ESCRS Homepage

MAY 2003
IN THIS ISSUE

SARS crisis curbs ophthalmic surgery as hospitals shut down

Dry eye patients take pick as new treatments flood market
Sealed capsule irrigation device could cut PCO after cataract
Clinical debates set tone for symposia at XXI ESCRS Congress in Munich
Drug-free cryoanalgesia freezes out discomfort
in patients undergoing phaco, say surgeons
Hypertensive retinopathy doubled in African Americans
Telemedicine delivers advanced vision screening for diabetic eye disease in remote regions
Software becomes a key player in gauging
influence of IOL design on PCO development
New antimuscarinic drug halves progression of myopia over 12 months in children, study shows
Catheter-based anaesthesia may deliver gains over single needle approach for longer eye operations
Implantation of capsular tension ring lowers PCO after cataract surgery, study shows
Quality of vision improved with ORK-W system
Wavefront-guided PRK causes less increase in overall aberrations than conventional PRK in myopic patients
Intacs inserts hold promise for treatment of post-Lasik corneal ectasia after Lasik surgery, says specialist
Hansatome upgrade reduces epithelial defects
Specially adapted suction trephine could help eliminate corneal peripheral toxicity associated with alcohol use
Cataract removal and visual stimulation may delay course of dementia in elderly patients
WhiteStar power upgrade reduces phaco energy
by up to 40% after eight-month ‘learning curve’
Nano-encapsulated contact lenses could offer another means of delivering ocular medications
Topical antibiotic proves a powerful ally in fight against postoperative ocular infection
FEATURES
From The Editor
Guest Editorial: Can IOL designers meet the challenge?
Reflections on Refractive Surgery
In Your Good Books
Outlook On Industry
Digital Opthalmologist
An Eye On Travel
Regulatory Matters


From The Editors: By Paul Rosen FRCS, FRCOphth

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is now making the headlines in every newspaper in Europe – and that includes EuroTimes.
It has the potential to cause not only huge human mortality and morbidity, but also severe economic damage. As an international organisation, the ESCRS is only too aware of the potential restrictions on travel and communication. One of the most recent casualties is the ESCRS - affiliated EuroAsian meeting in Shanghai which has been
postponed until October 2003.

This meeting had already attracted much support and I am sure we all join in urging the organisers to be patient and determined to reorganise it in less troubled times.
A feature of this issue is posterior capsule opacification (PCO) and I would like to thank Philip Sourdille MD for his contribution on this. PCO remains one of the most significant problems in cataract surgery; its solution is in part simple with modified lens design, but is also likely to involve complex polymers containing anti-fibroblast agents to modify the wound healing response.

As always it is very exciting to see articles describing clever innovations which I hope will stimulate all of us to think laterally. The article featuring Per Julius Nielsen MD on
VisThesia is both innovative and obvious and something all of us can benefit from.

Conversely, we have all thought about nano-encapsulated contact lenses (Anuj Chauhan PhD) but they involve sophisticated bio-engineering. From Toronto, Canada David Wong MD reminds us that we should all be looking at our own practices critically to see if we can work more efficiently and effectively and improve the patient pathway.
Finally, I would like to encourage everyone to use their imaginations and look for innovative and simple ways to improve our practice. Perhaps the Society could make an award for such endeavour.

PAUL ROSEN

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