Simulating surgeons. Looking to identify the best training tool for novice surgeons, researchers evaluated the performance of experts tasked to create continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis on three commercially available surgical simulators. Although the surgeons performed the fastest on models believed to most closely approximate human capsular tissue, other simulators proved more accurate. Link
Wrong suspect? An experimental study designed to quantify damage to the corneal endothelium resulting from the flow of a balanced salt solution during phacoemulsification found that the volume of the balanced salt solution alone was not a major contributing factor to endothelial cell damage and loss. Link
Sims' vision. Deciding on the right IOL can be a big decision for patients and ophthalmologists. But what if you can experience multifocal IOL function before cataract surgery? Researchers have developed an IOL simulator for this exact purpose. Using a trial lens frame adapter, lens tube, concave lens, spacer, wet cell, and the all-important IOL, it is possible to let patients try before they buy. Link
Partial decline. Researchers evaluating the refractive, visual, and morphometric changes of 481 eyes over five years after implantation with a foldable iris-fixed phakic intraocular lens (pIOL) to correct myopia or astigmatism observed slight myopic changes in refraction and visual acuity, in patients with Artiflex Myopia or Myopia Toric pIOLs, attributed to cataract formation and increased axial length. Link
In Other News…
Cataract causes. Development of cataracts has been associated with two protein ion channels, TRPV1 and TRPV4, which act as sensors for control mechanisms of the eye lens. Now, a study aims to discover the exact biological mechanisms within the cells on the lens’ surface responsible for cataract creation. Link
Drawing near. A study based on UK Biobank data has found a significant increase in myopia rates in 40–69-year-olds, and that its associations with education, ethnicity, and sex have also changed over time. Link
Pre-school cataracts. Modern therapies for retinoblastoma can cause secondary cataracts, but after cataract surgery there is a low risk of recurrence and extraocular spread. Link
Eye on Alzheimer’s. A shared pathology is identified between lens and brain with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) hallmark amyloid-β found in cataracts of age-related AD cases. Link
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