Cataract

The ocular surface encompasses not only the cornea, but the all-important supporting conjunctiva that is divided into the bulbar, limbal, palpebral, forneaceal, and marginal zones.

Advances in femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) providing better results, fewer complications, and higher rates of patient satisfaction.

I am again reminding you that optometry has a renewed purpose in the management of our cataract and refractive patients.

As your patients celebrate another birthday milestone, they are again back in your chair wondering why their reading glasses mysteriously disappear when they are out exploring life or why their arms are not as long as they used to be.

Eyecare practitioners who deal with patients in the perioperative period are well aware of the need for topical therapy. In most cases, a combination of a steroid, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and an antibiotic will be used for a few days before the day of surgery and then for a period afterward.

A referral of your patient to a cataract surgeon seems straightforward. You refer when the vision is subjectively affected by lens opacification. But thinking out of the box will enable you to help your patients in ways you may not consider.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, have developed an eye drop solution that may dissolve cataracts, according to a study recently published in Nature.

Liverpool, UK-The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) opened the first day of its 2015 conference with a day-long focus on myopia management. Ian Flitcroft, MA DPHIL FRCOPHTH, calls myopia a public health time bomb.

Modern ophthalmic cataract surgery now employs sophisticated techniques to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction. This includes surgical systems providing better control, lasers to perform manual techniques, and intraoperative evaluation to evaluate surgical endpoints before the patient leaves the operating room (OR).

Years ago, I realized that a cataract is anomaly of the ocular system that should be eradicated at its earliest stages. Frankly, if you were in a relationship that was not going well and was destined to keep getting worse, would you stay?

Postoperative patients with PXF pose both short- and long-term concerns due to the underlying pathological changes that occur from the fibrillar deposition with some complications arising years after the surgery.

A recent study found that the first punctum plug developed to treat inflammation and pain following cataract surgery has been shown to be a reliable alternative to medicated eye drops.

A recent study found that cataract surgery of the second eye improves the quality of life and visual function of the patient, above and beyond the benefits of the first eye surgery.

A study recently published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that long-term daily supplementation with selenium and/or vitamin E did not have a beneficial effect on cataract risk in men.

Last week, the Associated Press reported that at least 24 people lost vision after undergoing cataract surgery at a free medical camp, but a new report says doctors may be able to restore sight for at least six patients.

In Part I, I discussed the importance of preoperative preparation, including a detailed medical history to insure a safe surgical experience. (See Fall 2014 issue) In this piece, I will cover the specific medications used with anesthesia, how they are used together to achieve the goals for a particular operation, and finally a discussion of aspects of post-operative management.

Seems like everyone is focusing on baby boomers as they enter a new phase of their lives, but vision in particular is a big topic. And why wouldn’t it be? What is more critical to healthy aging than maintaining healthy vision?

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), 7.7 million people age 40 and older have diabetic retinopathy, and this number is projected to increase to approximately 11 million people by 2030.

Bausch + Lomb recently announced that its next generation sub-micron gel formulation of loteprednol etabonate was statistically superior to placebo in eliminating inflammation and pain following cataract surgery by study Day 8, the primary endpoints in the first Phase 3, multi-center, double-masked, vehicle-controlled, parallel-group study.

Alcon recently launched Toric Pro, a new app that gives cataract surgeons a number of tools in a single app intended to improve their knowledge on toric IOL procedures for treating astigmatism at the time of surgery.

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed medical procedures and the leading diagnosis for outpatient surgery visits (3 million) in the U.S. In the past decade, the introductions of presbyopic and toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) have elevated cataract surgery into a refractive procedure. The latest introduction of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery may further improve the predictability and safety of refractive cataract surgery and enhance refractive outcomes.

Advanced DNA testing for congenital cataracts can quickly and accurately diagnose a number of rare diseases marked by childhood blindness, according to a study published in Ophthalmology.

Cataract surgery demand is set to grow as an increasing amount of baby boomers retire and enter old age, but the eyecare profession is not ready for the coming demand, says Dr. David Geffen, OD, FAAO.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Omeros’ phenylephrine and ketorolac injection, Omidria, for use during cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) replacement to maintain pupil size by preventing intraoperative miosis and to reduce postoperative pain.

A cataract is a clouding of the crystalline lens, resulting in vision loss. There are different types of cataracts, and they may be associated with underlying conditions. Understanding the differences between types of cataracts will improve clinical management of your patients.

In honor of Mother's Day, HelpMeSee is launching an online campaign so that supporters worldwide can join efforts to reduce the impact that cataract blindness has on women.

Prevent Blindness has declared May as UV Awareness Month to help educate the public on the dangers of UV and offers steps to take to protect vision today and in the future.

I sometimes wonder why, in the rush to build the medical model, so many of my colleagues seemingly abandon the retail aspects of our profession. Many ODs seem to want to forget or diminish that our historical contribution to vision has been mainly centered around the correction, refractive, and binocular vision function and development.

Long-term daily multivitamin supplement use may lower cataract risk in men, according to a study of nearly 15,000 male physicians published in Ophthalmology.

The use of a femtosecond laser during cataract surgery is now an option for your patients, and you need to be comfortable answering patient questions and co-managing this procedure.