|
AXL from the Pioneers of Crosslinking: Ethics Approved for the Next Level of Crosslinking Science
 | 
| Rebecca McQuaid - Along with being an Ophthalmic Technician and Research Assistant, Rebecca is currently undertaking a Masters Degree in Physics and Cornea Diagnostics, sponsored by the Wellington Eye Clinic, at University College Dublin. Maria Galligan BSc – In conjunction with being at the forefront of vision services at the Wellington Eye Clinic, Maria works with the Clinic in association with the National Digital Research Council, as well as the Dublin Institute of Technology. | Rebecca presents Accelerated Corneal Crosslinking - at the 7th annual Corneal Cross-Linking Congress. It was a presentation which was highly received by the congressional audience, with many of the great names in Ophthalmology in attendance. Rebecca actively works with a team of respected international experts in the field, including principal figures such as Professor Michael Mrochen in Zürich, Switzerland, and Dr. Prema Padmanabhan in Chennai, India. |
The Wellington Eye Clinic introduces Accelerated Corneal Cross-Linking. - AXL - The leading edge of Crosslinking Science and its Optimization since its Invention. Fully mindful accuracy in evidence based medicine to fully wining Ethics Approval - for the procedure time to be reduced from 30 minutes to 10 minutes, by using a CE approved higher intensity Ultra-Violet lamp.
KC Patients: The Inbetweeners - Stuck In The Middle with Keratoconus Sandy - Going Blind Waiting
At first, Sandy Weatherhead dismissed her blurred vision as just a normal part of the aging process. "I thought 'Oh, I'm getting old. I need glasses," the 41-year-old Simcoe woman said. A couple of doctor's appointments later, Weatherhead learned her situation was far worse...
Keraflex: The World’s First Treatment to Correct KC Corneas without Any Cutting
The advantages of Keralex for Keratoconus continues the research interest to match patients expectations, with consistent results before this intervention becomes widely available to those who may benefit. As the only, quick to perform, non-surgical, non-invasive vision correction treatment for Keratoconus that reshapes the cornea without tissue removal.
...that’s the mystery of grace, it never comes too late.
Click Here Read More Paulig Augenklinik|Praxis Bahnhofstr 60 03046 Cottbus & Friedrichstr 89 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Rescue Today and Rescue Tomorrow: Exceptional Evidence Based Medicine Delivery The CXL Congress Award Winning Presentation CXL with or without epithelial abrasion: Is there any difference in corneal biomechanics? 'Exceptional Delivery' Eberhard Spoerl, PhD, Frederik Raiskup-Wolf, MD. Click Here Read More Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Dresden, Germany.
In memory of Dr. Newton Wesley: A KC Patient who Pioneered Contact Lenses "Wesley was way ahead of his time and pioneered the use of contact lenses that helped himself see with his KC - when he was told to learn Braille".
I heard of the passing of Dr. Newton Wesley from Morgan Wesley, Dr. Newton Wesley's son. Newton was one of the pioneers of contact lens field in the 1950s and early 1960s. His National Eye Research Foundation and his personally founded and promoted myopia control, Orthokeratology, and Keratoconus research - because Newton himself had KC.
He never needed a transplant when there was times he went to over 12 different ECPs all over the United States to get contact lenses which fitted, but for one reason or another they failed each time to work correctly (which is the experience for KC patients in general). However, he learnt from the failures and that eventually got him contact lenses that fit him comfortably…fitting flat to align the superior intermediate area of his KC with rigid lenses, which is what he wore into his 90s. Its the fitting which I learnt from him for Keratoconus (with results no soft lens to this day can achieve).
He was his own man and marched to a different drummer, which innovators and pioneers must do to get their innovations accepted worldwide. He was even on the “Tonight Show” (with Steve Allen as host), promoting contact lenses. He did his own research and promotions which helped develop the field and built the W&J Contact Lens Company.
I was proud to know Newton and lecture at the Newton's NERF conferences in Las Vegas. He was a giant and a leader in innovation and promotion of the contact lens industry, when he and Dr. George Jessen started the W&J Contact Lens Company that CIBA eventually bought out. I have passed our respects on to his son. In my humble opinion without Newton's influence there would be no Orthokeratology field acceptance today.
I considered Newton a teacher and mentor in my research of Keratoconus and practicing DW Ortho-k in the late 70s. I was lucky to know him and learnt from him at his NERF conferences. I hope his family's grieving will be as brief as possible. Newton was a mensch (a warm and caring human being). He saw the big picture. In my view - all men and women who see the big picture will go to a much higher place. RIP.
Jeff Eger,OD FIOS
Mesa. AZ.
The Jakarta Globe - More Choosing Partial Cornea Transplants in Singapore The 20-year-old son of MediaCorp artists Edmund Chen and Xiang Yun underwent a cornea transplant recently after a contact lens infection six years ago had badly affected vision in his left eye.
The Morphologic Characteristics of Corneal Nerves in Advanced KC as Evaluated by Acetylcholinesterase Technique Al-Aqaba MA, Faraj L, Fares U, Otri AM, Dua HS. Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The University of Basrah, Basrah, Republic of Iraq.
Purpose: To study the morphologic characteristics of corneal nerves in patients with advanced keratoconus using the acetylcholinesterase technique in corneal whole mounts.
Design: Prospective, observational case series.
Methods: Fourteen corneal buttons from 14 keratoconic patients (9 males and 5 females; mean age, 34.3 years) who had undergone keratoplasty for advanced keratoconus and 6 corneal buttons from 6 normal corneas were included. Whole mounts were stained for acetylcholinesterase and were scanned with a novel digital pathology scanning microscope.
Results: Seventy-one percent of keratoconic corneas demonstrated central stromal nerve changes, which included thickening, tortuosity, nerve spouting, and overgrowth. The nerve changes ranged from early to extensive and could be separated into 3 different grades. The central stromal nerves were abnormally thicker (18.9 ± 14.7 μm) than in controls (8.11 ± 3.31 μm; P < .001). The thickness of peripheral stromal nerves (12.6 ± 3.1 μm) was similar to that of controls (14.86 ± 5.60 μm; P = .072). Subbasal nerves showed changes in the form of loss of radial orientation and increased tortuosity, especially at the cone apex. At the cone base, a concentric arrangement of subbasal nerves was found in 43% of cases. Localized thickenings of subbasal nerves also were observed at their origin from the bulbous terminations of sub-Bowman nerves. The terminal bulbs, too, were enlarged. The mean diameter of the subbasal nerves in keratoconus (4.11 ± 0.60 μm) did not differ from that of the controls (4.0 ± 0.61 μm; P = .422).
Conclusions: This study provides additional histologic evidence of the involvement of corneal nerves in keratoconus and suggests further that they may play a role in the pathophysiologic factors and progression of the disease. Am J Ophthalmol.
Analyzing Keratoconus Susceptibility and Advancement: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine How many unknowingly has or suffer from Keratoconus in Malaysia ? Since May 2010 the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of Malaya, as well carrying out Genetic Studies into Keratoconus, has started screening for Keratoconus. The research will cover the hereditary predisposition to Keratoconus and the susceptibility factors, including their functional characteristics and impact on the risk and the behavior of Keratoconus. Two screening programs were done in Klang last year, and two have already have been done in Ipoh and Penang this year. The team from the University of Malaya is headed by Prof MaryAnne Tan and Dr Rozaida Poh in association with Dr Jenny P Deva.
In Ipoh the screening was done at the Ipoh Specialist Hospital in cooperation with Dr Lam Fook Shim. In Penang screening sessions was held at the Adventist Specialist Hospital in cooperation with Dr Tah Kheng Soon. Our Ambulant Screening Team in Malaysia is pictured below with Dr Tah, which also includes two Nurses, two BSc Students and one Technician.
The Avedro Vedera KXS: Gold Winner of the Medical Device Excellence Award 2011 The Award Winning Avedro Vedera KXS Vision Correction Device
Avedro’s Vedera System® Wins Gold in the Medical Design Excellence Award. Microwave Thermokeratoplasty with Corneal Collagen Cross-linking used to Treat Keratoconus Studies of the combined procedure are currently under way in Europe and Turkey
The Lifetime Economic Burden of KC: A Decision Analysis Using a Markov Model Rebenitsch RL, Kymes SM, Walline JJ, Gordon MO
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
Purpose: To estimate the expected incremental lifetime cost of treatment of keratoconus compared to the expected cost of the treatment of myopia.
Design: Cost estimate from the patient's perspective using a Markov decision model.
Methods: We modeled a hypothetical cohort of people with clinically significant incident keratoconus as defined by the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus (CLEK) Study. We included costs of clinic visits, fitting fees, contact lenses, surgical procedures, and complications. Survival curves of corneal transplants and associated complications were modeled using data from the 2007 Australian Graft Registry. Medical treatment regimens after surgery were defined by expert opinion.
Results: The expected value of the lifetime cost of the treatment of keratoconus over myopia was $25 168 with a standard deviation of $16 247 and a median of $17 596. The factors that most influenced the lifetime cost were the probability of initial corneal transplant and a subsequent regraft. The cost of routine care had relatively little influence on the lifetime cost of care.
Conclusions: The expected lifetime cost of treatment of keratoconus represents a significant cost to patients and payors. While the cost of routine care for keratoconus is not trivial, the primary factor influencing changes in the cost of care for keratoconus is the probability of corneal transplant. Combined with the significantly impaired vision-related quality of life and the relatively young onset of disease, the economic burden of the treatment of keratoconus represents a significant public health concern. Am J Ophthalmol.
Something to shout about: The 6th International Congress of Corneal Cross-linking. Milan, Italy, January 21 & 22, 2011. The International Corneal Crosslinking Congress specializes in developing intuition in original thoughts and solutions to really maximize every patients visual potential, where ever they may be asking for more in the world. The International Corneal Crosslinking Congress is where new breakthrough developments are independent from market forces, which in the end is what really gives patients maximum flexibility. What makes the International Corneal Crosslinking Congress unique is the experienced globe trotting in-house development teams, translating complex Keratoconus parameter requirements into deliverable benefits – where time to vision is crucial. The International Corneal Crosslinking Congress are an experienced team of academics, medical and science driven professionals with industry leading innovators, specializing in visual need projection, implementing patient/clinical/medical and industry-scale future proofing care - a robust and accurate road map that is equipping us for the future, for happiness now. The people who make the International Corneal Crosslinking Congress what it has become today, come from culturally rich, diverse backgrounds, equals proficient in their fields who are highly determined to come together for the one wide-ranging quality they all have in common - the ability to deliver.
Listening and truly understanding each patient's visual requirements, medically and technically, allows us to provide innovative solutions. In order to attain this goal, at the International Corneal Crosslinking Congress, all the relevant aspects of modern corneal sciences was open for insightful analysis to enable and accelerate technological advancement. We are - Justifying Technologies - which translates into tangible benefits for patients; increased quality of care, an enhancement in freedom not feardom, cost reduction, getting your life back and speed to vision. Below are the words to the 'three pillars' of the Global Keratoconus Foundation.
CREATIVITY
Always relishing a challenge, we are constantly exploring innovative ideas.
RESPONSIBILITY Always wanting to remove the two letters “i” and “m” from the word impossible – so making the impossible, a possible. Our real work is all about solving problems.
COMMITTMENT
Always putting ourselves in the patients' position and then thinking about what we can do for them. kcglobal
Topo-aberrometric, Refractive and Pachymetric analysis of Keratoconics eyes undergoing CXL Paolo Vinciguerra M.D.
E. Albé M.D. S. Trazza Orthottist. Click Here Read More Istituto Clinico Humanitas, University of Milan, Italy.
Live National Webcast on the 21st of October at 12:30 pm EST From this autumn there will be a series of National Webcasts featuring first's on subjects such as "Not a Lasik candidate", to a broadcast special on "Keratoconus" Which can be seen at the Channel 4 website live by logging on to news4jax.com
at 12:30 pm EST on the 21st of October Arun C. Gulani, M.D., M.S. will be answering questions submitted during this Webcast and others to follow, so you may send questions in advance by e-mailing:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
When the Result Is Greater Than the Sum of the Parts
David Jory MBBS FRCOphth, Consultant Ophthalmologist Advanced Surgery Center, The Technology Park, London. CXL in the Treatment of Acute Post-Lasik Ectasia Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and Fellow of the Medical Society of London.
Teaching faculty member of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, and the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons.
Effects of Corneal Collagen Crosslinking on Corneal Topography, Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity
Camila Netto MD ; Bruno Procópio MD ;
Ricardo Gomes dos Reis MD ; Mariana Pecego MD ; Lorena Vianna ;
Haroldo Vieira de Moraes Jr. MD, PhD ; Adalmir Morterá Dantas MD, PhD. Click Here Read More Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) Berlin 2010 The 32nd International Congress of Ophthalmology, the World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC) is the largest international congress of ophthalmology. WOC® 2010 awards medals to outstanding ophthalmologists
In the spirit of achievement and excellence at WOC 2010, Bruce Spivey, president of the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) awarded five ophthalmologists with medals for their outstanding work.
The prestigious Gonin Medal went to Dr Alan Charles Bird.
The International Duke Elder Medal was awarded to Dr Mohammad Daud Khan.
The Jules Francois Golden Medal went to Dr Gisele Soubrane, the first woman to ever receive a medal from the international council.
The ICO Ophthalmic Pathology Award went to Dr Ursula Schlotzer-Schrehardt.
Finally, Prof Peter G Watson, the current Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis (AOI) president gave the Bernardo Streiff Gold Medal to Dr Gullapalli N Rao.
The Russian Hungarian Connection: Doctor Artsybashev Vs Keratoconus Covered by our International News Correspondent Peter Goren Click Here Read More Peter Goren is an American medical student at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary.
Implantable Lens Gives US Bobsled Captain Vision to Win Gold Steve Holcomb Credits the Visian ICL with Restoring His Eyesight and
Enabling Historic Victory.  The Gold Winning Team
Jacksonville, Fl. -- March 6th, 2010 -- Just two years ago, U.S. Olympic bobsled team captain and gold medal winner was dealing with eyesight that was so impaired due to Keratoconus it threatened to end his bobsledding career.  Team Captain Steve "It got to a point in 2008 where I couldn't see anymore," Holcomb said in an interview with NBC. "They couldn't make contacts strong enough. I went to my coach and told him I had to quit." But that was before Holcomb learned about the Visian ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) - an implantable lens approved by the US FDA to treat patients with up to -20 diopters of nearsightedness. Holcomb had the Visian ICL implanted in both eyes, and his vision immediately improved from a reported 20/500 (legally blind) to 20/20.
With normal vision restored, Holcomb was able to resume his career and achieve Saturday's historic victory piloting the U.S. Bobsled four-man team to its first Olympic gold medal in 62 years.
The Visian ICL is made of Collamer, a proprietary, highly bio-compatible material that allows the lens to be rolled into a tiny cylinder for insertion into the eye during an outpatient procedure. Once inserted, the lens gently unfolds behind the iris, where it is tucked into place by the surgeon.
Implanted in more than 150,000 eyes worldwide, the Visian ICL offers a far wider treatment range for nearsightedness than LASIK.
Jacksonville Eye Surgeon, Keratoconus specialist and internationally renowned instructor, Dr. Arun Gulani has performed similar breakthrough cases. Surgery experience video of Jacksonville patient, Tony Shelton, who suffered with the identical eye condition as Steve Holcomb, is available below. Tony Shelton & Dr Gulani “This is a Miracle. I am amazed" - Tony Dr. Gulani believes that Visian ICL is a great addition to out current modalities of correcting Keratoconus. Since ICL is used for High myopia, it can be utilized in cases of Keratoconus where the Myopia (nearsightedness) is extreme thereupon correcting it without impacting the thin cornea. The ICl can further be combined with CXL/ C3R, INTACS, Lamellar corneal surgery and Laser surgery.
News from the First Global Patient's Story of Corneal Crosslinking
 Valeri Keratoconus Member and Founder of the Bulgarian Keratoconus Association It's been almost five years since I returned home to Bulgaria from Dresden, Germany, where kind and professional people at the Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine did the new, at the time, procedure called Crosslinking and where I had my Crosslinking treatment. As Crosslinking is the first ever treatment for Keratoconus and invented at the Technische Universität Dresden, it was Dresden, the natural choice, where long ago I had my Crosslinking treatment. These where memorable days for me as they changed my life. It was the time that I learned not only from friends from our forum, but also from my personal experience, the subtleties of the condition. It took me two years to realize from research that hard lenses are more dangerous than is usually discussed, and they should be "handled with care” by being used with extreme caution and attention. This was the time in which my eye sight worsened and the cornea's of my eyes distorted, because of the constant rubbing that I experienced with badly fitted hard lenses (which I did not know at the time was happening). I had just found a good optician that fitted me perfectly in hard lenses in Greece, when I contacted German professionals, and after which Corneal Crosslinking was performed to treat my Keratoconus one time. After the first months passed my vision stabilized. I am glad that after five years I can say that my vision has stayed the same. I was fitted with glasses once my vision had stabilized, and since then I am still wearing glasses when before only hard lenses could correct my vision. Recently the parameters for my glasses were slightly changed; this was because my current optician did a better refraction examination for the fitting of my glasses, not because the eye had changed. To say the least, I am eternally grateful for the vision and the life I have now. I am still using glasses reaching 100% correction from both eyes. I still sometimes remember that my eyes are not perfect, but also that they are perfect considering the fact I can wear glasses now fully, and this was only due to having Crosslinking alone as a treatment, which was a great bonus in my case. To me able to wear glasses comfortably without the need (or the need to endure the on-going risks) of medical contact lenses is nothing short of an absolute blessing to be able to do, and everyones right to be able to do with out the need for not only invasive contact lenses but also invasive surgery, and the chance for this should be made available for them. I find my eyes are more relaxed while reading than before treatment, with there being now better uncorrected vision also. You know, I stay 9 to10 hours per day in front of the PC at work. I am still trying to change this habit, but work is something which is mandatory for me.. In the early days before I knew not to, I used to rub my eyes using fingers in to my eyes when using the palm of my hands would have been better, now I know its better to avoid any trauma to the eye altogether. During the time I had to use hard lenses - whilst putting them in to my eyes and taking them out, there was plenty of friction and rubbing caused as well. I used to put pressure on my eyes without realizing the damage I was doing. After I changing my attitude, and after my Crosslinking treatment, I managed to stabilize my vision and from that have been able to live a normal life up to now. It is a great feeling to finally being treated and having eyes which are strong now at the front, when previously they where not. What was needed from my side to achieve this was so little and simple. I just started handling my eyes with more care, and by doing so, getting the eye care that was required as equally, and as early and as quickly as I could, which is what reaped its rewards. What I was sure about was since my first report on my treatment, Crosslinking would (and has) become available to patients globally. There is no way to predict the distant future to come, but reading the news of the latest advances in medicine, I feel very positive that most and hopefully all of us will cope in a certain way with this condition, and we will have the chance to live our lives, full of value.
Keraflex and Annular Collagen Crosslinking: A New Treatment Modality for Keratoconus Peter S. Hersh, M.D. Cornea and Laser Eye Institute – Hersh Vision Group Click Here Read More CLEI Center for Keratoconus Professor, UMDNJ Medical School Visiting Researcher, Princeton University.
The 5th International Congress of Corneal Cross Linking Medical Vision Professionals from around the world converged for the 5th International (CXL) Congress of Corneal Cross Linking, on the 4th and 5th of December 2009 in Leipzig, Germany.
The congress again created a thriving environment for the disseminate of information about the actual treatment of primary and secondary corneal ectasia; and for their champions around the world to discuss, learn, demonstrate and act on the benefits and lessons learned from Visual Scientists and Medical Vision Professionals in leadership. Their quantum cutting edge medical breakthrough achievements have been of a monumental magnitude, a recountal of legendary standards to be told for generations to come.
Since the safety and efficacy profile of Corneal Crosslinking, the first ever treatment for Keratoconus (KC), has been demonstrated many times over and confirmed as being excellent Internationally from gaining comprehensive and long term results; the Intercontinental cooperation has aligned itself more with wider educational and scientific programs, conceptualized as early as in 2005 during the inauguration of the first International (CXL) Congress of Corneal Cross Linking in December 9-10, 2005 in Zurich, Switzerland. Since then the congress has brought together a multifold, multidisciplinary field-force of Medical Vision Professionals from all corners of the world, representing famous International Hospitals, world-class Institutes to world renowned Universities, all of whom came together to find the best the world can offer - and to which they definately found. This was up-to-date congressional knowledge with precise pinpoint medical accuracy.
Cooperation is made up nowadays of a huge influx of extensive projects and initiatives, launched and implemented by medical academic scholars in their respected specialisms. This natural fostering of high methodical standards in science, and the availability of better options for the emergence of new audiences, makes them unbeatable as Medical Vision Professionals Internationally. The CXL Congress has always been where the our brightest, and the highest caliber of medical delegates have converged to, in order for - Safety, Quality and Teamwork - as never seen before, and which has been always continually constant.
The CXL Congress make things happen which otherwise would not have happened. They are involved with global positive results, which in turn have won robust life long, unsurpassed working relationships internationally, devoted good will, fellowships with rapport, and in return they give back great everlasting memories in humanity, all which transcend absolutely everything as global citizens. kcglobal
|
Home 
Home 
