Optometry Times

📢 June Issue Alert! The latest edition of Optometry Times is out now. Stay ahead with the latest research and insights in the field of optometry. Access the June 2024 issue here: https://bit.ly/3XA1CF9

Balance Ophthalmics announced the FDA has granted DeNovo classification of the FYSX Ocular Pressure Adjusting Pump, a new category of treatment for patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) with intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 21 mm Hg. John Berdahl, MD, founder and chairman of Balance Ophthalmics, pointed out in a news release the FDA classification of FYSX marks a tremendous advance in the company’s mission to provide better options for doctors managing their toughest glaucoma patients. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eD2XnjJM

"Professional practice guidelines can help to establish a level understanding for how a particular condition should be diagnosed and managed. Formal guidelines bridge the gap between different generations of optometrists, establishing evidence-based standards for all of us, whether we have been in practice for 2 years or 2 decades. And for primary eye care doctors like me, they can be a very helpful reminder. In any given day, I see patients ranging in age from 5 to 85 years, and I deal with conditions ranging from amblyopia to age-related macular degeneration. There are a lot of things on my radar, so I actively use guidelines from the American Optometric Association (AOA) to develop processes and protocols that keep my offices up to date, especially for conditions we might not see as often," writes Katie Gilbert Spear, OD, MPH. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5sYHiny

An 11-year-old boy presented to the Medical University of South Carolina Storm Eye Institute on June 7, 2023, complaining of recurrent pink eye since March 2023. The patient’s mother said she had not put her son back on medication since the previous occurrence. The patient presented with an ice pack on the right eye, with no relief. Prior to this exam, the patient was diagnosed with episcleritis vs scleritis based on the appearance of episcleritis and the pain described as consistent with scleritis. Viral conjunctivitis was ruled out due to lack of other infected family members and patient history, despite his having follicular conjunctivitis. The patient was treated with 250 mg ibuprofen 3 times a day and topical fluorometholone ophthalmic ointment 0.1% (FML; Allergan) 4 times a day. He was advised to return to the clinic if his symptoms worsened or did not improve. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e8ckxrkt

Bausch + Lomb has shared data from its inaugural State of Dry Eye survey, revealing information on patients’ experiences with dry eye symptoms and their knowledge regarding the condition. The survey was conducted online in the US by The Harris Poll on behalf of Bausch + Lomb and included a total of 2003 participants aged 18 years and older, according to a news release. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQGggFKZ

Busy preparing for the holiday weekend and got behind on your optometric news? Get caught up on this week's developments here: https://lnkd.in/exEbJH-4

Alcon has announced completion of its acquisition of Belkin Vision, developer of the Belkin Vision Eagle direct selective laser trabeculoplasty (DSLT) for the treatment of glaucoma. The companies have agreed to a total upfront consideration of $81 million USD, including a cash payment of approximately $65 million, according to a news release. The deal also includes the potential for up to $385 million in payments, which is contingent on sales-based milestones. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eycDzdgR

Visual field (VF) testing is a critical tool for evaluating vision loss and identifying and monitoring diseases such as glaucoma. For all its diagnostic virtue, it has long been a pain point for eye care professionals, their practices, and most especially their patients. Standard automated perimetry (SAP) consumes considerable time and physical space, negatively impacting practice efficiency. The test is difficult and uncomfortable, causing fatigue and frustration among patients and technicians. This can lead to poor, if not useless, results due to fixation losses, false positives, and other reliability issues with the field. Read more: https://lnkd.in/etcr72hD

Enjoy a spectacular Independence Day! May your holiday be bright and your vision clear. Happy July 4th! #FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay #Optometry #EyeCare #Vision

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved biosimilar to Eylea, aflibercept-mrbb (Ahzantive), for the treatment of patients with age-related neovascular (wet) macular degeneration (nAMD). The biosimilar has also been approved for treatment in patients with serious retinal diseases such as diabetic macular edema (DME), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO). In addition to Ahzantive, 2 other aflibercept biosimilars were recently approved by the FDA, Biocon Biologics's Yesafili (aflibercept-jbvf) and Samsung Bioepis Opuviz (aflibercept-yszy). Read more: https://lnkd.in/evAZcwe8