US SENSORY DISORDERS – VOLUME 1 – SPRING 2006

Exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) develops in approximately 10 of out 1000 people per three-year period in the US, which projects an estimated 125,000 new cases per year. Exudative AMD is the commonest cause of legal blindness in developed countries. Given the increasing size of the aging population, this condition presents a substantial threat to […]

AMD is generally categorized as nonneovascular (dry) or neovascular (wet). Clinical findings of non-neovascular AMD include drusen, pigmentary changes, and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium with resultant gradual visual decline. Neovascular AMD occurs when choroidal neovascularization (CNV) penetrates through compromised areas of Bruch’s membrane and into the potential space between the retina and retinal […]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important cause of visual morbidity that affects an estimated 11.8 million diagnosed and 4.9 million undiagnosed individuals in the US.1 Among individuals 40 years and older with DM, it is estimated that 40.3% have some degree of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and 8.2% have visionthreatening retinopathy.2 The rates of retinopathy and […]

Dry eye syndrome is a common disorder that results from decreased tear production, excessive tear evaporation, or abnormality in mucin or lipid components of the tear film. Accepted science states that the tear film comprises three layers: a superficial thin lipid layer produced by the meibomian glands, a middle thick aqueous layer produced by the […]

Cataract surgery transformed radically this past century. From cocaine topical anesthesia, immobilized patients, and extracapsular technique on ‘ripe’ cataracts we advanced to retrobulbars, sutured incisions, and intracapsular technique. Today’s techniques recapitulate those of old, with topical anesthesia and intact capsular bag support of implants enabling virtually instant visual recovery, minimal discomfort, and immediate resumption of […]

Cataract surgery and phacoemulsification techniques have advanced dramatically over the past 10 years.The concept was first introduced by Dr Charles Kelman,1heralding the era of modern cataract extraction and paving the way for small incision surgery. Since then, the trend has been toward smaller incision surgery with less induced astigmatism and less traumatic surgery by using […]

Members of the baby boom generation, born following World War II, are entering their senior years.They are a generation accustomed to technological change and adopting it into their work and personal lives. As they age they are encountering presbyopia and are, we believe, eager to take advantage of surgical options for managing it. At the […]

While there are seemingly weekly advances in the genetic classification of corneal dystrophies, clinicians generally differentiate them by their anatomic depth. From a practical standpoint, the level of the pathology in the cornea directly impacts both the patient’s symptoms and their treatment options. Anterior disease is more likely to cause painful erosions and corneal epithelial […]