Ophthalmology Overview: Managing a Practice, Weight Loss Lessens Risk of Cataract, and More

Highlighting the latest ophthalmology-related news reported across MJH Life Sciences™.

Tips for Growing an Ophthalmic Practice

With cash flow, operational, and competitive challenges facing ophthalmic practices nationwide, an article by Ophthalmology Times^® highlights 4 key tips to grow one’s practice for the future.

Notably, practices were indicated to be operating below pre-pandemic staffing levels, which could prove difficult in managing the surge in cataract and refractive surgery appointments reported in recent months. Moreover, reevaluating capacity for growth may assist in determining adequate staffing, with innovations such as patient imaging technology requiring space and trained technicians.

The article also recommended ophthalmic practices to lessen the focus on telehealth as types of services conducive to eye care, such as diagnostic testing, cannot be performed out of office.

Bariatric Surgery May Reduce Risk of Cataract Development

According to study findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2021 virtual annual meeting, weight loss from bariatric surgery was associated with a decreased risk of cataract development, particularly in those who underwent the surgery before age 60.

As reported by Ophthalmology Times^®, data of 22,560 patients who underwent bariatric surgery were derived from nationwide Swedish health care registries between 2006 and 2019. Compared with 35,253 matched obese patients who had not undergone bariatric surgery, risk of cataract was found to decrease by 29% in the surgery group.

Furthermore, lowest risks of cataract was observed in patients who underwent surgical techniques associated with greater weight loss and higher risk of malabsorption of nutrients, such as duodenal switch or gastric bypass.

Combination Therapy Linked With Lower Treatment Burden in Diabetic Macular Edema

As reported by Modern Retina™, combination therapy of dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex) and aflibercept (Eylea) in the treatment of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) was associated with improved vision and decreased treatment burden.

Including patients who were either treatment-naive or had received previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, the COED trial sought to investigate whether the combination treatment would result in reduced time to resolution of DME and fewer total injections than patients who received solely aflibercept and then monthly injections as needed across 24 weeks.

Differences in mean best-corrected visual acuity and central subfield thickness were found to be improved, but non-significant in the active treatment group vs the control group (P = .40; P = .61, respectively), but those treated with the combination therapy received fewer treatments (mean, 4.23 vs 5.40, respectively).