News

The rising demand for presbyopia-correcting IOLs has led to a rise in patient expectations, but can we please everyone? questions Professor Jay Pepose.

There is much to be learned about nocturnal-and, more importantly, sleeping-IOP if ophthalmologists are going to optimize glaucoma therapies, said Yaniv Barkana, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Israel.

A combination of procedures could be best option for some patients, claims Dr Volker Rasch.

Should glaucoma drainage devices still be viewed as the last resort? asks Professor Walter Konen.

This technique, using a femtosecond laser, has been shown to improve ?near vision in presbyopes, according to Dr Luis Antonio Ruiz.

Highlights from the World Ophthalmology Congress 2008.

Highlights from the 2008 WOC meeting, held June 28–July 2 in Hong Kong

Is there a place for traditional Chinese medicine in modern ophthalmology? Quite possibly, said Dennis Lam, MD, FRCS, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Transplants of foetal retinal cells are an effective treatment for retinal degeneration involving the destruction of photoreceptor cells, according to a report published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Live animal testing for ocular safety in the US is to be replaced with bovine corneal opacity and permeability (BCOP) and isolated chicken eye (ICE) assays, which do not involve the use of live animals. These alternative tests are scientifically valid and have acceptance as testing methods from regulatory agencies the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

A guide to getting the most out of your stay in Berlin

Dr Josef Reiter describes his reasons for increasing his number of Epi-LASIK procedures.

Light sensors present in 2% of retinal cells relate to the body's internal clock and not to vision, according to research published in the journal PLoS ONE.

A lamellar sliver is a devastating complication resulting from recutting flaps during LASIK enhancement procedures.

An intellectual property database has already revealed great insights into R&D, and it opens up a whole new world of information, according to Dr Hermann Mucke.

The use of an artificial cornea in patients who have experienced multiple immunologic graft rejections is more likely to result in good-quality vision than is performing another corneal transplant.

Intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS) can be approached in a number of ways depending on the surgical scenario, according to David Chang, MD, University of California, San Francisco.

The safety of intracameral moxifloxacin (Vigamox, Alcon Laboratories) for post cataract surgery endophthalmitis prophylaxis was investigated in a prospective, randomized, controlled study. Statistical analyses of multiple postoperative outcome measures demonstrated no significant differences between patients who received intracameral moxifloxacin and controls treated with intracameral balanced salt solution.

Acuvue Oasys, a contact lens designed for astigmatic eyes, has been introduced at the American Optometric Association (AOA) annual meeting by Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.

Alcon and Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) are to share proprietary information on their designs for intraocular lenses (IOL).

Durezol (difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion; Sirion Therapeutics) 0.05%, a topical steroid, has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of postoperative ocular inflammation and pain.

High caffeine intake is associated with an increased risk of high-tension primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in subjects with a positive family history of glaucoma, according to a study published in the May 2008 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.

Oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), according to a study published in the June/July 2008 issue of the Journal of Glaucoma.

Just checking

A revolutionary, needle-free technology that has been designed to deliver retina therapies non-invasively, to the back of the eye, has been launched.

Surgical therapy for age-related macular degeneration in the form of macular translocation, injection of tissue plasminogen activator, and gas tamponade provides some improvements in visual acuity for patients whose conditions do not respond to the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs.

Fundus autofluorescence imaging, one of the modes available in a new instrument (Spectralis HRA+OCT, Heidelberg Engineering), enhances its utility as a diagnostic device and a tool for monitoring therapy of patients with retinal and macular diseases.

Trivaris (triamcinolone acetonide injectable suspension; Allergan), a synthetic glucocorticoid corticosteroid, has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of inflammatory ophthalmic conditions.

Animals undergoing lens removal surgery were treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs pre- and postoperatively. On the first day after surgery, aqueous humor samples were taken at times corresponding to trough drug levels. The mean aqueous prostaglandin E2 concentration was significantly lower in animals being treated with ketorolac 0.4% (Acular LS, Allergan) compared with those receiving bromfenac 0.09% (Xibrom, ISTA Pharmaceuticals).

Few well-designed studies evaluate endophthalmitis prophylaxis. Available evidence suggests a role for intracameral cefuroxime. The benefit must be weighed against the potential risk of errors in formulation, however.