Browse articles on EyeWorld.org from the Cornea section. EyeWorld is the award-winning member publication of ASCRS. The magazine provides news and updates from the Society as well as clinical features in the areas of cataract, refractive, cornea, glaucoma, and practice management. It publishes quarterly with editorial direction from its medical editorial board and staff.
Three cornea specialists and one oculoplastics specialist agreed that, in some cases, closing the eyelid with either a permanent or temporary tarsorrhaphy is among the best treatments for corneal healing; the procedure is, in many ways, “the cornea’s best friend.”
“The articles in this issue’s Cornea section focus on challenging situations in cornea and the tools that we have to address them,” said Cornea Editor Julie Schallhorn, MD. She expressed her frustration with the current healthcare environment in meeting the needs of these more challenging patients.
Opacified corneas can present an additional challenge when preparing a patient for cataract surgery. Three physicians discussed how they handle these patients and specific considerations.
BrightMEM corneal allograft (Brightstar Therapeutics) is a new treatment option for ocular surface disease. Several sources discussed BrightMEM, their experience using it, and its treatment applications.
Many patients use drops to help with a variety of ophthalmic issues, however, one thing to consider is the formulation of these products, specifically if they have preservatives. Three ophthalmologists discussed the precautions with preservatives and shared the importance of monitoring for toxicity and potentially finding alternative treatment options.
In December 2020, the FDA issued “Dry Eye: Developing Drugs for Treatment Guidance for Industry” as a draft for public comment. William Boyd, MD, Deputy Division Director with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, shared with EyeWorld that the administration hopes to issue its final guidance soon.
Corneal cell therapy is being investigated as a new approach for patients in need of corneal transplantation and treatment for corneal diseases. EyeWorld spoke to several physicians who have experience in this area to hear about specific approaches being developed, current status and results, and the future of these options.
Julie Schallhorn, MD, shared the topics covered in the Cornea section, specifically noting that while she is excited for cultured endothelial cell therapies, she will “remember the ingenuity that went into the development of endothelial keratoplasty and the supreme teaching and innovation that made it a procedure adopted worldwide.”
Dry eye continues to be an important topic because of the many patients impacted and different ways it can present. Two cornea specialists highlighted some of the newer treatment options and how they are handling dry eye in their practice, including how they have updated their approach with experience.
In her introduction to the Cornea section, Julie Schallhorn, MD, pointed out that more and more, physicians are turning to chat groups and listservs when they face a hurdle. “I challenge our readers to think critically about the experiences and the anecdotes they encounter on listservs, chat groups, and social media,” she wrote.
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