Review of Optometry articles from December 2006

Review of Optometry archives from December 2006

In the news.(Advanced Medical Optics Inc. recalls its 12oz)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... On November 21, Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) announced a nationwide, voluntary recall of 18 lots (2.9 million units) of its 12oz. Complete MoisturePLUS multipurpose solution and Active Packs. Three lots sold in Japan were found to have...

Medicare fees face a 5% cut: and, reimbursement rates for optometry services could be cut by 8%.(News Review)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... Optometrists face a 5% cut in Medicare reimbursement rates and a reduction of approximately 8% for optometry services if Congress does not amend the final rule for physician payment rates and policies before the January 1, 2007 deadline. ...

OSI to quit eye care, but will continue to support Macugen.(New Review)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... OSI Pharmaceuticals announced that it is leaving the eye disease business. Last year, the company acquired Eyetech and its flagship drug Macugen (pegaptanib sodium injection), but OSI now predicts it will not acheive "positive cash flow" from...

Retinal stem cells shown to recover vision.(News Review)
December 15, 2006... For the first time, researchers in Britain have successfully transplanted retinal stem cells into mature mice with photoreceptor loss, allowing the mice to regain some vision. "The mature retina, previously believed to have no capacity for...

O.D.s as good as M.D.s in the ER.(News Review)(optometrists )(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... A recent study conducted in a British eye hospital found that optometrists were as competent as ophthalmologists in treating patients in an emergency room setting. The study, published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology,...

Study: low-intensity laser treatment fails against AMD.(News Review)
December 15, 2006... The Complications of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial (CAPT) found that low-intensity laser treatments fail to have any effect on the progression of vision loss due to AMD. The results of the trial were published in the...

An 'up-close' look at Presbyopia: early adoption of presbyopic contact lenses and refractive surgery occurred a decade ago. This technology has since become the standard, and patients prefer it.(Editorial)
December 15, 2006... Each December for the last six years, Review of Optometry has brought you its annual "Presbyopia Report." This year, we thought twice about devoting so much space to a topic that we cover extensively throughout the year. We asked ourselves: Is...

Rock, paper, scissors: the rock? My kumquat-sized kidney stone. The paper? The wad of cash I've spent to get rid of it. The scissors? Oh, I got my hair cut by a maniac.(Chair Side)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... Doctors, give me the optometrist's answer to this question: "What's more painful than a kidney stone?" Why should I talk about renal calculi in an eye magazine? Because I have been fighting my very own stone(s) for about three weeks now....

Part VI: riding into the sunset: many optometrists have discovered that if they can find a way to stay on the horse without having to manage the stable, "retirement" can be sweet indeed.(PRACTICE TRANSITIONS SERIES)
December 15, 2006... In this series, Review of Optometry takes a close look at the dilemmas, decisions and life changes at each stage of an optometrist's career--from optometry school to active practice to retirement. In each installment, we talk with optometrists...

A scientific approach to PAL options: recent studies take some of the guesswork out of fitting progressive addition lenses and help match the lens to the patient.(7th Annual Presbyopia Report)(Progressive addition lenses)
December 15, 2006... Progressive addition lenses (PALs) are one of optometry's mainstay workhorses. Patients generally prefer them to segmented multifocals, and they generate healthy growth for most practices. Still, there is plenty of room for improvement in how...

Multifocal contacts make headway: at least one study indicates that patients prefer the vision these lenses offer to that provided by monovision.(7th Annual Presbyopia Report)
December 15, 2006... Although monovision remains the most commonly used contact lens strategy for presbyopic correction, multifocal contact lenses are gaining ground in key areas. In a recent study, most patients, when given a choice, preferred the vision provided...

CK on The Continuum of Refractive Care: NearVision conductive keratoplasty is one of the myriad options for presbyopic patients. Here's what you should know about the procedure.(7th Annual Presbyopia Report)(conductive keratoplasty)(Cover story)(Clinical report)
December 15, 2006... Presbyopia is probably one of the most difficult topics to discuss with patients. This is partly due to vanity. Someone who has never needed glasses now cannot read without them, a sure sign of advancing age. Also, patients may not fully...

A clinical guide to retinopathy of prematurity: research in the diagnosis and treatment of ROP has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the disease.(Patient Care)(retinopathy of prematurity)(Disease/Disorder overview)
December 15, 2006... In 1942, physician Theodore Terry made the connection between what he believed was a pathological condition of the embryonic hyaloid system and prematurity. He named the disease retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) but based this on the appearance of...

How to provide high-resolution vision: an introductory guide to prescribing iZon lenses.
December 15, 2006... Advances in optical technology have caused fundamental changes in the way we perceive vision correction. What we learned in optometry school--as taught with diagrams of perfectly straight light rays and perfectly curved corneas and measured in...

When myco goes psycho: why has atypical mycobacterium been found in LASIK patients, and how should we manage these patients?(Cornea+Contact Lens Q+A)
December 15, 2006... Q Of the few infections that occur following LASIK, why is there such a high prevalence of mycobacterium infections, while other infections are exceedingly rare? (Most practitioners never see a single case.) A Mycobacterium is a genus of...

Which is worse: one or two? A normotensive patient presents with Drance hemorrhages in both eyes. Suspected systemic disease adds to the reasons to treat her for glaucoma.(Glaucoma Grand Rounds)(Clinical report)
December 15, 2006... A 69-year-old white female presented complaining of decreased distance vision with her current spectacle prescription. Her near vision was not a problem. The spectacle prescription was about one year old, which was the last time she had her...

Vision loss follows hyperopia: patient also exhibits retinal changes in both eyes on dilated fundus exam and radial lines on fluorescein angiography.(case report of uveal effusion syndrome)
December 15, 2006... A 45-year-old white female presented complaining of decreased vision in her left eye for the past two weeks. She also complained of a chronic headache and reported seeing black spots with silver rings in both eyes. Her ocular history is...

Put out the fires of MS: today, we have an array of "hoses" to combat this disease.(Therapeutic Review)
December 15, 2006... A 32-year-old white female presents emergently with progressively worsening vision in her left eye. She reports that three days earlier, she developed severe pain behind that eye, and that the pain intensified whenever she moved the eye. A day...

Ophthalmic lenses.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... Photochromic Lenses Drivewear lenses, from Younger Optics and Transitions Optical, are polarized photochromic lenses that darken when your patients wear them behind a car's windshield. These lenses darken to three shades, depending on the...

Contact lenses.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... Irregular Cornea Lenses Rose K2 IC (Irregular Cornea) gas permeable contact lenses, from Blanchard Contact Lens, are designed for patients who have pellucid marginal degeneration, globus keratoconus, post-graft ectasia and LASIK-induced...

Lab equipment.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... Edger Drill The Alta Edger Drill, from Briot, features a new design that allows it to tilt up to 30[degrees] to accommodate lenses with high base curves. The design also adjusts the groove and front or back bevel automatically. The Alta...

Dry eye.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... Protective Eyewear DryEyeWear, from Panoptx, is designed to prevent dry eye via its patented orbital foam seal. The seal completely encloses the eye while filtering air through, creating a sealed moisture chamber for each eye, the company...

Practice management.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... Claims Interface An interface for Vision Service Plan (VSP) claims submissions has been added to OD Professional by EMRlogic and Eyefinity. Users can now electronically submit VSP claims, non-VSP insurance claims and lab orders. Call...

What's new on the Web.(practice management training website)(www.mba-ce.com.)(Brief article)
December 15, 2006... Practice Management Training The MBA Web site, from the Management and Business Academy, offers practice management materials, tips, and guidelines. The site is sponsored by CIBA Vision and Essilor of America. Registration is required....

Exam equipment.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... Hand-Held Tonometer The hand-held, battery-powered Tono-Pen XL applanation tonometer, from Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments, weighs 2.25 ounces and features a 1.0mm transducer tip. The pen uses micro-strain gauge technology and displays the...

Office design.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... Display System The Versa Wall collection, from Eye Designs, is a space-friendly, wall-mounted display system designed for use in the dispensary or other sections of your office. The display pieces have a neutral finish. Call...

Frames.(Product Review)
December 15, 2006... DKNY by Luxottica Luxottica introduces six new frames by DKNY: * DY 4531, a women's zyl and Monel frame that has a narrow rectangular shape. It is available in sizes 50/16-135 and 52/16-135, and comes in colors light brown/beige with...

Meetings + conferences.(Calendar)
December 15, 2006... January 2007 * 5-6. The Medical College of Wisconsin's 25th Anniversary Midwinter Retina Symposium, Milwaukee, Wis. CE hours: TBD. Contact Diane Lopez, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226; call (414) 456-7875; fax (414)...

Save the date! Review of Optometry's Maui and Bermuda 2007 meetings!
December 15, 2006... Review of Optometry's Summer CE Symposium is coming to Maui in 2007. It will be held at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in beautiful Ka'anapali Beach, June 14 to 17. You can earn 14 CE credits! More information is forthcoming. Call 1-866-658-1772...

Sudden vision loss is a warning.(Diagnostic Quiz)
December 15, 2006... History A 51-year-old man, an old friend and neighbor, called my house at 7:30 a.m. complaining of complete loss of vision in his left eye. He said his vision was fine when he went to the bathroom at 4:00 a.m., but when he woke up at 6:00...