2020 year in review: Still 20/happy for our industry
A premium surgeon takes a look back at some positive events from last year.
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As I approach my eighth year straight of writing this monthly column, I still enjoy my year in review submission the most.
Last year, 2020, started out to be a grand year in which most of us premium surgeons were experiencing 20/happy outcomes daily. And then came the pandemic. Many of us were suddenly not 20/happy for a variety of reasons, and many of us are still facing the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Rather than focusing on the negative, I wanted to share my positive top 10 events of 2020 as it related to eye care or myself personally during this trying time. As I approach my 82nd monthly column, here are my top 10 events.
No. 10. Grouping this slot with all the great technologies coming out hopefully in 2021: TearClear preservative-free eye drop delivery device, Tarsus Demodex blepharitis treatment, and the variety of presbyopia drops from Allergan, Orasis, Visus, Presbyopia Therapies and Novartis.
No. 9. Upneeq (oxymetazoline hydrochloride solution 0.1%, RVL Pharmaceuticals) is indicated for the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis in adults. A great temporary solution to avoid surgery for many patients.
No. 8. Eysuvis (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.25%, Kala Pharmaceuticals) is the first topical steroid to receive FDA approval for short-term treatment (up to 2 weeks) for the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.
No. 7. The OLYMPIA dry eye study examined using TearCare treatment (Sight Sciences) to apply heat to the eyelids, and it showed non-inferiority to LipiFlow (Johnson & Johnson Vision) when looking at Ocular Surface Disease Index, tear breakup time and meibomian gland score secretion in the randomized, multicenter, masked study of 235 adults.
No. 6. Santen moved back into the ocular pharmaceutical world by adding Flarex (fluorometholone acetate ophthalmic suspension 0.1%), Tobradex ST (tobramycin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.05% ophthalmic suspension) and Zerviate (cetirizine ophthalmic solution 0.24%) to its portfolio with the acquisition of Eyevance.
No. 5. SimplifEYE IOL delivery system (Bausch + Lomb) for the EnVista monofocal MX60PL and toric MX60PT IOLs now streamlines the IOL delivery system with more consistent results. The preloaded toric version is the first preloaded toric IOL available in the United States.
No. 4. Adding the Light Adjustable Lens (RxSight) to our premium IOL options at my practice locks in more consistent outcomes in our new premium IOL category called “Legal to Drive Elite.”
No. 3. Dextenza (dexamethasone ophthalmic insert 0.4 mg, Ocular Therapeutix) and Dexycu (dexamethasone intraocular suspension 9%, EyePoint Pharmaceuticals) provide viable steroid alternatives for after cataract surgery, replacing the cumbersome burden of relying on patient compliance. These alternatives are now being used in up to 70% of my cataract cases.
No. 2. The Vivity IOL (Alcon), the newest addition in premium IOL technology approved this year, is a non-diffractive technology that provides for distance and intermediate vision without the side effects of halos, similar to the profile of a monofocal IOL.
No. 1. My annual #CelebrateLife will never end. COVID-19 brought all of us an unexpected road bump and a “new normal” in what was supposed to be the “year of the eye,” 2020. Instead, we need to look at the 20/happy for our industry, for the safety and health of our loved ones, and in memory of the Chinese ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, MD, who first raised the alarm about the coronavirus in December 2019, was reprimanded by his government, and then later contracted the disease himself and passed away shortly afterward. We have had time during quarantine to reevaluate personal focus and take part in much-needed quality family time. As we are in close contact with our patients in our profession, I wish health and safety to all my premium surgeons and pray for improvement in 2021.
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