News

Fluorescein angiography (FA) remains a valuable tool for monitoring anti-VEGF drugs after intravitreal injections, however, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is becoming and increasingly popular method.

A clinical trial of an electronic subretinal prosthesis has successfully allowed blind patients to recover some perception of single and multiple phosphenes, as well as horizontal and vertical lines.

Blue-blocking intraocular lenses (IOLs) offer no advantages to the eye and could actually cause health problems such as insomnia and depression.

Alcon Refractive Horizon has had to deactivate two algorithms in all LADAR6000 lasers in the US that caused corneal abnormalities in myopia patients undergoing LASIK.

Although femtosecond lasers offer a strong alternative to microkeratomes, they are not suitable for every situation, according to Theo Seiler, MD.

Pegaptanib sodium (Macugen) injections can result in a significant transient rise in intraocular pressure (IOP), which may be damaging to the optic nerve, particularly in patients with advanced glaucoma.

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Travoprost, latanoprost and bimatoprost all significantly reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) and increase ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT), according to report published online ahead of print in Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica.

Different types of early lenticular opacities in cataract patients induce different wavefront aberration profiles, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

ORBIS International has been awarded a $5,000,000 grant from American International Group (AIG) to ensure the growth of its long-term blindness prevention programmes in the developing world.

Stroke and traumatic brain injury survivors, who have undergone vision restoration therapy (VRT), demonstrate increased brain activity, according to researchers from Columbia University Medical Center, USA.

Degree and pattern of staining with lissamine green is a good objective indicator of the severity of tear deficiency, according to a report published in the July issue of Eye and Contact Lens.

The efficacy of gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin for preventing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) keratitis was investigated in a rabbit model. Animals were pretreated with one of the two fourth-generation fluoroquinolones or BSS, received a midstromal injection with an inoculum of MRSA, and then study treatment continued for up to 96 hours postinjection. Gatifloxacin-treated eyes demonstrated less inflammation and infection, and lower numbers of recovered MRSA than moxifloxacin-and BSS-treated animals.

Intravitreal injection of up to 4 mg of a fusion protein that is an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent (VEGF Trap-Eye, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.) is well tolerated and yields no evidence of ocular inflammation. The agent appears to produce rapid and durable clinical increases in best-corrected visual acuity, along with improvements in anatomic features, in patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration.

The instillation of bromfenac 0.09% (Xibrom, ISTA Pharmaceuticals) results in less severe and less frequent patient discomfort compared with ketorolac tromethamine 0.4% (Acular LS, Allergan). However, the anesthetic effect of either commercially available nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug was statistically equivalent.

Treatment with topical azithromycin 1% ophthalmic solution (AzaSite, InSite Vision) using a frequent dosing regimen was effective in reducing colony counts of azithromycin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an animal model of keratitis.

Interim results of a study of pegaptanib sodium as maintenance therapy for age-related macular degeneration show that patients previously treated successfully with other agents maintain visual and anatomic stability.

A modified latex bead rat model has proven to be valid for measuring retinal ganglion cell loss in high-pressure glaucoma.

In a double-masked, randomized comparison of three leading ocular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, nepafenac 0.1% (Nevanac, Alcon Laboratories) had significantly greater ocular bioavailability than either ketorolac 0.4% (Acular LS, Allergan) or bromfenac 0.09% (Xibrom, ISTA Pharmaceuticals).

Tears of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) may develop during the course of anti-VEGF therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) related pigment epithelial detachment (PED).

Approximate in vivo intraocular lens (IOL) power can be determined using Scheimpflug imaging and could be applied in cases of unexplained postoperative refractive error.

Sodium hyaluronate 1% and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 2% (HPMC) can cause significant intraocular pressure (IOP) increases during the first eight hours following cataract surgery.

The combination of latanoprost and brinzolamide for the treatment of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) can successfully lower intraocular pressure (IOP) both during the day and at night.

Product Watch

Decision to reimburse Avastin in Italy sparks controversy.

This year, from the 8th to 12th September, Stockholm will be playing host to the 25th Congress of the European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS). More than 5,000 delegates from all around the world are expected to attend what is Europe's largest ophthalmic conference and exhibition. Attendees will be able to choose from between 100 courses, more than 20 symposia, in excess of 600 free papers and almost the same number of posters, as well as perusing the stands at the exhibition.

One surgeon's quest to reduce intraoperative LASIK complications has led to the development of a new multifunctional instrument, which is hoped will help standardize surgical manoeuvres and reduce the need for retreatment.

Over the past five years, we have successfully performed oculoplastic surgery on several hundred patients at the Belgian Ocular Laser Center (BOLC; www.BOLC.org) in Ghent, Belgium and, during this time, I have found the CO2 laser to provide an excellent alternative to the scalpel for treating the eyelids. Finally, we can offer bloodless surgery and improved outcomes.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England produced its first Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) regarding the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) recently. Essentially, the document recommended that the new anti-VEGF inhibitor Lucentis (ranibizumab; Novartis Ophthalmics) may be used only to treat predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) which shows evidence of progression in the second affected eye, provided the visual acuity is between 6/12 and 6/96.1 After considering feedback from formal consultees, the Appraisal Committee will prepare a Final Assessment Document (FAD) for submission to NICE who will then issue guidance.

Prior to the advent of wavefront-guided LASIK, the only parameters that could be modified in order to obtain optical correction for a given patient's refractive error were the sphere, cylinder and axis. This approach, however, would often not yield the ideal optical correction and, in many cases, the post-refractive surgery patient may be able to read the 20/20 line but not clearly. In some cases, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) would even decrease following surgery. This situation can usually be attributed to the persistence of significant amounts of higher order aberrations (HOAs).