CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS AIOC 2020 COVERAGE
Latest Refractive Innovations In
the Spotlight
Dr. S. Natarajan, who led the Expert Session, explained that the ARTEVO 800 is completely different from traditional microscopes. For new users, it’s likely something they’ve never experienced before. He said that there is a bit of a learning curve for many first-time users. But once he used the 3D technology, he never used a conventional microscope again.
by Brooke Herron
During the 78th Annual Conference of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOC 2020) in Gurugram, Carl Zeiss Meditec (Jena, Germany) showcased its latest innovations with a series of Expert Sessions held on days two and three of the conference. Read on for expert insights into the latest technology.
Let’s Talk about SMILE SMILE (small incision lenticule extraction) is a sparkling gem in Zeiss’s crown. The refractive procedure is gaining traction not only for its predictable outcomes, but also for its flapless technique. According to SMILE expert Dr. Sourabh Patwardhan from Nandadeep Eye Hospital in Sangli, India, this is one of its biggest advantages. He said other benefits include the platform itself — and the fact that it’s a one-machine procedure. It also causes less dry eye and irritation postoperatively, which improves patient comfort. Dr. Patwardhan has more than four years of experience and around 600 SMILE procedures under his belt. “I’m quite happy with the procedure because my patients are happy and satisfied,” he said. “It has helped me in cases when LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) was not possible, like in dry eye or decentered pupil, as well as with a few pseudophakic refractive corrections.” With all of the positive attributes of SMILE, like any procedure, it does have some limitations. “We cannot do it for hyperopia or mixed astigmatism,” Dr. Patwardhan said. “Also, I don’t use it for very high cylinders, like -4 and above, because the predictability of vision is less. But of course, we can use the markers and do it for high cylinders,” he explained.
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“Personally, I feel that this technology should replace conventional LASIK,” continued Dr. Patwardhan. “But due to the high cost involved, it is not possible. If the cost of the lasers goes down, it will spread the technology much further.”
Best of Class in IOLs If you ask Dr. Ashvin Agarwal from Chennai which intraocular lens (IOL) he prefers, the answer is easy. “Zeiss has the best IOL. It’s called CT Lucia and it’s a three-piece IOL,” said Dr. Agarwal, who led the Zeiss Expert Session on Glued IOLs.
“Some people have mental block that says, ‘No, you can’t use it’. But later I realized that everything has a learning curve. It just depends on your interests and passions,” continued Dr. Natarajan. “It is a change — and I think it’s a big change for the benefit of the patient.” Overall, he said the patient is first. “All technology should help the patient, not just the surgeon. But ultimately, in the year 2020, we want 20/20 vision or more,” Dr. Natarajan concluded.
“The idea behind the whole procedure is that you don’t have bag support, so you’re taking the haptics and externalizing them outside the eye,” he said, explaining the glued IOL procedure. “You tuck them [the haptics] under the flap inside the groove. To close the flap, you Dr. S. Natarajan use fibrin glue, which is made of tissue plasma.” His favorite thing about this lens? “The haptics are made of material called PVDF – which does not bend or break. Hence, it retains its memory,” Dr. Agarwal shared. Switching gears, he also commended Zeiss on the ARTEVO 800, which, according to him, “will change the way we do surgery”.
Heads Up with ARTEVO 800 As mentioned by Dr. Agarwal above, Zeiss’s ARTEVO 800 is a first-of-itskind digital microscope with heads-up 3D display. And it’s been receiving high praise around the industry for more than just its optics.
| May 2020
Dr. Sourabh Patwardhan
Dr. Ashvin Agarwal
Editor’s Note: The 78th Annual Conference of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOC 2020) took place from 13 to 16 February in Gurugram, India. Reporting for this story also took place at the AIOC 2020. Media MICE Pte Ltd, CAKE magazine’s parent company, was the media partner at AIOC 2020.
