At Press Time

Seven Win Alcon Research Grants

The Researchers Study Underlying Causes of Eye Disease.

By Jerry Helzner, Senior Editor

■ The Alcon Research Institute (ARI), now in its 28th year, recently recognized seven researchers who have dedicated their professional lives to enhancing the understanding of vision and eye health. These seven doctors, who were nominated by previous winners and selected by ARI's independent Scientific Selection Committee, will receive $100,000 in unrestricted grant money from the ARI to continue pursuing their research into the underlying causes of eye disease. The 2008 ARI Award winners are:

► Vadim Y. Arshavsky, Ph.D., for work into the behavior of G-Proteins and photoreceptors in an effort to understand humans' response to light. Dr. Arshavsky, a graduate of Moscow State University, is currently professor of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology and scientific director, Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University.

► Emily Y. Chew, M.D., and Frederick L. Ferris, M.D., who were jointly instrumental in designing, developing and executing the Age-Related Eye Disease Study, with results that could prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration in more than 300,000 people in the next 5 years. Dr. Chew is a graduate of the University of Toronto and serves as deputy director, Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the National Eye Institute/National Institutes of Health. Dr. Ferris is a graduate of Johns Hopkins Medical School and currently is the director of Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the National Eye Institute/National Institutes of Health.

► David R. Copenhagen, Ph.D., for his extensive body of work studying visual system development. Dr. Copenhagen is a graduate of and has continued his career at the University of California, where he is now a professor and vice chair in the Department of Ophthalmology.

► Reza Dana, M.D., for his significant contributions in the area of corneal transplants. Dr. Dana completed his education at Johns Hopkins and Harvard and is now a professor in the Harvard Department of Ophthalmology; director of Cornea Service at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary and senior scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute.

► Elizabeth C. Engle, M.D., for her extensive research into the genetics of ocular defects. Dr. Engle is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and is currently associate professor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School; investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and senior research associate in Ophthalmology at Children's Hospital, Boston.

► Simon W. John, Ph.D., for his groundbreaking research directed to understanding the underlying causes and potential treatments of glaucoma. Dr. John is a professor at The Jackson Laboratory; research assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine; investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a member of the Graduate Faculty at the University of Maine.

GIVING BACK:

Service Can Be Addictive

Profound Appreciation Keeps Dr. Vaughn Coming Back.

By Rene Luthe, Senior Associate Editor

■ There is seldom electricity, you can forget about air conditioning and the food is so dicey that he carries canned tuna with him at all times, but Leroy Vaughn, M.D., wouldn't dream of not spending 2 weeks in some of the poorest regions of Africa every year. He has recently returned from his fourth visit to Anambra State, in southeast Nigeria. Sponsored by the Anambra State Association/U.S.A. Medical Missions, Dr. Vaughn, who practices in Inglewood, Calif., heads a medical team that provides eye care to people who have no other resources to turn to.

Addressing the Extreme

Mostly, Dr. Vaughn and his team treat advanced cataracts. "Over there, they're so bad that people can't even see a tree," Dr. Vaughn explains. Patients often have to be led by the hand into the clinic. While he cannot stay for follow-up treatment, sometimes Dr. Vaughn sees the results when he returns to that village the next year. "I see them out in the crowd, in the line waiting to get in to the clinic, and they will be moving around on their own."

Every day, the team goes to a different site in a different town. Follow-up is not possible, so Dr. Vaughn cannot perform surgery on glaucoma patients. Like those with cataracts, the glaucoma patients he sees usually have had the disease for years without ever having received treatment before.

"What we tried to do was give them enough medication for 6 months to a year, so maybe they will have enough until I see them again next year or they can see another eye doctor somewhere," Dr. Vaughn explains.

Dr. Vaughn prepares a Nigerian cataract patient for surgery.

The trips are scheduled in early August, to accommodate the pre-med students who volunteer. The students take blood pressures and help patients find the most suitable glasses from among the donated and second-hand spectacles the group brings. "There is no refraction equipment, so if patients can see the eye chart with their ‘new’ glasses, that's good enough," says Dr. Vaughn. Patients are more than satisfied. "If anyone has glasses over there, the glasses are 20 years old. One woman we saw was wearing glasses she'd first received in 1985; they treasure them," Dr. Vaughn says.

Correction:
In the July issue, we featured an incorrect photo for the co-author of the feature, "Improving Your ASC Profitability." This is the correct photo for Joe Casper. We regret the error.

Sharing the Joy

Members of his staff also accompany him on these missions. Last August, in fact, all but one of his staff went to Nigeria. Like Dr. Vaughn, they were the recipients of the locals' enormous appreciation — as well as some curiosity.

"My staff were like celebrities over there," Dr. Vaughn says. "Most of them are Hispanic, so the Africans would say, ‘What are you? You're not white; you're not black. What are you?’ Everyone wanted their picture taken with them!" Patients frequently offered goats and chickens as payments for the eye care they received. "They are so appreciative, and they don't have any money," Dr. Vaughn explains. "But just seeing their appreciation is overwhelming; I think it's almost addicting."

It is clearly the patients' appreciation that carries Dr. Vaughn and his staff through some of the rougher patches of the mission. The conditions in which they work are fairly primitive. On his first trip, Dr. Vaughn had to work without a microscope or a generator; as daylight waned, he could not even see the sutures he was sewing. He demanded the Association provide him with those two tools, and it has, but his team buys its own gasoline to power the generator. In addition, the political situation is somewhat unstable. Dr. Vaughn reports that his team is accompanied everywhere by a security guard who carries a machine gun. To him, though, it's all worthwhile. "If we could find a way to pay the bills over here at my practice while we shut down for the trips, we would stay there longer."

B&L in Refractive Joint Venture

Company to Partner With 20/10 Perfect Vision.

■ Bausch & Lomb and 20/10 Perfect Vision AG, a femtosecond laser developer, announced their intent to form a joint venture focused on the laser vision correction industry. The joint venture will combine the refractive eye surgery assets of both businesses, delivering 20/10 Perfect Vision's new technology for the correction of presbyopia in conjunction with Bausch & Lomb's development expertise and worldwide commercial reach.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2008. Financial terms will not be disclosed.

"We believe that our investment of assets in the joint venture will help advance the refractive industry, benefiting ophthalmologists and patients worldwide," said Gerald M. Ostrov, B&L's chairman and CEO. "20/10 Perfect Vision's development of presbyopia-correcting treatments using its FEMTEC femtosecond laser — when paired with our proven refractive products, R&D insights and global sales and marketing resources — holds great potential to stimulate growth in corneal refractive surgery."

"We are excited about this unique opportunity to form a global company committed to focusing on refractive laser surgery," added Kristian Hohla, Ph.D., executive president of 20/10 Perfect Vision. "Combining innovative teams, visionary technologies, and state-of-the-art refractive surgery products will yield a powerful portfolio of options for customers and patients."

Bausch & Lomb currently develops and manufactures refractive surgery products including the Zyoptix Personalized Laser Vision Correction System, the Zyoptix XP microkeratome, and related diagnostics products. 20/10 Perfect Vision develops and markets the FEMTEC femtosecond laser workstation, which is used for non-invasive intrastromal refractive procedures.