EW Weekly, July 24, 2020

- Medicare Administrative Contractor establishes physician fee schedule code for intracanalicular inserts
- Six-month data from gene therapy trial for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa
- Study: Risk of ophthalmic corticosteroids in pregnancy
- ASCRS joins the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health
- Research highlights
- Product news
- A new study showed that if the optic nerve of one eye is damaged, the optic nerve of the second eye can step in to share the metabolic load. Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center used positron emission tomography imaging to show the movement of metabolites from a healthy optic nerve to one that was stressed, according to a press release. The researchers report that the healthy tissue that is contributing metabolic energy can become stressed itself and more susceptible to damage. The study authors propose this could explain how neurodegeneration can spread to other healthy areas of the brain. The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- A low-carb diet was associated with lower risk of a primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) subtype, according to research published online earlier this year and in print this month in the journal Eye. More than 185,000 patients were followed biennially from three U.S. cohorts (1976–2016, 1986–2016, and 1991–2017). The researchers’ data suggests that higher fat and protein consumption from vegetable sources (instead of carbohydrate sources) was associated with a lower risk of POAG with initial paracentral visual field loss.
- Optical quality in patients with dry eye disease was improved after intranasal neurostimulation to stimulate tear production, a recent study found. The cross-sectional review of 33 eyes (21 patients) found a decrease in objective scattering index 0.30±0.68 from baseline after the intranasal treatment, as well as a 2.12±9.2 improvement in modulation transfer function (this factor wasn’t statistically significant). This research is published in the journal Clinical Ophthalmology.
- Bausch + Lomb introduced PINNACLE 360 25-gauge Scleral Fixation Forceps, developed to aid in placement of scleral-sutured posterior chamber IOLs.
- Norlase received the CE mark for LEAF, a fiberless green laser that received FDA approval in October 2019.
- The Vera180 Synthetic Absorbable Lacrimal Plug (Lacrivera) received the CE mark.
This issue of EyeWorld Weekly was edited by Stacy Jablonski and Vanessa Caceres.
EyeWorld Weekly (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.
Medical Editors: Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Chief Medical Editor; Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, Cataract Editor; Clara Chan, MD, Cornea Editor; Nathan Radcliffe, MD, Glaucoma Editor; and Vance Thompson, MD, Refractive Editor
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