Preceeding the AAO, retina specialists have a 2 day meeting of their own. It's a time for me to take classes or instructional courses on subjects related to my sub-specialty of retinal disease. Other sub-specialists (cornea, pediatic ophthalmology, glaucoma) do the same. Our meeting is focused on all things retina...naturally. Not much new information was presented … [Read more...]
Parents’ Weekend and Your Eye Exams
October 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Your eye exams and parents' visits to college are similar. Both are necessary types of checkups, even when you don't suspect a problem. I have two kids in college and had simultaneous parents' weekends. We drove to southern Maryland (SMCM) on Saturday and I went to Pennsylvania (DelVal) solo on Sunday (our pee wee hockey players had games on Sunday). Parents' … [Read more...]
Intraocular Drug Delivery Systems Gaining Momentum
September 30, 2010 By 6 Comments
The era of intraocular drug delivery has started. A year ago, Allergan began shipping Ozurdex to the private sector. As with most of these “injections,” Ozurdex is injected into the vitreous cavity. Ozurdex releases the steroid dexamethasone for 4-6 months. Ozurdex for Retinal Vein Occlusions and Uveitis The mainstay of treatment for retinal vein occlusions … [Read more...]
Iluvien Gets Closer to FDA for Diabetic Retinopathy
September 1, 2010 By 5 Comments
Iluvien, an injectable drug delivery system for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, gets closer to becoming FDA approved. Alimera Sciences announced this week that the FDA has given the investigational device "Priority Review" status. Priority Review status hastens the chances of full FDA endorsement from 10 months to 6 months. What is Iluvien? Iluvien is a … [Read more...]
How to Diagnose Macular Degeneration
August 30, 2010 By 1 Comment
Unlike the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy, a patient with macular degeneration must have symptoms of the disease for the diagnosis to be made. In most cases, the retina should have characteristic "damage," and, most importantly, the patient must be having symptoms, i.e. decreased vision and/or distortion. In Whom We Make the Diagnosis Patients afflicted with macular … [Read more...]
Diabetes? 4 Things You Need to Know
August 6, 2010 By 1 Comment
I tell every new diabetic patient I meet 4 things: they are going to develop diabetic retinopathy regular eye exams prevent vision loss good sugar control doesn't save them and their other doctors are dead wrong. It is a message I have developed to hammer home the idea that diabetic retinopathy can be blinding and most doctors don't understand how this … [Read more...]
Iluvien Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema
July 1, 2010 By 10 Comments
Iluvien gets closer to FDA approval for treatment of diabetic macular edema. Earlier this week, I wrote about emerging treatments for diabetic retinopathy. Of the group, Iluvien is now the most likely to be available. Alimera Sciences has filed for NDA (New Drug Application) for Iluvien. In March, the company announced the favorable results in their clinical … [Read more...]
Emerging Treatments for Diabetic Macular Edema
June 28, 2010 By 1 Comment
The standard treatment for diabetic macular edema is still laser photocoagulation (laser treatment). The treatment has been utilized for about 30 years, yet newer, and better, treatments are on the horizon. Diabetic macular edema is the biggest, most common, complication of diabetic retinopathy. Most patients with diabetes will develop some degree of this type of … [Read more...]
Sudden Vision Loss is Painless
June 8, 2010 By 10 Comments
True sudden vision loss can occur from a variety of reasons and are considered emergencies. Most commonly retinal disease is the culprit. Almost all causes of are painless. While both macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness, they both usually do so slowly. There are exceptions. Vision Loss from Diabetes Vision lost from diabetic … [Read more...]
