Ocular Surface Disease

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Cornea Clinical Committee has provided us another excellent guideline for the diagnosis and management of dry eye disease.

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery has a message for its membership and for the global community of ophthalmologists at large: Pay attention to the ocular surface before performing any type of refractive surgery.

In our cover story of this issue of Ocular Surgery News, we explore the ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee’s protocol for treating dry eye. I was part of this committee during the early days of Chris Starr formulating the protocol. What he and the committee eventually produced was an incredibly cohesive approach to ocular surface disease using today’s most modern tools.

KOLOA, Hawaii — At Hawaiian Eye 2020, Jennifer M. Loh, MD, discusses the impact that sharing a meibomian gland image can have in reinforcing to patients the need to treat their ocular surface disease.

KOLOA, Hawaii — A person who uses beauty products containing prostaglandins around their eyes and eyelashes may be spending a lot of money to contribute to their own dry eye, Laura M. Periman, MD, said at Hawaiian Eye 2020.

KOLOA, Hawaii — The ocular surface should not be forgotten when managing patients with glaucoma, according to a presenter at Hawaiian Eye 2020.

KOLOA, Hawaii — At Hawaiian Eye 2020, Mitchell A. Jackson, MD, founder and CEO of Jacksoneye in Lake Villa, Illinois, says that dry eye disease starts with educating a patient about dry eye disease and ocular surface disease. After that, the patient is evaluated using a questionnaire and then biomarker testing to determine objectively the severity of disease.

The ocular surface was found to change in patients treated with prostaglandin analogues, according to a literature review published in the Journal of Ophthalmology.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fixed combination therapies, new single agents with targeted mechanisms of action, laser surgery and future sustained release technologies may reduce the number of drops glaucoma patients need, Constance O. Okeke, MD, MSCE, said here at the Optometric Glaucoma Society meeting, held prior to the American Academy of Optometry meeting.

Drugs that treat systemic diseases can be lifesaving, but when these drugs lead to poor ocular health or vision, the treatment paradigms can be difficult to balance. When a systemic disease and its treatment are negatively affecting vision, hard choices need to be made.