Record attendees flock to DOC

NUREMBURG, Germany — More than 4,000 ophthalmologists attended the 14th annual meeting of the Deutschen Ophthalmochirurgen (DOC), a new attendance record, according to the meeting organizers. Participants at the conference, one of the largest general ophthalmology meetings in Europe, had the opportunity to advance their skills, see live surgery, learn about late developments and interact with doctors and industry representatives. Among the highlights:

Robert Stegmann, MD, of Pretoria, South Africa, received the von Graefe award for his contributions to ophthalmic surgery. Dr. Stegmann was honored for his many contributions to ophthalmic surgery, such as his work on the development of Healon in the 1970s.

Rupert M. Menapace, MD, of Vienna, noted in his presentation "IOL optics with sharp edges: the only sufficient option for the prophylaxis of secondary cataract?" that square-edged lens optics, while ideal in creating a barrier, have not been found to be a permanent barrier to cell migration onto the lens surface. More important than the edge design of the optic is the fibrosis-inducing potential of different lens materials, he said.

R. Preissler, MD, of Fürth, recommended that physicians have a witness to the informed-consent, patient-counseling process for elective refractive surgery. Dr. Preissler believes having a witness is the single most important defensive step a physician can take as a precautionary measure against lawsuits. The witness can be a nurse, technician or other medical staff member, he said.

Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, of New Orleans, presented early results of her investigation of aberrometry-guided LASIK treatment group. She said vision improvements approaching 20/8 vision have been obtained in some patients and could be possible for many patients in the near future.

Phillipe Sourdille, MD, of Nantes, France, discussed using deep sclerectomy with intraoperative mitomycin C after failure of previous trabeculectomies. Of 56 eyes in his study, 35 are off medication. No serious side effects were reported in the patients, who had an average follow-up time of 28 months.