Intravitreal injections are frequently administered to patients with wet macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion or diabetic eye disease. During the injection procedure, povidone-iodine drops are used to disinfect the ocular surface, which reduces the risk of post-injection infection in the eye (endophthalmitis – which is very rare but can cause significant visual loss if it… Read More
Encouraging results for new slow-release bimatoprost implant for glaucoma
Most patients with glaucoma have to instil eye drops every day. For many patients, it’s a hassle to remember to put them in, and we know that many patients don’t like the side-effects and/or sometimes forget to put them in. Bimatoprost is one of the eye drops often used daily to lower eye pressure. A… Read More
Scharioth Macula Lens – magnifier in the eye
The Scharioth Macula Lens (SML) is a magnifying add-on lens implant, designed for eyes which have already had cataract surgery and which also have macular disease such as macular degeneration. It aims to improve reading vision and near visual function significantly, by enabling reading of small print at short distances of around 15cm. The inventor… Read More
Laser-assisted cataract surgery – visual outcomes
In recent years femtosecond lasers have been used in a small number of centers to assist in cataract surgery, with theoretical benefits including more precise creation of corneal incisions and the anterior capsulotomy. However the majority of surgeons have failed to see this translate into any meaningful visual benefit for the patient, and indeed the… Read More
Avastin vs Lucentis for wet AMD
Avastin and Lucentis are intravitreal injections which are used to treat wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Avastin is not licensed for use in AMD but has a much lower cost and remains the most frequently used medicine for wet AMD in many countries, including the USA. A recent Cochrane systematic review analysed data from 6… Read More
Epimacular brachytherapy (X-rays) for wet macular degeneration
This novel treatment was designed for wet macular degeneration, and involves vitrectomy surgery combined with a device which shines radiation on the macula, in order to try to reduce the frequency of injections required. However after 12 months of treatment, it was not found to be effective, and in fact visual outcomes were worse when… Read More
OCT scans in monitoring glaucoma
This study examined over 4000 retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) OCT scans over a five year period of follow up in patients with glaucoma. Their findings confirm that progressive RNFL thinning (i.e. a change in optic nerve structure detected by OCT scans) can predict functional deterioration (i.e. progressive visual field loss) in glaucoma. This underscores… Read More
New anti-VEGF agent for wet macular degeneration
Brolucizumab, a novel anti-VEGF agent for wet macular degeneration, has reported promising results in phase II clinical trials, and Phase III trials are underway. What is interesting is that many patients appear to be maintained on one of these injections every 12 weeks. More data will doubtless become available from larger studies in due course.… Read More
Avastin (bevacizumab) for wet AMD does not increase risk of stroke or heart attack
One of the largest studies to date to examine the relationship between single or multiple intravitreal injections of Avastin (bevacizumab) for wet macular degeneration, studying several thousand patients from British Columbia in Canada, has not found any increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) or stroke in patients receiving the injections: http://www.ajo.com/article/S0002-9394%2815%2930005-2/abstract This is obviously… Read More
Routine use of non-steroidal drops after cataract surgery
There are two types of eye drop that can be used to control eye inflammation following cataract surgery – steroid drops, and non-steroidal drops (the latter of which are the eye drop equivalent of something like ibuprofen). Of the two classes, steroid drops are more effective (potent) and almost all surgeons routinely prescribe them following… Read More
