Review of Optometry articles from February 2002

Review of Optometry archives from February 2002

Allergan plans to spin off its ophthalmic surgical and contact lens care business into a separate. (In the News).(Advanced Medical Optics)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Allergan plans to spin off its ophthalmic surgical and contact lens care business into a separate, independent company called Advanced Medical Optics. The core pharmaceutical business will retain the name Allergan.

Medicare now covers an annual dilated eye examination for all beneficiaries at high risk for glaucoma. (In the News).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Medicare now covers an annual dilated eye examination for all beneficiaries at high risk for glaucoma, effective January 1. The new benefit defines high risk as those with diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, and African Americans 50 and...

Art Optical Contact Lens Inc. (In the News).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Art Optical Contact Lens Inc. has achieved ISO 9001:2000 registration, a widely recognized quality management designation developed by the International Organization for Standardization. Art Optical is the first exclusive rigid contact lens...

CooperVision plans to purchase Biocompatibles Eyecare. (In the News).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... CooperVision plans to purchase Biocompatibles Eyecare, the contact lens business of the U.K.-based Biocompatibles International. Cooper Companies, the California-based parent company of CooperVision, expects the nearly $100 million transaction...

ARBO and NBEO consider merger: ASCO and AOA, stung by ABOP, reluctantly send representatives to the talks. (News Review).(Association of Regulatory Boards in Optometry; National Board of Examiners in Optometry; American Board of Optometric Practice)
February 15, 2002... The AOA and its affiliated Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), after calling for a halt in talks that could lead to the merger of two other optometric organizations, have since agreed to send representatives to those talks....

Postal service irradiates mail, but contact lenses safe for now. (News Review).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Contact lenses--among other items such as seeds, drugs, film and computer disks--may have been damaged by the massive doses of radiation used to sterilize the mail at two anthrax-tainted post offices, one near Washington D.C., and the other in...

Corneal Refractive Therapy: Why it's not the 'O' word. (News Review).
February 15, 2002... The FDA's Ophthalmic Devices Panel has recommended the agency grant full approval of Paragon Vision Sciences' Corneal Refractive Therapy contact lenses, Paragon CRT, for overnight wear for the temporary reduction of myopia and myopia with...

Viagra may be safe for glaucoma patients. (News Review).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Viagra (sildenafil), even at its maximum therapeutic dose, does not significantly alter intraocular pressure in men with well-controlled, chronic open-angle glaucoma, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have...

Silicone hydrogels may reduce risk of infection. (News Review).
February 15, 2002... A recent study comparing traditional extended wear contact lenses with those made of silicone hydrogel suggests the new material may carry a lower risk of infection. The FDA recently gave clearance to both Bausch & Lomb and CIBA-Vision to...

Ocular Sciences Inc. pursues lens scams. (News Review).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Contact lens manufacturer Ocular Sciences Inc. (OSI) won the first round in its suit against JG Optical, a New York-based contact lens whole-saler, when the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied JG Optical's motion...

Kicking the habit reduces risk for cataract. (News Review).(quitting smoking may help prevent cataracts)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Eye doctors know that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for cataract. But until now, no one has shown whether quitting smoking can reduce the chance for cataract. Researchers from Harvard Medical School looked at thousands of sublects...

Building bridges in your house. (Editor's page).
February 15, 2002... Rich Kirkner Editor's note: This is the second in a series of editorials on the direction of the profession. Whatever you read, just remember this: It's all about taking care of people's eyes. Of course, you know that. I only...

Do barbers cut their own hair? It's about time for all eye doctors to get their own eyes examined. (Chairside).
February 15, 2002... Who's your eye doctor? I mean, they're all idiots except you, right? Who can you trust with your eyes? I know, how about that doctor down the block? You guys used to serve on that committee at the church before the congregational riots of '97....

Raise the volume on treating CVS. (Letters & E-mail).(Letter to the Editor)
February 15, 2002... Kudos to Dr. Irving Bennett for his article "Computer Vision Care: Time to Raise the Noise Level" (November 2001). It's about time someone of his prominence stood up and took a stand for the millions of patients coming into our offices seeking...

The excitement has returned: Finally, 30-day wear is making a comeback. It's time to give these lenses a try. (Another perspective).
February 15, 2002... It has been a long time since I got excited about contact lenses. It hasn't been so long that I don't remember what it's like, but it has been long enough to make me miss those good old days. If you've been in practice for more than a...

Shouldn't it come from you? Your reputation can be influenced by how you address refractive surgery. (Management Review).
February 15, 2002... One of the most common arguments I hear from colleagues against referring patients for refractive surgery is that O.D.s lose patients due to lost examination and material fees. Many of my colleagues argue that when we recommend surgery, we're...

How fragile is your nest egg? Think you can fund your retirement by selling your practice? Many doctors find it's not that easy. (Practice Management).
February 15, 2002... Nine out of 10 optometrists say they are actively planning for retirement. But while many O.D.s have a clear desire to plan, not everyone's plans are clear. The results of a recent survey of our National Panel, Doctors of Optometry...

HRT II: Sizzle or substance? Here's what your colleagues really think about the HRT II. (Test Drive).
February 15, 2002... You get the brochure in the mail: "Product XYZ does it all! It's the new standard in care in optometry." Next, the reps begin to call you twice a week. They leave messages. You don't return their calls. Months later, you realize that they're...

The special patient, part II: Adapt and improvise for the mentally challenged; Information, communication and modification are the bywords for examining this population. (Patient Care).
February 15, 2002... More than 14 million Americans age 15 and older have a mental disability. That includes 1.9 million with Alzheimer's disease, senility or dementia, and 3.5 million with a learning disability, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. Many of these...

Third annual dry eye report tailor your treatments for contract lens wear: It's not always enough to simply refit or recommend drops to contact lens patients who have dry eye symptoms. (Dry Eye Report).
February 15, 2002... Many contact lens wearers don't start out with a dry eye condition. Rather, they acquire it after years of lens wear. As a result, dry eye syndrome often goes undetected for decades. Also, in many cases, we fail to effectively treat dry eye...

Third annual dry eye report the paradigm shift in dry eye therapy: New research into inflammatory causes may change your management approach. (Optometric Study Center).
February 15, 2002... Dry eye-related symptoms are among the most common complaints we hear from our patients. While lubricating drops and ointments and punctal plugs have been mainstays of dry eye treatments, a better understanding of the mechanisms and...

New horizons in glaucoma: Clinical grand rounds.
February 15, 2002... Release Date: February 15, 2002 Course Expiration Date: February 28, 2003 Goal Statement: This course reviews two case histories in which therapeutic flexibility prompted regimen changes that brought about favorable outcomes. It...

'Seasonal' flare-ups confound diagnosis of VKC: When anti-allergy drops didn't work, this doctor used steroids to alleviate the patient's problem. (Case Report).(vernal conjunctivitis)
February 15, 2002... A 26-year-old black male presented complaining of redness and pain in his eyes that had persisted for three days. He said the pain felt as though a needle was poking his eyes. On a scale of one to five, with five representing the greatest...

Solving symptoms by going off-label: Two agents prove viable for treatments beyond their FDA-approved indications. (Research Review).(Alphagan and Alrex)
February 15, 2002... Studies into off-label uses of ophthalmic drugs can help us understand options for treating problems we commonly see in practice. Two such problems--night glare after refractive surgery and dry eye--have been the subjects of recent studies into...

Hide and seek: The lost plug; There's a way to prevent losing punctal plugs before you insert them. Here's how. (Comanagement Q & A).
February 15, 2002... Q What is your experience with "lost" punctal plugs, and how can I avoid this? A Non-dissolving, or silicone, punctal plugs can become lodged in the lacrimal drainage system--the canaliculi, lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct. Before...

RGP lens needs readjusting: Front-cylinder lenses need prism ballasting to negate excess rotation. (Cornea & Contact Lens Q & A).
February 15, 2002... Q: I have a patient who has front surface cylinder on her RGP lenses (+1.00D X 10 O.D. and + 1.00D X 170 O.S.). Her vision is poor but seems to improve with the following over-refraction: +0.50 -1.00 X 145 O.D.; +0.75 -1.25 X 45 O.S. What's the...

Cancer patient's vision declines: There was no history of eye disease, and two new Rxes failed to solve the problem. (Retina Quiz).
February 15, 2002... A 49-year-old white male presented complaining of decreased vision for the last six months. During this time, two other doctors each prescribed a new spectacle Rx, but otherwise noted no ocular health problems. The patient has a history of...

Technology vs. tried and true: Optic nerve evaluation is still your key to accurate glaucoma diagnosis. (Therapeutic Forum).
February 15, 2002... Doctors now have a variety of new optic nerve and nerve fiber layer imaging technologies that can aid in our diagnosis and management of glaucoma. These instruments provide a tremendous amount of data to quantify the parameters of the optic...

A two-lens system for Presbyopia. (Contact Lenses).
February 15, 2002... CooperVision expanded its offering of specialty contact lenses with the new Frequency 55 Multifocal for monthly replacement. The company says you can achieve the right balance of optics with the Frequency 55 Multifocal by using what it calls a...

Acuvue 2 now in 'Colours'. (Contact Lenses).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Acuvue 2 now comes in a colored lens. Acuvue 2 Colours features the Acuvue 2 design and Vistakon's "colours-wrapped-in-comfort" technology. This manufacturing technique layers the color throughout the lens, and then sandwiches it in etafilcon...

Photochromics get thinner and lighter. (Product Spotlight).(new process from Transitions Optical Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Your high myopes who want lenses that darken outdoors and lighten indoors but couldn't bear the weight of conventional plastic lenses on their nose and face have a new option. Transitions Optical Inc. has developed a process that makes it...

A New Solo-care solution. (Contact Lens Care).(CIBA Vision)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... The FDA gave marketing clearance to CIBA Vision's SOLO-care PLUS. This New formulation of Solo-care is a one-bottle, no-rub, multipurpose solution for cleaning and disinfecting soft contact lenses replaced in 30 days or fewer. Patients need...

Thin, Light, Crizal and coated. (Ophthalmic Lenses).(Essilor of America lenses)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Essilor of America now offers Single Vision Thin & Lite 1.67 Crizal coated lens. This lens comes in an aspheric design with a range of +8.00D to -13.00D, with up to -4.00D cylinder. It features a 1.1 mm minimum center thickness. Lenses also...

Progressive for small frames. (Product Review).(Rodenstock North America; progressive lenses)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Rodenstock North America designed the Progressiv life XS progressive addition lens to fit smaller frames and still maintain a 16mm minimum fitting height. Progressiv life XS is available in diameter 70/75, with a power range of -10.00D to...

Lose the headwear. (Low vision Aids).(VisAble Video Telescope)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Researchers at Betacom, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Waterloo Centre for Sight Enhancement have developed the VisAble Video Telescope. In 1995, Johns Hopkins scientists developed a head-borne, helmet-like device called...

Calvin Klein 3021. (Sunwear).(Advertising)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... This unisex shield features an injected rubber logo and accent stripes to emphasize temples. The frames also have a CK logo button on the upper bridge. Colors are total eclipse (charcoal) with smoke flash fade lenses, typhoon (light blue) with...

Ray-Ban 2015 Daddy-0. (Sunwear).(Luxottica S.p.A.)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... This newest offering from Luxottica's Ray-Ban brand is an oval wrap with mirrored lenses. This matte black, plastic frame is available in size 59/16-125. Mirrored lens colors include smoke rose, blue fade, smoke fade and gold double gradient.

Nike Mojo. (Sunwear).(Nike Eyewear)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... Nike Eyewear by Marchon debuted Mojo at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah. This shield design was engineered for an expanded, unimpeded field of view. The frame also features a tight curve design for protection from the elements and sun...

What's limiting adduction ability? (Diagnostic Quiz).(Brief Article)
February 15, 2002... History An 85-year-old white male presented for an ophthalmic consultation after he had been admitted to the hospital for a cerebrovascular accident. I saw him while he was still in the hospital. His chief complaint: a sudden onset of...