodal approach for performing cataract surgery in patients with intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, according to three surgeons.

Myopia is a worldwide public health problem and the underlying mechanisms of its development are still unclear. Currently the key challenge is to attract, train and retain young researchers to the field. The European Research Training Network 'MY EUROPIA' adresses these urgent challenges, by innovative and attractive training and networking possibilities and by the establishment of closer private-public partnership links.

Dr David Tanzer explains that in order to achieve the best possible post-operative results with laser vision correction, thorough pre-operative examinations are a must. Patients should be carefully screened, comprehensive clinical work-ups must be carried out and detailed informed consent given. Then, and only then, will surgeons achieve the best results.

This is the first ESCRS congress for 9-month old company, Technolas, which was formed out of a joint venture between Bausch and Lomb's refractive surgery unit and 20/10 Perfect Vision. The new business was founded to innovate in excimer and femtosecond laser technologies, focusing primarily on the correction of presbyopia.

Schwind unveiled its PresbyMAX software module at ESCRS, a presbyopia solution for its AMARIS system. According to Schwind, the software makes it possible, for the first time, to treat emmetropic as well as myopic, hyperopic and astigmatic patients whose accommodative response is limited.

Technique intra-operative findings and postoperative regimen

The Flexivue System, a breakthrough implantable micro-lens treatment for presbyopia from Presbia Coöperatief was unveiled at the show and it is keenly anticipated that it will be in clinical trials in several European countries by the end of the year.