In his opening remarks, moderator Walter Stark, MD, professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, said that because cataracts are the major cause of blindness worldwide, he expects there will be more lens exchanges.

Morcher Implant Devices

Samuel Masket, MD, clinical professor of ophthalmology, UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute, said, "Morcher implant devices, aniridic rings that allow surgeons to reduce the size of the patient's pupil for eyes with iris defects, are crucial in reducing glare." Although an FDA compassionate device exemption is necessary in the United States, Masket is hopeful these viable and valuable devices will become more widely available for patients who have defective irises from birth defects or trauma.

Super Vision with Refractive Clear Lensectomy

Jack T. Holladay, MD, clinical professor of ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, emphasized the importance of assessing contrast sensitivity and spherical aberrations and explained the use of the Tecnis Z 9000 IOL, which allows light to focus perfectly on the retina, thus restoring contrast sensitivity and nighttime vision.

Implantable Miniature Telescope

Douglas Koch, MD, professor and chair of ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, said, "The IMT provides a 60 percent field of vision as opposed to only 20 percent with an external telescope for patients who have lost vision from macular degeneration." The IMT is currently in Phase I clinical trials. So far, 77 percent of patients achieved an improvement in central vision of two eye-chart lines, and 62 percent achieved an improvement of three lines.

Multifocal IOLs for Presbyopia

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American Academy of Ophthalmology
18-Nov-2003