Opthalmology

BACKGROUND: Recent national data suggests that less than 0.5% of NHS cataract patients undergo immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS). Since ISBCS improves service efficiency, increasing its practice may help tackle the ever-growing burden of cataract in the UK, and reduce the COVID-19 cataract backlog. Surgeon attitudes are known to be a significant barrier to increasing the practice of ISBCS. However, little is known about patient perceptions of ISBCS. METHODS: Patients at cataract clinics across three NHS hospital sites were recruited to complete an investigator-led structured questionnaire...

PURPOSE: To report the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of a case of bilateral acute iris transillumination (BAIT) developed after COVID-19 pneumonia. METHOD: Case report. CASE: A 66-year-old male patient with COVID-19 pneumonia received systemic treatments of favipiravir, prednisolone, moxifloxacin and piperacillin-tazobactam during hospitalization. The patient applied to our clinic with the complaint of blurred vision 20 days after the diagnosis of COVID-19...

PURPOSE: To evaluate topical dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension OCS-01 (Oculis SA, Lausanne, Switzerland) in diabetic macular edema (DME). METHODS: This was a multicenter, double-masked, parallel-group, randomized, Phase 2 study. Patients aged 18-85 years with DME of <3 years duration, ETDRS central subfield thickness ≥ 310 μm by SD-OCT, and ETDRS letter score ≤ 73 and ≥ 24 in the study eye were randomized 2:1 to OCS-01 or matching vehicle, 1 drop 3 times/day for 12 weeks...

Uveitic glaucoma is a range of disorders that results in optic nerve damage from elevated intraocular pressure secondary to intraocular inflammation. As compared to primary open angle glaucoma, uveitic glaucoma is associated with a more aggressive disease course caused by very high intraocular pressure levels that wax and wane. Diagnosis is often based on clinical presentation, disease course, and associated systemic manifestations. Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in both diagnosis and management...

The aim of this paper is to summarize all available evidence from systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and comparative nonrandomized studies (NRS) on the association between nutrition and antioxidant, vitamin, and mineral supplements and the development or progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane register CENTRAL, MEDLINE and Embase were searched and studies published between January 2015 and May 2021 were included. The certainty of evidence was assessed according to the GRADE methodology...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To compare outcomes of acute endophthalmitis (EO) managed with either primary vitrectomy (PV) or primary intravitreal antibiotics (vancomycin and ceftazidime) followed by early vitrectomy (PIAEV) combined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostics. METHODS: This was a prospective, comparative observational study of acute EO cases admitted to a regional vitreoretinal service over 18 months. Depending on whether immediate vitrectomy (within 6 h) was achievable, the EO cases were treated with either (1) PV or (2) PIAEV...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PURPOSE: To assess the proportion of maculopathy detectable only on optical coherence tomography (OCT) versus slit lamp indirect ophthalmoscopy (SLIO) during cataract assessment. METHODS: Population: Consecutive patients attending cataract assessments. DATA COLLECTION: All patients underwent OCT and SLIO. SLIO findings were recorded before reviewing OCT. Scans were examined to compare with recorded SLIO findings. PRIMARY OUTCOME: analyse the proportion of eyes with maculopathy missed by SLIO...

BACKGROUND: Intravitreal medication injections represent the gold standard treatment for a variety of potentially blinding chorioretinal vascular diseases. Despite their excellent safety profile, they are associated with the feared complication of injection-related endophthalmitis (IRE). Though the overall incidence of IRE is low, due to the ever-increasing number of injections being performed, it is a complication that all retina specialists are likely to encounter. This article reviews various factors that could potentially influence the risk of IRE and discusses evidence-based strategies for management...

PURPOSE: This review aims to summarize the current knowledge concerning the clinical features, diagnostic work-up and therapeutic approach of ocular toxoplasmosis focusing mainly on the postnatally acquired form of the disease. METHODS: A meticulous literature search was performed in the PubMed database. A supplementary search was made in Google Scholar to complete the collected items. RESULTS: Ocular toxoplasmosis is one of the most frequent infectious etiologies of posterior uveitis...

BACKGROUND: Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) is often performed by ophthalmology trainees without direct supervision. The traditional model of 'see one, do one, teach one' still prevails in most units. Whilst it is generally a safe procedure, damage to the temporal branch of the facial nerve has been reported when harvesting the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery. METHODS: A survey of trainees from Wessex, Wales, London and Severn deaneries was performed to look at current training techniques, anatomical knowledge and practice...

PURPOSE: To primarily report the baseline characteristics and visual acuity (VA) outcomes of advanced nurse practitioners (ANP) compared to ophthalmologists following YAG posterior capsulotomy (YAGPC). We secondarily looked to characterise the risk factors that lead to a repeated YAGPC. METHOD: Retrospective consecutive case series of 6,308 eyes attending the Birmingham and Midlands Eye Centre. RESULTS: ANPs performed 33.1% of YAGPC compared to 66...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare effectiveness and safety of MicroPulse transscleral laser therapy (MP-TLT) using the original MicroPulse P3® device and continuous-wave transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (CW-TSCPC) using the G-Probe® device in glaucoma. Methods: Spherical equivalent, intraocular pressure (IOP), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and number of topical or oral ophthalmic pressure-reducing medications were registered at every time point, up to the last follow-up at 12 months...

BACKGROUND: Brolucizumab has recently been approved in Europe as a novel treatment for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). We report on early experiences with real-world outcomes of switch to brolucizumab therapy in previously anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF)-treated patients. METHODS: Patients with recalcitrant nAMD were switched to brolucizumab therapy. Functional and structural parameters 4 weeks after first brolucizumab injection were evaluated including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA (logMAR)), foveal centre point (FCP (µm)), central subfield retinal thickness (CSRT (µm)) and macular volume (mm³)...

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the developed world. The identification of the central role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathogenesis of neovascular AMD and the introduction of anti-VEGF agents as gold-standard treatment, have drastically changed its prognosis-something yet to be seen in dry AMD. Several therapeutic avenues with a wide variability of targets are currently being investigated in dry AMD. The approaches being investigated to reduce the rate of disease progression include, (1) drugs with antioxidative properties, (2) inhibitors of the complement cascade, (3) neuroprotective agents, (4) visual cycle inhibitors, (5) gene therapy and (6) cell-based therapies...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Complete nuclear disassembly of superhard cataracts cannot always be achieved by phaco chop, which is considered one of the best techniques for dealing with hard cataracts. We present a phaco chop-progressive cracking technique to divide superhard cataracts completely. CASE PRESENTATION: We presented a case of cataract with over Grade V nucleus sclerosis and very low density of corneal endothelial cell (812 cells/mm2 ). By performing the cataract surgery with our phaco chop-progressive cracking technique, the corneal endothelial cells were well protected and the patient's visual acuity was markedly improved from finger counting at 40 cm to 20/200 the day after surgery without obvious corneal edema...

Background: Retrospective, consecutive case series to evaluate the implantation of two second-generation trabecular microbypass stents in combination with cataract surgery in a real-world, clinical setting. Methods: The series included 56 eyes implanted with the iStent inject device with phacoemulsification. The series consisted of eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma ( n  = 52) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma ( n  = 4). Primary outcome measures included intraocular pressure (IOP) and number of glaucoma medications...