Laser Surgery

An eye-drop solution that aims to assist the healing process after laser vision correction surgery is the latest innovation to spring from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, and apparently the best project the lab had to offer for 2000. The drops - and their APL creator Dr. David M. Silver - were named invention and inventor of the year at an APL awards ceremony last month at the southern Howard County campus. The plasminogen activator drops, which stimulate an enzyme that helps the eye to heal itself, are not in clinical trials, but a Salt Lake City medical company has grabbed the option to license the technology.

The U.S. government has filed a federal lawsuit against a Baltimore doctor, accusing him of fraudulently billing thousands of dollars for hundreds of medically unnecessary eye procedures performed on dozens of patients at an outpatient clinic owned by Bon Secours Hospital. The 33-page civil suit claims that between Oct. 29, 2002, and April 14, 2009, Dr. John Arthur Kiely repeatedly performed laser eye surgery on patients who didn't need it — more than a dozen times on some people.

WASHINGTON -- A man from Bahrain wanted his marriage to be a truly beautiful event -- down to the very faces of the wedding party. So, six months before the blessed day, the groom sent his family and friends to Washington for some fast cosmetic surgery.Flying all night from the Middle East, the brother of the groom and the best man shook off their jet lag to the tinkling music piped into Dr. Steven Hopping's downtown office. There, each had his double chin reduced by one. Little more than a week later, the two were on a plane heading home, ready to shop for wedding dress-shirts in smaller neck sizes.

GOLDEN, Colo. - Linda Ham seldom worried about the future during a 21-year career that saw her become one of NASA's most powerful space shuttle managers. Since a year ago today, however, when the Columbia accident claimed the lives of seven astronauts, the future is never far from her mind. For the past two months, the former shuttle executive has been working in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains outside Denver - about 900 miles from her husband and sons in Houston - to help organize a government energy initiative.

More patients and a change in the license to accommodate them have Carroll County General Hospital bustling with activity, administratorssaid at the board's quarterly meeting last week.The state just increased the hospital's number of licensed beds by 10, making it a 128-bed hospital. State regulations allow an increase of up to 10 everytwo years.But the patient census has run as high as 135 some days, including outpatients, meaning some beds got used twice in one day, said Deanna Dell, vice president for nursing.

If you're looking for information about a variety of health and fitness topics, you might find what you're looking for in stories now available from the Sun on Demand service of The Baltimore Sun.Each story, which has appeared in The Baltimore Sun, is $2.95 plus tax. Order by calling Sun on Demand at (410) 332-6800 and asking for the article by its four-digit code.Alternative medicine, 6301Alzheimer's, 6309Box aerobics, 6314Breast cancer amongAfrican-Americans, 6316Breast cancer'sother victims, 6315Breast-feeding, 6302Broccoli asa cancer preventive, 6317Chronobiology andhuman circadian rhythms, 6308Ear infections, 6307Incontinence, 6304Lice, 6310Menopause, 6303Pelvic pain, 6305Prostate health, 6313Radial keratomy, 6306Sleep apnea, 6312Snoring andlaser surgery, 6311

The following are recent bankruptcy filings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Maryland in Baltimore City:Nov. 18* Kaspar Classic Desserts Inc., 1620 St. Agnes Lane, Baltimore, a wholesale/retail bakery, has filed for Chapter 11. Principal: Brian Kaspar, president. Assets: $69,700; Liabilities: $206,521.20Nov. 21* Infocheq Inc., 836 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, a mortgage credit reporting company, filed for Chapter 7. Principal: Susan Dahl, president. Assets: $48,595; Liabilities: $138,267.

Kids AskQ How well can pitcher Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves see without his glasses?-- Nick R., 10, Edina, MinnesotaA "I see very poorly without my glasses," says Greg. "I am nearsighted, which means I have trouble seeing things that are far away."I wear glasses most of the time. But I wear contact lenses when I play baseball. I feel safer in contact lenses."Greg is thinking about having laser surgery after the season. The surgery is supposed to correct Greg's vision. He would be able to see clearly without contact lenses or glasses.

Neonatal loss is topic of support group programCarroll County General Hospital is forming a support group for families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal loss.The four-part program begins at 7 p.m. Jan. 11. Future meetings will be held Jan. 18 and 25, and Feb. 1.Coordinating the program are Chaplain Mary Shimo, director of pastoral care at the hospital; Barbara Green, a hospital social worker; and Yvonne Mitchell, a labor and delivery nurse and trained counselor in Resolve Through Sharing, a national advocacy group that helps families deal with death before or at birth.

Blue Jays: John Olerud, who had been in a 2-for-26 slump, was 3-for-5. . . . Blue Jays batters were hit by pitches three times, increasing their major-league-leading total to 10.Brewers: Milwaukee led the AL with 42 triples last season and was one behind the Rockies for the major-league lead. But the Brewers were the last AL team to hit a triple this year, getting one on Jose Valentin's hit in the fourth.Indians: Kenny Lofton was thrown out by Greg Myers trying to steal second in the fourth inning.