Posts Tagged ‘US’
For those 200,000 AMD patients within an average year in US, the most effective treatment that approved by FDA is Lucentis. It brings hope to wet AMD patients by stopping and sometimes reversing vision loss, which is a huge breakthrough. Yet another drug that is similar to Lucentis is also under wide discussion, which is named Avastin. But Avastin is much cheaper than Lucentis, so that many doctors recommend Avastin for low-income individuals.
However, Avastin has not received FDA approval for ophthalmic uses. Based on safety issues, Genentech also restricts the sale of Avastin to compounding pharmacies for ocular uses. Both Lucentis and Avastin are owned by this company. Since the FDA has expressed no concern about the Avastin’s off label uses for AMD, many eye doctors argue that Genentech should allow Avastin to be directly sold to both physicians and compounding pharmacies. If only physicians have access to Avastin, doctors at the American Academy of Ophthalmology protest that many lower income people will be deprived of this sight-saving drug. The fact is that Lucentis cost an average of $2,000, while Avastin only needs $150.
During the widely off-label uses of Avastin, this treatment has not been proved to be as effective as Lucentis, or even more effective. No clinical study has made a comparison between the two AMD treatments. The most concern is their price discrepancy. Even if Medicare and other health insurance plans offset parts of the Lucentis expense, it is still much more expensive than Avastin. For example, patients with Medicare may only need to pay a 20% of co-payment for Lucentis, which equals about $400.
Genentech has given explanations about its different policies of the two drugs. Genentech officials say that the high price of Lucentis comes from its special development and its considerable expense of clinical trials. Lucentis is administered in the form of smaller molecules, which are more effective in controlling abnormal blood vessels. The company also claims that they will not conduct new trials for Avastin, since Lucentis has already got FDA approval and is a promising AMD solution. The good news may be that the US government is likely to fund the comparison between Lucentis and Avastin.
While the initial use of Avastin for colon and other cancers was reported to arouse risks of stroke and heart attack, its use for macular degeneration has brought no negative side effects. Most of the doctors are positive about the Avastin’s long-term safety risks. Due to its low price, researchers encourage the use of Avastin. There are also concerns that Avastin may be unable to penetrate the eye’s retina effectively. The undergoing two-year NEI clinical trails may settle down all these controversies.
Article Source:http://vision.firmoo.com/eye-diseases/debate-on-lucentis-and-avastin.html
Vision Library is the information source in area of vision care, including eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, sports protective eyewear, vision error and diseases, vision surgery, ageing and kid’s vision etc., solely sponsored by Firmoo.com, an emerging online optical store. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/the-debate-on-lucentis-and-avastin-1310802.html
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Currently, Americans in all 50 states can buy contacts both from ECPs and other sources such as optical chains, warehouse clubs and online stores. This privilege originates from a 2004 legislation that patients are entitled to obtain a copy of contacts prescription from ECPs without extra cost, which was only available in certain states before that time. This law profoundly separated fitting and lenses buying. You will never be forced to buy contacts from ECPs after been fitted. Today, contacts prescriptions are just like ones of other medical products like medicines that may provide more information than eyeglasses prescriptions. With a prescription, customers can buy disposable lenses regularly.
An accurate prescription is needed for contacts. Poorly fitting contacts and lenses made of unsuitable materials may cause discomfort, inflammation, swelling, and most severely, permanent vision loss. Sharing contacts may also bring dangerous infections. In US, optometrists, ophthalmologists as well as opticians are entitled to fit contact lenses.
Subtle eye problems may have developed even you are still feeling good with your eyes and contacts. Some ophthalmologists have ever found eye problems during regular eye exams, so that you must update the prescription within a certain period, which is also listed by either federal law or state law. Another point worth mentioning is that you can change your contacts size, material or design if you are diagnosed with a lens-related problem.
Contacts prescriptions use standard terms, abbreviations and measurements, which look like secret codes yet easy for recognition. Besides regular items, your prescription may also tell the recommended replacement period or the expiry. By US law, the expiry normally is at least one year and in most of the cases it may be longer than this. However, you should always follow your ECP for final decision, rather than the products instructions.
this article is come from:http://vision.firmoo.com/contact-lenses/introduction-contact-lenses-prescription.html
Vision Library
is the information source in area of vision care, including eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, sports protective eyewear, vision error and diseases, vision surgery, ageing and kid’s vision etc., solely sponsored by Firmoo.com, an emerging online optical store.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/an-introduction-of-contact-lenses-prescription-1277274.html
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Currently, Americans in all 50 states can buy contacts both from ECPs and other sources such as optical chains, warehouse clubs and online stores. This privilege originates from a 2004 legislation that patients are entitled to obtain a copy of contacts prescription from ECPs without extra cost, which was only available in certain states before that time. This law profoundly separated fitting and lenses buying. You will never be forced to buy contacts from ECPs after been fitted. Today, contacts prescriptions are just like ones of other medical products like medicines that may provide more information than eyeglasses prescriptions. With a prescription, customers can buy disposable lenses regularly.
An accurate prescription is needed for contacts. Poorly fitting contacts and lenses made of unsuitable materials may cause discomfort, inflammation, swelling, and most severely, permanent vision loss. Sharing contacts may also bring dangerous infections. In US, optometrists, ophthalmologists as well as opticians are entitled to fit contact lenses.
Subtle eye problems may have developed even you are still feeling good with your eyes and contacts. Some ophthalmologists have ever found eye problems during regular eye exams, so that you must update the prescription within a certain period, which is also listed by either federal law or state law. Another point worth mentioning is that you can change your contacts size, material or design if you are diagnosed with a lens-related problem.
Contacts prescriptions use standard terms, abbreviations and measurements, which look like secret codes yet easy for recognition. Besides regular items, your prescription may also tell the recommended replacement period or the expiry. By US law, the expiry normally is at least one year and in most of the cases it may be longer than this. However, you should always follow your ECP for final decision, rather than the products instructions.
this article is come from:http://vision.firmoo.com/contact-lenses/introduction-contact-lenses-prescription.html
Vision Library
is the information source in area of vision care, including eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, sports protective eyewear, vision error and diseases, vision surgery, ageing and kid’s vision etc., solely sponsored by Firmoo.com, an emerging online optical store.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/an-introduction-of-contact-lenses-prescription-1277454.html
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What to expect before, during, and after surgery will vary from doctor to doctor and patient to patient. The US FDA provides a compilation of patient information developed by manufacturers and healthcare professionals, but cannot replace the dialogue you should have with your Beverly Hills Lasik surgeon. Read this information carefully and with the checklist, discuss your expectations with your doctor.
The surgery itself should take less than 30 minutes. You will lie on your back in a reclining chair in an exam room containing the laser system. The laser system includes a large machine with a microscope attached to it and a computer screen.
A numbing drop will be placed in your eye by a skilled Lasik surgeon Los Angeles laser eye surgery experts tell us, the area around your eye will be cleaned, and an instrument called a lid speculum will be used to hold your eyelids open.
Your doctor may use a mechanical microkeratome (a blade device) to cut a flap in the cornea. If a mechanical microkeratome is used, a ring will be placed on your eye and very high pressures will be applied to create suction to the cornea. Your vision will dim while the suction ring is on and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. The microkeratome, a cutting instrument, is attached to the suction ring. Your doctor will use the blade of the microkeratome to cut a flap in your cornea. Microkeratome blades are meant to be used only once and then thrown out. The microkeratome and the suction ring are then removed.
According to a top Lasik doctor Los Angeles laser eye specialists may use a laser keratome (a laser device), instead of a mechanical microkeratome, to cut a flap on the cornea. If a laser keratome is used, the cornea is flattened with a clear plastic plate. Your vision will dim and you may feel the pressure and experience some discomfort during this part of the procedure. Laser energy is focused inside the cornea tissue, creating thousands of small bubbles of gas and water that expand and connect to separate the tissue underneath the cornea surface, creating a flap. The plate is then removed.
You will be able to see, but you will experience fluctuating degrees of blurred vision during the rest of the procedure. The doctor will then lift the flap and fold it back on its hinge, and dry the exposed tissue. The laser will be positioned over your eye and you will be asked to stare at a light. This is not the laser used to remove tissue from the cornea. This light is to help you keep your eye fixed on one spot once the laser comes on.
When your eye is in the correct position, your doctor will start the laser. At this point in the surgery, you may become aware of new sounds and smells. The pulse of the laser makes a ticking sound. As the laser removes corneal tissue, some people have reported a smell similar to burning hair. A computer controls the amount of laser energy delivered to your eye. Before the start of surgery, your Beverly Hills Lasik eye doctor will have programmed the computer to vaporize a particular amount of tissue based on the measurements taken at your initial evaluation. After the pulses of laser energy vaporize the corneal tissue, the flap is put back into position.
A shield should be placed over your eye at the end of the procedure as protection, since no stitches are used to hold the flap in place. It is important for you to wear this shield to prevent you from rubbing your eye and putting pressure on your eye while you sleep, and to protect your eye from accidentally being hit or poked until the flap has healed.
Andrew I. Caster, M.D. has performed over fourteen thousand procedures to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Dr. Caster is widely considered one of the most knowledgeable Lasik surgeons in the United States. Los Angeles Magazine selected Dr. caster as “The Best Lasik Surgeon in Los Angeles” and W Magazine listed him as one of two top Lasik surgeons in the United States. For more information please visit: http://www.castervision.com/
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/what-to-expect-during-lasik-eye-surgery-1113003.html
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Good eyes are essential for every situation in life. Eye problems can affect young and old alike. Although good glasses or good contact lenses can be expensive, you will very probably need them, since almost the whole population needs them at some point in their life.
If you want to save money, don’t compromise the quality. Shop around for getting better deals. Go for special offers and coupons. Specially free eye exam coupons are very handy. They are more convenient that coupons for frames or contact lenses. That’s mainly due to the fact that possibly you don’t need glasses. If you get your eyes tested for free, you’ll know if everything is OK for free.
In America many centers offer free eye exam coupons. A very known source of free eye exam coupons is the Wal-Mart Vision Center.
Although, the Wal-Mart Vision Center has more than 2,000 shops around the US, some people still want to shop around for even better offers. There is no problem in the offer of Wal-Mart glasses. There are well-priced and fashionable, however, not everyone finds something appropriate for himself there.
Other options for free eye exam coupons can be found at Lens Crafters. The advantage of this chain is that they produce frames designed for each face type. They won’t not only improve your sight, but also your looks.
Pearle Vision offer coupons on their site. The offers are not very common, but they are amazing. At least, you should get a free eye exam. Bookings can be made through the site.
Empire Vision Centers is perhaps the cheapest choice. And they have lots of offers on the top of their low prices. Check them out.
JC Penney Optical Center offer coupons for its products and services. You can buy frames, contacts or get an eye exams downloading a coupon from their site.
The Eye Care Club at America’s Best is another retailers that can save you lots of money on eye exams, frames or contacts lenses. Just check out for their free eye exam coupons.
There are also plenty of free eye exam coupons online where you can use them for purchases of eyeglasses for a lot less while some even offer free eye exams.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/vision-articles/special-eye-exam-coupons-1043792.html
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