Ellex to Host Laser Floater Removal Initiatives at ESCRS
August 30, 2016 – Adelaide, Australia. Ellex Medical will host a series of initiatives addressing the role of laser floater removal (LFR) in the treatment of symptomatic floaters at the Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) held 10-14 September 2016 at the Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.
LFR with the Ultra Q ReflexTM
Although vitreous strands or “floaters” are benign and are often viewed as only a minor annoyance, they are known to have a significant negative impact on the functioning and quality of life on a par with age-related macular degeneration in some patients.1 Laser vitreolysis, also referred to as laser floater removal (LFR), is a minimally-invasive procedure that offers a highly effective tool for the treatment of floaters without the risks associated with vitrectomy. Laser floater removal has been shown to be an effective treatment for symptomatic floaters in 75% - 95% of patients with minimal complications.2
Ellex’s Ultra Q ReflexTM, featuring the Company’s proprietary Reflex TechnologyTM, is the first and only YAG laser designed specifically for the treatment of vitreous strands and opacities, in addition to standard anterior YAG procedures such as capsulotomy and iridotomy.
Conventional YAG laser technology typically provides a limited view of the vitreous making it difficult to identify and target vitreous opacities. Further, growing physician feedback indicates that, in order to perform laser vitreolysis successfully, it is necessary to have co-axial, off-axis and on-axis illumination in order to visualize the middle and posterior vitreous.
All of these functions are provided by the Ultra Q ReflexTM. Using the Ultra Q ReflexTM system’s illumination tower coaxially enhances the view of the target opacity. Traditional YAG lasers, in contrast, deliver the illumination and laser from a low, non-coaxial position with larger convergent zones, making it extremely difficult to target and treat vitreous opacities in various locations. By also providing off-axis and on-axis illumination, the Ultra Q ReflexTM provides spatial context so the surgeon can identify the relationship between the floater, the retina and the lens. This combination of on- and off-axis thus allows for a safer and more efficacious treatment.
Inder Paul Singh, MD (USA), who has extensive experience with LFR and will be presenting his findings as part of the official ESCRS program, said: "A lot has changed in the last couple years in terms of our understanding of the procedure and the technique. We now know how to better use the different illumination and visualization abilities of the laser. A further advancement in LFR is our understanding of energy delivery. Ellex had done some great work demonstrating the behavior of the vitreous and has shown a non linear relationship between energy setting and amount of energy dissipated in the vitreous.”
Dr Singh added that iTraceTM (Tracey Technologies, http://www.traceytechnologies.com) has demonstrated the positive effects of LFR. By assessing objective measurements of "quality of vision" pre and post laser vitreolysis, the iTraceTM gives objective assessment of internal quality of vision and measures MTF curves that correlate to patients’ perceived quality of vision.
"We obtained the iTrace data pre and post laser floater removal using the Ultra Q Refllex laser. There was a dramatic improvement in quality of vision scans following LFR,” he said. “LFR has been such an amazing adventure for me. I have seen the positive impact it has had on my patient’s quality of life. It’s incredible to be part of something that might actually change paradigms in a profession.”
Dr Singh will be available for interview regarding his experiences with LFR during ESCRS 2016. To make an appointment, please email: [email protected]
LFR Events at ESCRS
On Monday, 12 September from 1:00-2:00 pm Ellex will host a lunch symposium at the Bella Convention Center (Room B8) where Dr Singh and John Conrath, MD, PhD, FEBO (France) will discuss the treatment of floaters and quality of life effects.
Also on Monday, 12 September, from 6:00-8:00 pm, Ellex will hold an event for new LFR users in order to foster peer-to-peer exchange of information. The event, which will be held at First Hotel Copenhagen (Room 4), will be attended by Dr Singh and Andrzej Dmitriew, MD (Poland) who will discuss topics including surgical tips and patient selection. Registration is required to attend this event. Please contact [email protected] by September 7.
Ellex is also hosting in-booth “Meet the Expert” sessions. These will take place on Saturday, 10 September through Monday, 12 September at Ellex Exhibit #C216 from 3:00-4.00 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, Dr Singh will be joined by Karl Brasse, MD MRCOphth (Germany). Both will discuss their experience with LFR and share advice and tips for successful floater removal with the Ultra Q ReflexTM.
References
1. Wagle AM, Lim WY, Yap TP, et al. Utility values associated with vitreous floaters. Am J
Ophthalmol. 2011;152(1):60-65.
2. Karickhoff JR. Laser Treatment of Eye Floaters, 2nd Edition. Washington Medical Publishing. 2006
ABOUT ELLEX
Ellex Medical (Ellex) is a pioneer in the development of medical technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease. With more than 20,000 systems delivered to market, Ellex has evolved since 1985 from a manufacturing company of primarily OEM products, to direct marketing of its own branded products through subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, France, Germany and Australia, and a network of distribution partners in more than 100 countries. In recent years, Ellex has diversified its product range beyond lasers and ultrasound equipment to include distribution of a number of complementary third-party ophthalmic products. On 31 December 2013 Ellex acquired the Canaloplasty microcatheter-based glaucoma surgical treatment from iScience Interventional, Inc. For additional information about Ellex and its products, please visit www.ellex.com
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Surgical Specialties to Showcase Growing Family of Sharpoint TM Ophthalmic Instruments
at the upcoming ESCRS annual meeting
August 23, 2016 –Braintree, MA, USA. Surgical Specialties Corp., a leading provider of branded, private label, and OEM medical devices for advanced surgery, wound closure, and ophthalmology will showcase its growing family of SharpointTM products including single use surgical instruments at the upcoming European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, 9-13 Sept, 2016.
Best known and trusted for SharpointTM microsurgical knives, ophthalmic sutures, trephines and punctal plugs, Surgical Specialties recently added several new instruments to the SharpointTM portfolio in the form of a next-generation guarded knife, ophthalmic synthetic absorbable sutures, and a new family of single-use instruments under the brand name SharpointTM Solo. This new offering of microsurgical instruments includes -- capsulorhexis forceps, manipulators/hooks, and I/A handpieces. These single use instruments are designed to provide the convenience and safety of a single use instrument without sacrificing the quality and consistency of a reusable.
“These additions to the Sharpoint Family are built on a heritage of precision sharpness and proven performance. Surgical Specialties is committed to continued expansion of our product portfolio in order to support the evolving needs of ophthalmic surgeons globally.” said Surgical Specialties Corp CEO, John R. Barr.
Surgical Specialties will be attending the upcoming ESCRS meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. Please visit us at Booth #C210 to view our range of surgical solutions. To request further information, please contact medeuronet at [email protected] or +44(0) 203 735 8915.