One-month-old babies with serious eye conditions are being prescribed contact lenses. Infants are given contact lenses if they have cataract surgery, need extremely high-strength prescription glasses, or have very different prescriptions for the two eyes. The Kenya Union of the Blind is working in conjunction with Computer Aid International, to supply visually-impaired Kenyan schoolchildren with technological aid in the classroom.

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The new Bausch and Lomb Akreos MICS lens, already on the market in other countries, is now available for U.S. cataract patients. The lens can be inserted through a tiny, 1.8mm incision, for better wound sealability, reduction in below-the-surface cell loss and reduction in surgery-caused astigmatism, according to the company. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted the New Technology Intraocular Lens designation to the lens for its design that reduces spherical aberration.

LenSx Lasers has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its LenSx femtosecond laser. The approval marks the first time a femtosecond platform has been cleared by the FDA for performing anterior capsulotomy during cataract surgery. Preliminary clinical evaluation demonstrated the ability of the laser platform to produce capsulotomies with diameters that were significantly more uniform and reproducible than manually created capsulorrhexes.

A gene associated with the formation of age-related cataract, a leading cause of blindness, has been identified by scientists. According to the study published in the July 31 issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, the EphA2 gene encodes an enzyme that plays a role in the repair of damaged proteins in the eye. However, the expression of the EphA2 gene decreases with age. As a result, damaged proteins can clump together and cause the eye lens to become cloudy, leading to obscured vision.

Alcon, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its +3.0 diopter add power AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® IOL. This new lens, which was introduced in many major markets outside the United States in early 2008, is now approved in the U.S. for cataract surgery in patients with presbyopia. This lens is another technology advancement for the AcrySof® IQ ReSTOR® platform, which has been the number one choice of surgeons to correct presbyopia in cataract patients since it was introduced in 2005.

ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced the preliminary analysis of a late-stage trial in Xibrom QD. Xibrom is a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compound for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery. The result shows to have achieved statistical significance in meeting the primary efficacy endpoint of absence of ocular inflammation 15 days following surgery. The company recently completed Phase III clinical program of Xibrom QD. The program enrolled 282 patients who underwent cataract surgery in two U.S. multi-center, parallel-group, vehicle-controlled studies to evaluate Xibrom 0.09% dosed once daily to vehicle (placebo).

The U.S. food and Drug Administration has approved safety labeling revisions for Bausch & Lomb, Inc.’s  Retisert (a fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant). The new labeling includes warnings based on the now available 3-year clinical reports. Use of the product can cause cataracts which require surgical removal in all phakic eyes within an average 3-year period. About 77% of patients will need drugs to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) within this period, and around 37% of patients may require filtering procedures for controlling elevated IOP.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the pre-market approval to Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.’s Healon D®. To be used as a surgical aid in procedures such as corneal transplant, cataract extraction, glaucoma filtration and implantation of intraocular lens (IOL), the ophthalmic visco-surgical device (OVD) offers incomparable clarity in the field of surgery and protects corneal cells well. Its molecular weight being low, Healon D® stays in place for the entire process of surgery. It ensures safer environment for doctors and patients as it is latex free.

American eye care products developer Alcon laboratories has designed a new lens called Acry Sof Natural Lens, which, it claims to be a better replacement lens. Patients who undergo cataract surgery often complain of the replacement lens being like a pair of heavy-duty sunglasses. The new lens from Alcon promises to filter out rays that can be dangerous. The existing lenses block only UV rays from reaching to the eye. Acry Sof claims to blocks blue light too. But, there is no difference in the costs of the conventional lenses.

Dr Uday Devgan, a MD, FACS has offered some helpful points to succeed in the presbyopic IOL while going for Cataract surgery. The first thing to be done is post-op emmetropia with the use of precise lens calculations with either immersing ultrasound or the Zeiss IOLMaster, as well as personalization of the A-constant. Selection of the right kind of patients by understanding their expectations is the key to success. Sufficient care has to be taken so that complications are minimized. Producing clear corneas on post-op day 1 is important for patient satisfaction. This can be done by reducing the phaco energy placed into the eye and protecting the cornea with a good quality viscoelastic. Cleaning up the cortex can be done by silicone coated I&A tip. This avoids direct contact of bare metal of I&A tip with the delicate posterior capsule.