EUROPEAN OPHTHALMIC REVIEW – VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1 – SUMMER 2014

Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery – A European Perspective The use of femtosecond laser cataract surgery (FLACS) was first reported in 2009,1 and currently it is spreading all across Europe. Despite the fact that the number of working units remains low, scientific interest is high. It seems that the ophthalmic community wants to avoid errors of […]

Dry eye disease (DED) is a highly prevalent dysfunction of the glands producing the tears, resulting in damage to the ocular surface. However, many patients do not recognise the symptoms of DED, so more cases remain under diagnosed. Without an early diagnosis and appropriate therapy, impairment in visual function, work place productivity and quality of […]

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) has recently been defined as a chronic, diffuse abnormality of the meibomian glands, commonly characterised by terminal duct obstruction and/or qualitative/ quantitative changes in the glandular secretion, which may result in alteration of the tear film, clinical apparent inflammation, ocular surface disease and symptoms of eye irritation.1 The association of this […]

There is now an increased recognition by clinicians that dry eye disease (DED) is a common disorder characterised by dryness and damage of the ocular surface. It affects quality of life, including aspects of physical, social and psychological functioning, because it induces ocular discomfort, burning sensation, light sensitivity, visual disturbances or even corneal erosions and […]

Patient demand for spectacle independence is growing. The advances in laser and non-laser technology have allowed ophthalmologists to offer their patients the freedom to choose between depending on their glasses, or to go spectacle free. Presbyopia, defined as the age-related loss of the ability to clearly accommodate onto near objects, has become the last frontier […]

Over the last few years, surgical extraction of a refractive lenticule, or ReLEx®, has evolved as a new treatment in the field of keratorefractive surgery. Currently, the VisuMax® femtosecond (FS) laser (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) is the only platform to offer this treatment. The 500 kHz VisuMax laser generates very fast pulses (10-15 s […]

The versatility, predictability, and unique properties of the femtosecond laser have allowed its application in multiple avenues of anterior segment surgery. Femtosecond lasers generate ultra-short pulses utilizing small amounts of energy and minimizing damage to any of the surrounding tissues.

Glaucoma is a chronic disease of the optic nerve, often associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), which can cause an irreversible loss of vision.1 IOP remains the most clinically important risk factor for developing and/or progressing glaucoma. In fact, international randomised clinical trials have demonstrated that reducing IOP can slow the progression of disease in […]

“ Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either .” Aesop The impact of ageing-associated diseases has increased exponentially due to the known factors of longer life expectancy (the ‘silver tsunami’), greater demands by the elderly for a good quality of life and the […]

The psychosocial impact of sight disorders in modern society is very high, since most information and sociocultural activities use visual function as their primary system. Even moderate reduction in vision prevents people from enjoying healthy and independent ageing and has a devastating impact on both an individual’s occupational life and on sociocultural activities.1–5 In parallel, […]

Diabetic macular oedema (DMO) is a major cause of blindness worldwide and its incidence is increasing due to the greater numbers of people with diabetes.1–4 The disease is a result of changes in retinal capillaries that leak and changes in the retinal pigment epithelium causing macular thickening, oedema and poor eyesight, leading to vision loss […]

Diabetic macular oedema (DMO) is the primary cause of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy. The treatment of chronic DMO has become a significant clinical challenge, a consequence of the rising prevalence of DMO as well as the significant proportion of eyes that are refractory to treatment. The global prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among individuals with […]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness among working-aged adults around the world.1 Despite the significance of this problem, and the rising prevalence of diabetes, notably in emerging Asian countries, such as India and China,2,3 there are few precise contemporary estimates of the worldwide prevalence of DR, particularly severe vision-threatening stages of the […]