Cataract & Refractive

As another year comes to an end, five members of Ophthalmology Times Europe’s Editorial Advisory Board reflect and share their perspectives on the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for ophthalmologists in 2018, whilst also considering the potential challenges.

A combination of a topical corticosteroid and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is more effective than either one alone in reducing the risk of cystoid macular oedema (CME) after cataract surgery in nondiabetic patients, researchers say.

Children in Tel Aviv have been treated with nightly atropine drops, significantly slowing the progression of myopia.

Long-term observation of SMILE reveals high stability at various degrees of correction of myopia. This allows surgeons who apply this method of treatment to give patients a long-term prognosis.

After spending a few months testing for dry eye and treating the tear film before doing preoperative measurements, the re-treatment rate dropped from 11% to 3%.

A multidiagnostic device is able to provide consistent measurements of refraction and ocular aberrations in healthy eyes. The consistency of refractive measurements is not dependent on the magnitude of the refractive error, with the same precision ability for moderate to high myopia and for hyperopia.

One source of error in IOL power calculation is the use of the classical keratometric approach for the characterisation of the corneal optics. This approach is based on the assumption of only one corneal surface and a fictitious index of refraction (keratometric index, nk) for obtaining an estimation of the corneal power (Pk).

Every ophthalmologist requires precise surgical tools with which he or she can perform surgery safely and accurately in order to ensure optimal outcomes. The availability of high-quality microsurgical instruments has increased over the past decade with manufacturers continually modifying and optimising existing instruments.

This case study presents the results and advantages of phacoemulsification, which Dr Dieter W Klass and his team applied after previous implantation of an iris-fixated phakic IOL (pIOL) (Artisan, Ophtec) for the correction of high myopia without explantation of the pIOL.

An aircraft that houses an ophthalmic teaching hospital, containing an on-board operating theatre, training and broadcasting facilities, and treatment rooms, recently visited London Stansted Airport in the UK.

The IC-8 IOL (AcuFocus) is one of the new class of extended-depth-of-focus (EDOF) IOLs that is definitively altering the landscape of cataract surgery in Europe and around the world. Whereas monofocal and multifocal lenses have one or two distinct focal points, an EDOF-IOL creates one elongated focal point, though each lens does so in a different way.

Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose--a line written (1913) by Gertrude Stein and its variations in a famous quotation are often interpreted as meaning “things are what they are--makes a statement of the law of identity, and in the post-factum age is ever more meaningful. An ophthalmologist could as well write: “Cataract is a cataract is a cataract is a cataract,” ICD-10 Code H25.0 for the diagnosis “Cataracta senilis incipiens” in its earliest stage and notably with a surgical history of more than 2,500 years.

Failure to follow-up after ophthalmology appointments can damage patients’ health, a new study suggests. “In our view, national consideration should be given to create targets for reporting how well providers are managing follow-up patients,” reported A Davis and colleagues in the journal Eye.

Only weak evidence supports the use of IOLs that filter visible blue light, researchers say. “On the basis of currently available evidence, one cannot advocate for the use of blue-light-filtering IOLs over UV-only filtering IOLs,” wroite X. Li, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland, and colleagues.

Fluorescence of lens proteins could help understand, diagnose, and treat cataracts, researchers say.“Rather than waiting for the condition to appear, it could be possible to diagnose and monitor cataract before it forms, allowing preventative measures to be taken where possible,” said Rory Duncan of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburh, United Kingdom in a press release.

Argon laser peripheral iridoplasty (ALPI) significantly widens the anterior chamber angle circumferentially in eyes with occludable angles treated with laser peripheral iridotomy, researchers say.

More citizens from the United Kingdom are traveling abroad for laser eye procedures, according to a medical travel website. Enquiries from the United Kingdom into overseas clinics for laser procedures rose 60% in the 12 months ending November 15, 2016, according to WhatClinic.com, which lists medical clinic by location.

With the start of each new year also comes the hope for many innovations and advances. On top of that, I hope we can still make progress for our patients in our beloved field of ophthalmology.

A prospective masked study enrolling eyes with low to moderate myopia with or without astigmatism found significantly better efficacy, safety, and predictability with wavefront-guided LASIK compared with small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).

Accumulating evidence suggests that multiple treatments can help people with amblyopia, according to a review of the literature.

Work is progressing on contact lenses that can monitor biomarkers in tear film for intraocular pressure, diabetes mellitus, and other health conditions.

Reductions in vision correlate with lower literacy scores on standardised tests, a new study showed.

Cataract surgery assisted by viscosplit and crack with a new phaco tip gives good results compared with standard phacoemulsification, either bimanual or one-handed.

Rayner designs and manufactures IOLs and proprietary injection devices for use in cataract surgery. As the first manufacturer of the IOL, they’ve been working with surgeons for longer than anyone.

Patient satisfaction is high following implant of the Symfony IOL, which is designed with an elongated focal zone in an attempt to minimise visual compromises and avoid visual dysphotopsias.

Findings of a literature review highlight the need for more studies to compare SMILE and WFG LASIK for treatment of myopia and myopic astigmatism.

Ocular surface disease, including dry eye disease, is common in patients undergoing cataract surgery. It must be treated in order to optimise the ocular surface prior to surgery, and close follow-up in the postoperative period is important.

An I/A tip system comprises a preassembled, single-use silicone I/A tip, which has advantages over other commercially available products. It helps to reduce capsular rupture during cataract surgery and also eliminates tricky tip assembly and cleaning.

Despite predictions that the prevalence of APACG, a leading cause of blindness, is set to rise worldwide, some authors have reported a decline in certain countries.