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Suture Identification in Cataract Surgery
770
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
the community did not occur until Feb. 5, 1974. Why this prolonged delay when the need for additional research support was so great ? As nearly as I can put things together, this is what happened. The impounded funds re leased to support research grants as well as research training grants could not be used until the question of whether the "old" train ing grant program which the administration was phasing out would be revised. The deci sion had to be made by the Office of Man agement and Budget (OMB). Many of you, calling the National Eye Institute to find out whether new trainees could be appointed, must have sensed the same uncertainty as did I. However, the National Eye Institute staff did not receive word from the OMB until late January 1974. As far as the additional Congressional increases to the National Eye Institute budget of 1974 was concerned, these funds were not released until the OMB could revise the 1975 budget to accommodate the changes of the 1974 budget caused by the Congressional increases. Again additional awards by the National Eye Institute were delayed until the OMB released the guide lines, which did not occur until early this month. It now appears that approximately three fourths of the way through the fiscal year 1974 many of these questions have finally been resolved by the administration and the National Eye Institute has begun to contact its grantees concerning these issues. It is im portant, however, for the research commun ity to realize that the National Eye Institute and the National Institutes of Health were ready to take immediate action to release both the impounded funds and the full level of the 1974 budget to support previously approved but unfunded grants for 1973 and 1974 sev eral months ago. However, it could not do so in the face of inaction and indecision at higher levels of government. Knowing how these situations tend to persist, I would pre dict that this confusion will still be seen in the administration of the 1974 budget and in
MAY, 1974
the 1975 budget because the National Eye Institute still has no definite guidelines from the OMB as to what sort of training and fel lowship programs it can support in these years. Finally, it should be underscored here that, despite these delays and inactions at top levels of government, the National Eye In stitute is now in the position to make use of these additional funds. The increase provided in the 1974 appropriation will allow the In stitute to fund more than twice the number of approved competing awards than the Pres ident's earlier budget request. These levels will also allow for the continuation of the National Eye Institute's training and fellow ship programs at least through fiscal year 1975 and finally, will allow for the restoration of many of the reductions that were being made for fiscal reasons in fiscal year 1974 grants. A. EDWARD MAUMENEE,
M.D.
Baltimore, Maryland SUTURE IDENTIFICATION IN CATARACT SURGERY
Editor: When a number of preplaced sutures are used during cataract surgery, it may be dif ficult to identify the sutures during wound closure. To facilitate identification, I have used sutures of different colors in the same procedure, and I have found this method beneficial. Because I prefer the white drape, I have used dark-colored sutures, 8-0 black silk (SSC) and 8-0 blue virgin silk (SSC). PEKKA POHJANPELTO
Lahti, Finland REVERSAL OF VISUAL DEFICIT WITH OPTIC NERVE DECOMPRESSION I N LONG-STAND
ING PSEUDOTUMOR CEREBRI
Editor: In the article, "Decompression of the perioptic meninges for relief of papilledema," by J. E. K. Galbraith and J. H. Sullivan (Am. J. Ophthalmol. 76:687, 1973), these
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
the community did not occur until Feb. 5, 1974. Why this prolonged delay when the need for additional research support was so great ? As nearly as I can put things together, this is what happened. The impounded funds re leased to support research grants as well as research training grants could not be used until the question of whether the "old" train ing grant program which the administration was phasing out would be revised. The deci sion had to be made by the Office of Man agement and Budget (OMB). Many of you, calling the National Eye Institute to find out whether new trainees could be appointed, must have sensed the same uncertainty as did I. However, the National Eye Institute staff did not receive word from the OMB until late January 1974. As far as the additional Congressional increases to the National Eye Institute budget of 1974 was concerned, these funds were not released until the OMB could revise the 1975 budget to accommodate the changes of the 1974 budget caused by the Congressional increases. Again additional awards by the National Eye Institute were delayed until the OMB released the guide lines, which did not occur until early this month. It now appears that approximately three fourths of the way through the fiscal year 1974 many of these questions have finally been resolved by the administration and the National Eye Institute has begun to contact its grantees concerning these issues. It is im portant, however, for the research commun ity to realize that the National Eye Institute and the National Institutes of Health were ready to take immediate action to release both the impounded funds and the full level of the 1974 budget to support previously approved but unfunded grants for 1973 and 1974 sev eral months ago. However, it could not do so in the face of inaction and indecision at higher levels of government. Knowing how these situations tend to persist, I would pre dict that this confusion will still be seen in the administration of the 1974 budget and in
MAY, 1974
the 1975 budget because the National Eye Institute still has no definite guidelines from the OMB as to what sort of training and fel lowship programs it can support in these years. Finally, it should be underscored here that, despite these delays and inactions at top levels of government, the National Eye In stitute is now in the position to make use of these additional funds. The increase provided in the 1974 appropriation will allow the In stitute to fund more than twice the number of approved competing awards than the Pres ident's earlier budget request. These levels will also allow for the continuation of the National Eye Institute's training and fellow ship programs at least through fiscal year 1975 and finally, will allow for the restoration of many of the reductions that were being made for fiscal reasons in fiscal year 1974 grants. A. EDWARD MAUMENEE,
M.D.
Baltimore, Maryland SUTURE IDENTIFICATION IN CATARACT SURGERY
Editor: When a number of preplaced sutures are used during cataract surgery, it may be dif ficult to identify the sutures during wound closure. To facilitate identification, I have used sutures of different colors in the same procedure, and I have found this method beneficial. Because I prefer the white drape, I have used dark-colored sutures, 8-0 black silk (SSC) and 8-0 blue virgin silk (SSC). PEKKA POHJANPELTO
Lahti, Finland REVERSAL OF VISUAL DEFICIT WITH OPTIC NERVE DECOMPRESSION I N LONG-STAND
ING PSEUDOTUMOR CEREBRI
Editor: In the article, "Decompression of the perioptic meninges for relief of papilledema," by J. E. K. Galbraith and J. H. Sullivan (Am. J. Ophthalmol. 76:687, 1973), these