INCREASED DISTANCE FROM THE CLINIC LEADS TO HIGHER LOSS TO FOLLOW-UP AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY IN DIABETIC PATIENTS.

PURPOSE: The importance of consistent outpatient follow-up for management of diabetic eye disease has been well-established. The objective of this study was to identify patient factors associated with being lost to follow-up in postsurgical patients after undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for diabetic eye disease. METHODS: The charts of diabetic patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy for nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage at an academic medical center by a single surgeon between 2012 and 2019 were reviewed. The rates of loss to follow-up during the postoperative period were compared based on patient distance from the clinic and insurance status. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients met inclusion criteria. A total of 45 patients (31.25%) were lost to follow-up during the 3-month postoperative period. The rate of loss to follow-up increased with every postoperative visit and was significantly higher for patients living greater than 30 miles from the clinic versus patients living within 30 miles from the clinic. There was no statistically significant difference in loss to follow-up based on insurance status. CONCLUSION: Increased distance from the clinic presents a challenge to providing safe and effective postsurgical care to diabetic patients. This presents opportunities for comanagement or other creative strategies to improve postsurgical follow-up rates for at-risk patients.

Association of Dry Eye Disease With Dyslipidemia and Statin Use.

PURPOSE: To determine whether an association exists between dry eye disease (DED) and statin use and/or dyslipidemia. DESIGN: Retrospective, case-control study. METHODS: Setting: University of North Carolina (UNC)-affiliated healthcare facilities. STUDY POPULATION: 72,931 patients seen at UNC ophthalmology clinics over a 10-year period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios (ORs) calculated between DED and a history of low, moderate, or high-intensity statin use; and ORs calculated between DED and abnormal lipid panel values. RESULTS: Total of 39,336 individuals (53.9% female) were analyzed after exclusion of individuals with confounding risk factors for DED. Of these, 3,399 patients (8.6%) carried a diagnosis of DED. Low-, moderate-, and high-intensity statin regimens were used by 751 subjects (1.9%), 2,655 subjects (6.8%), and 1,036 subjects (2.6%). Lipid abnormalities were identified as total cholesterol >200 mg/dL, 4,558 subjects (11.6%); high-density lipoprotein (HDL) <40 mg/dL, 2,078 subjects (5.3%); low-density lipoprotein (LDL) >130 mg/dL, 2,756 subjects (7.0%); and triglycerides (TGs) >150 mg/dL, 2,881 subjects (7.3%). The odds ratios (OR) of carrying a diagnosis of DED given the presence of low-, moderate-, and high-intensity statin use were 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.72); OR 1.47 (95% CI: 1.30-1.65), and OR 1.46 (95% CI: 1.21-1.75), respectively. The OR of carrying a diagnosis of DED given the presence of total cholesterol >200 mg/dL, HDL <40 mg/dL, LDL >130 mg/dL, and TGs >150 mg/dL were 1.66 (95% CI: 1.52-1.82), 1.45 (95% CI: 1.26-1.67), 1.55 (95% CI: 1.39-1.74), and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.27-1.61), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A history of statin use or dyslipidemia is associated with an increased odds of having a DED diagnosis. Further studies are needed to determine whether statin use and/or dyslipidemia increases the risk of DED.

Trends in open shoulder surgery among early career orthopedic surgeons: who is doing what?

BACKGROUND: The incidence of various open shoulder procedures has changed over time. In addition, various fellowships provide overlapping training in open shoulder surgery. There is a lack of information regarding the relationship between surgeon training and open shoulder procedure type and incidence in early career orthopedic surgeons. METHODS: The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part-II database was queried from 2002 to 2016 for reported open shoulder procedures. The procedures were categorized as follows: arthroplasty, revision arthroplasty, open instability, trauma, and open rotator cuff. We evaluated procedure trends as well as their relationship to surgeon fellowship categorized by Sports, Shoulder/Elbow, Hand, Trauma, and "Other" fellowship as well as no fellowship training. We additionally evaluated complication data as it related to procedure, fellowship category, and volume. RESULTS: Over the 2002-2016 study period, there were increasing cases of arthroplasty, revision arthroplasty, and trauma (P < .001). There were decreasing cases in open instability and open rotator cuff (P < .001). Those with Sports training reported the largest overall share of open shoulder cases. Those with Shoulder/Elbow training reported an increasing overall share of arthroplasty cases and higher per candidate case numbers. The percentage of early career orthopedic surgeons reporting 5 or more arthroplasty cases was highest among Shoulder/Elbow candidates (P < .001). Across all procedures, those without fellowship training were least likely to report a complication (odds ratio [OR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.86; P < .001). Shoulder/Elbow candidates were least likely to report an arthroplasty complication (OR, 0.84, P = .03) as was any surgeon reporting 5 or more arthroplasty cases (OR, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.94; P = .006). CONCLUSION: The type and incidence of open shoulder surgery procedures continues to change. Among early career surgeons, those with more specific shoulder training are now performing the majority of arthroplasty-related procedures, and early career volume inversely correlates with complications.

Association Between Dry Eye Disease and Migraine Headaches in a Large Population-Based Study.

Importance: Reports in the literature have conflicting findings about an association between dry eye disease (DED) and migraine headaches. Objective: To determine the strength of the association between DED and migraine headaches. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective case-control study included 72 969 patients older than 18 years from University of North Carolina-affiliated health care facilities from May 1, 2008, through May 31, 2018. Deidentified aggregate patient data were queried; data were analyzed from June 1 through June 30, 2018. Exposures: Diagnosis of migraine headache. Main Outcomes and Measures: Odds ratios calculated between DED and migraine headaches for participants as a whole and stratified by sex and age group. Results: The base population consisted of 72 969 patients, including 41 764 men (57.2%) and 31 205 women (42.8%). Of these, 5352 patients (7.3%) carried a diagnosis of migraine headache, and 9638 (13.2%) carried a diagnosis of DED. The odds of having DED given a diagnosis of migraine headaches was 1.72 (95% CI, 1.60-1.85) times higher than that of patients without migraine headaches. After accounting for multiple confounding factors, the odds of having DED given a diagnosis of migraine headaches was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.20-1.68) times higher than that of patients without migraine headaches. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that patients with migraine headaches are more likely to have comorbid DED compared with the general population. Although this association may not reflect cause and effect if unidentified confounders account for the results, these data suggest that patients with migraine headaches may be at risk of carrying a comorbid diagnosis of DED.