Innovations and Innovators in Ophthalmology
Innovations and Innovators in Ophthalmology
Hi. I am Dr. Roger Steinert, Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine, and Director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. I am reporting on Monday at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting. The weather continued to be excellent through the weekend and is still sunny and warm.
Monday brings 2 major highlights to ASCRS: in the morning, the Charles D. Kelman Innovator's Lecture and the induction of the latest person being honored as a major innovator, and the film festival in the evening.
The lectures preceding the innovator's lecture centered on several themes. The first 3 lectures were about the retina, an interesting and important topic for an anterior segment meeting, emphasizing 2 areas. One topic was the development of electrodes, and other artificial detection systems for patients who are blind from retinal disease but have functioning optic nerves. Two lectures were given on that topic: one by the group from the University of Southern California, who just received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in February for limited implantation in blind retinitis pigmentosa patients. A somewhat different strategy with higher-density electrodes was reported from Stanford University under the direction of Dr. Daniel Palanker.
The third retinal lecture was given by Dr. Henry Klassen from the University of California, Irvine, who reviewed stem cell therapy for retinal degenerations -- the state of this field and where it is going. His technique uses retinal progenitor stem cells, which have declared themselves to be retinal cells, so there is no danger of teratomas, or of bone growing inside the eye, for example. He also discussed how the cell line can be maintained at that still relatively early stage and allowed to go through many generations of multiplication. In their animal and preliminary human work, they found that these stem cells not only can grow photoreceptors, but perhaps of greater importance, also have trophic factors (growth factors) that have yet to be isolated but have a very positive influence on salvaging the existing retina that otherwise would die off.
This lecture was followed by 3 anterior segment talks. I gave a lecture on our work with evolving femtosecond laser technology to do smooth dissection in the deep cornea, both for deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and potentially for eye banks to prepare ultrathin donor tissue for ultrathin Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). Dr. Doug Koch, last year's innovator awardee, expanded further on his work on posterior corneal astigmatism and understanding that phenomenon and refining our intraocular lens prediction formulas for correction of astigmatism. Continuing on the astigmatism theme, a past innovator honoree, Dr. Bob Osher talked about and gave examples of techniques for properly orienting toric intraocular lenses.
The innovator's lecture of the newest inductee as a Kelman innovator was given by Dr. Richard Mackool of Astoria, New York. Dr. Mackool is well known for his innovations in phacoemulsification instrumentation, such as reduction of fluid leakage through better sleeves and understanding and managing fluidics better. His well-known phacoemulsification tips have been published for many years and put into book form. He described his hooks to stabilize and support the capsular bag when zonules are weak. It was a very well-received lecture and a great session.
This is Dr. Roger Steinert, on behalf of Medscape. Thanks very much for listening.
Hi. I am Dr. Roger Steinert, Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine, and Director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. I am reporting on Monday at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) annual meeting. The weather continued to be excellent through the weekend and is still sunny and warm.
Monday brings 2 major highlights to ASCRS: in the morning, the Charles D. Kelman Innovator's Lecture and the induction of the latest person being honored as a major innovator, and the film festival in the evening.
The lectures preceding the innovator's lecture centered on several themes. The first 3 lectures were about the retina, an interesting and important topic for an anterior segment meeting, emphasizing 2 areas. One topic was the development of electrodes, and other artificial detection systems for patients who are blind from retinal disease but have functioning optic nerves. Two lectures were given on that topic: one by the group from the University of Southern California, who just received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in February for limited implantation in blind retinitis pigmentosa patients. A somewhat different strategy with higher-density electrodes was reported from Stanford University under the direction of Dr. Daniel Palanker.
The third retinal lecture was given by Dr. Henry Klassen from the University of California, Irvine, who reviewed stem cell therapy for retinal degenerations -- the state of this field and where it is going. His technique uses retinal progenitor stem cells, which have declared themselves to be retinal cells, so there is no danger of teratomas, or of bone growing inside the eye, for example. He also discussed how the cell line can be maintained at that still relatively early stage and allowed to go through many generations of multiplication. In their animal and preliminary human work, they found that these stem cells not only can grow photoreceptors, but perhaps of greater importance, also have trophic factors (growth factors) that have yet to be isolated but have a very positive influence on salvaging the existing retina that otherwise would die off.
This lecture was followed by 3 anterior segment talks. I gave a lecture on our work with evolving femtosecond laser technology to do smooth dissection in the deep cornea, both for deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and potentially for eye banks to prepare ultrathin donor tissue for ultrathin Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). Dr. Doug Koch, last year's innovator awardee, expanded further on his work on posterior corneal astigmatism and understanding that phenomenon and refining our intraocular lens prediction formulas for correction of astigmatism. Continuing on the astigmatism theme, a past innovator honoree, Dr. Bob Osher talked about and gave examples of techniques for properly orienting toric intraocular lenses.
The innovator's lecture of the newest inductee as a Kelman innovator was given by Dr. Richard Mackool of Astoria, New York. Dr. Mackool is well known for his innovations in phacoemulsification instrumentation, such as reduction of fluid leakage through better sleeves and understanding and managing fluidics better. His well-known phacoemulsification tips have been published for many years and put into book form. He described his hooks to stabilize and support the capsular bag when zonules are weak. It was a very well-received lecture and a great session.
This is Dr. Roger Steinert, on behalf of Medscape. Thanks very much for listening.
Source...