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Technology Spotlight Laser Photocoagulation Systems for Diabetic Retinopathy and Other Retinal Disorders
Jan 19 '05 - Today’s laser photocoagulation systems offer a diverse, flexible platform to treat diabetic retinopathy and other retinal disorders. Several photocoagulation systems incorporate multiple lasers at multiple wavelengths, allowing the Ophthalmologist to easily switch back and forth to tailor treatment for each patient. Delivery systems are equally diverse, and many systems have adapters for the slit lamp and indirect ophthalmoscope, as well as endoprobes for surgical endophotocoagulation during vitrectomy. The Ophthalmologist also may consider portability, power requirements, digital displays, voice output, type of foot pedal, and other accessories for customizing their own laser photocoagulation system.
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Technology Spotlight Cryotherapy in Ophthalmology: a 40+ year legacy
Jan 12 '05 - The advent of cryotherapy in the 1960s has allowed Ophthalmologists to treat a variety of ocular disorders. The most notable disease for which cryotherapy has been used successfully is retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Yamashita and colleagues first reported the efficacy of cryotherapy for ROP in 1972, but widespread use of cryotherapy for ROP was adopted years later. The “cryo-ROP” study, published in 1990, showed that at 12 months, an unfavorable outcome from threshold disease occurred in 47% of control eyes, but only 26% of treated eyes.
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Technology Spotlight Accurate Measurement of Axial Length by Ultrasound and Optical Biometry
Dec 15 '04 - Accurate measurement of the globe’s axial length is a critical factor in detecting disease and determining the power of the posterior chamber intraocular lens placed during cataract surgery. Axial length measurements also give the surgeon an idea of the operation’s level of difficulty and may provide clues to potential problems that may be encountered during surgery. Devices that precisely measure the axial length are therefore important tools in the ophthalmologist’s armamentarium. Traditionally, these devices have consisted of stand-alone contact ultrasound A-scanners. However, manufacturers are now combining A-scan capabilities into other devices, such as pachymeters. Furthermore, newer technologies are being introduced that provide accurate, non-contact ways to assess axial length.
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Technology Spotlight Emerging Technologies for Treating Keratoconus
Dec 12 '04 - Keratoconus is a chronic corneal disease that can be difficult to diagnose and complicated to treat. Ophthalmologists traditionally have relied on a set algorithm to treat keratoconus, based on disease severity and modified depending on the patient’s specific expectations and visual requirements. This algorithm - which relies on spectacles and rigid contact lenses for mild to moderate disease, then keratoplasty for advanced disease – has been adopted in part because few alternative technologies have been available to ameliorate the visual impairment caused by keratoconus. However, advances in refractive surgery technologies continue to spur novel ways to treat ophthalmic diseases, and innovations in corneal ring segments and excimer lasers may offer new hope in bridging the gap between contact lenses and keratoplasty for keratoconus patients.
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Technology Spotlight Pachymeters for Glaucoma Diagnosis and Management
Nov 25 '04 - Until recently, pachymetric measurement of central corneal thickness (CCT) has been the exclusive territory of corneal specialists. After all, pachymetry is an important tool to evaluate the health of the cornea, measuring its thickness to assess a capacity to pump out excess fluid and maintain clarity. Corneal specialists and general ophthalmologists continue to rely on accurate corneal pachymetry readings to manage patients with corneal ectasias (e.g., keratoglobus, pellucid degeneration, keratoconus), Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy, bullous keratopathy, corneal rejection post – penetrating keratoplasty, and other causes of corneal edema. However, an increasing number of ophthalmologists are now obtaining CCT measurements on patients with (or suspected to have) glaucoma.
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Technology Spotlight Ophthalmic Viscosurgical Devices in Ocular Surgery
Nov 17 '04 - A spectrum of viscoelastic substances have been developed and refined specifically for ophthalmic surgery. Today, viscoelastics are an integral part of intraocular surgery. Viscoelastics are no longer used simply to deepen the anterior chamber; careful injection of viscoelastic protects corneal endothelium, prevents nuclear fragments from passing into the posterior chamber, or breaks iris adhesions in small pupil cataract operations. In addition, different types of viscoelastics are available that meet different surgical needs.
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