Sleeping Dogs Lie in Louisiana When It Comes to ODs Using Laser

Louisiana “State Rep. Frank Hoffmann says he has pulled his bill that would have allowed optometrists to expand their practices,” reports Ouachita Citizen. “’I'm just going to let it lie,’ said Hoffmann, R-West Monroe. ‘It's just not the right time to do it.’ Under Hoffmann's legislation, House Bill 527, optometrists could have conducted more surgical procedures, including laser eye surgery. The bill also would have granted optometrists the authority to prescribe certain narcotics. Ophthalmologists, including former Congressman Dr. John Cooksey, fiercely opposed the bill. Cooksey is an ophthalmologist.” Read more.

Victus Femtosecond Laser Platform Gets FDA 501(k) Clearance

Bausch + Lomb and Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH (TPV) received 501(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Victus Femtosecond Laser Platform, the first femtosecond laser capable of supporting cataract and corneal procedures on a single platform. The versatile system is designed to reportedly provide greater precision compared to manual cataract surgery techniques, potentially enhancing patient experience.Read more.

FDA Clears Equipment for Cat Surgery

"The California-based ophthalmology company OptiMedica has received 510(k) market clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its 'Catalys' laser system to be used in two key stages of cataract surgery," reports Optics.org. "The system, which combines optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging with a femtosecond laser, is now cleared in the US for capsulotomy – where a circular incision is made in a patient’s lens capsule – and lens fragmentation, where a damaged lens is softened in advance of its removal. OptiMedica received CE mark approval for the same system earlier this year, meaning that it can now market Catalys across both the US and the European Union." Read more and see the video.