Light adjustable intraocular lenses: an updated platform for cataract surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Light adjustable intraocular lenses (LALs) are a relatively new platform for cataract surgery that is shifting the paradigm for intraocular lens placement following cataract removal. RECENT FINDINGS: LALs may have additional utility in patients with prior refractive surgery and complex ocular conditions, as they give the surgeon greater latitude in preoperative intraocular power calculations to meet postoperative refractive goals. SUMMARY: Further study of best candidates for LALs is warranted. Current best candidates are patients who can comply with treatment and have decreased accuracy in calculating the preoperative intraocular power requirement.

Cutibacterium (Formerly Propionibacterium ) acnes Keratitis: A Review.

ABSTRACT: Infectious keratitis is a devastating cause of vision loss worldwide. Cutibacterium acnes ( C. acnes ), a commensal bacterium of the skin and ocular surface, is an underrecognized but important cause of bacterial keratitis. This review presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date information for clinicians regarding the risk factors, incidence, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of C. acnes keratitis (CAK). Risk factors are similar to those of general bacterial keratitis and include contact lens use, past ocular surgery, and trauma. The incidence of CAK may be approximately 10%, ranging from 5% to 25% in growth-positive cultures. Accurate diagnosis requires anaerobic blood agar and a long incubation period (≥7 days). Typical clinical presentation includes small (<2 mm) ulcerations with deep stromal infiltrate causing an anterior chamber cell reaction. Small, peripheral lesions are usually resolved, and patients recover a high visual acuity. Severe infections causing VA of 20/200 or worse are common and often do not significantly improve even after treatment. Vancomycin is considered the most potent antibiotic against CAK, although other antibiotics such as moxifloxacin and ceftazidime are more commonly used as first-line treatment.

Pyridine-pyrimidine amides that prevent HGF-induced epithelial scattering by two distinct mechanisms.

Stimulation of cultured epithelial cells with scatter factor/hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) results in individual cells detaching and assuming a migratory and invasive phenotype. Epithelial scattering recapitulates cancer progression and studies have implicated HGF signaling as a driver of cancer metastasis. Inhibitors of HGF signaling have been proposed to act as anti-cancer agents. We previously screened a small molecule library for compounds that block HGF-induced epithelial scattering. Most hits identified in this screen exhibit anti-mitotic properties. Here we assess the biological mechanism of a compound that blocks HGF-induced scattering with limited anti-mitotic activity. Analogs of this compound have one of two distinct activities: inhibiting either cell migration or cell proliferation with cell cycle arrest in G2/M. Each activity bears unique structure-activity relationships. The mechanism of action of anti-mitotic compounds is by inhibition of microtubule polymerization; these compounds entropically and enthalpically bind tubulin in the colchicine binding site, generating a conformational change in the tubulin dimer.

Real-world effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection frequency on visual outcomes in patients with diabetic macular oedema.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections are often administered less frequently in real-world treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DMO) than what was studied in clinical trials. This study aims to characterise real-world DMO treatment patterns and the effect of treatment intervals on patient outcomes. STUDY DESIGN/PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 291 patients with DMO treated with anti-VEGF therapy. 12- and 24-month best visual acuity (BVA) and central subfield thickness (CST) were compared between injection interval groups, which were determined by averaging the two most recent injection intervals. Multiple linear regressions were performed to identify factors associated with injection interval, BVA, and CST. RESULTS: 48.8% of patients received injections less than or equal to every 8 weeks (≤ q8w), 27.5% between every 8 to 12 weeks (q8-12w), and 23.7% greater than every 12 weeks (> q12w). Baseline CST was similar (p = 0.32), but BVA differed significantly in q8-12w patients (p = 0.0095). BVA and CST at 12 months were similar, but q8-12w patients experienced greater 12-month BVA improvement (7.36 ± 12.4 letters) than > q12w patients (1.26 ± 12.3 letters; p = 0.0056). 24-month BVA and CST changes were similar between groups (p = 0.30 and 0.87). Baseline BVA, HbA1c, and sex were associated with 12-month BVA, and baseline BVA and CST were associated with 12-month CST. CONCLUSION: Many patients experienced improvements in BVA and CST over 12 months of treatment despite receiving less frequent anti-VEGF therapy than recommended in the pivotal trials. The present study showed that extended treatment intervals with bevacizumab were effective in preserving vision of many individuals with high baseline BVA.

Comparative Analysis of Corneal Higher-Order Aberrations after Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, Photorefractive Keratectomy, and Small Incision Lenticule Extraction with Correlations to Change in Myopic Q-Value and Spherical Equivalent with and without Astigmatism.

Background: This retrospective chart review compared the higher-order aberrations (HOAs) among photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) alongside changes in spherical equivalent (SEQ) and corneal shape (Q-value). Methods: Analyzing 371 myopic eyes, including 154 LASIK, 173 PRK, and 44 SMILE cases, Pentacam imaging was utilized pre-operatively and at one-year post-operative visits. Results: All procedures resulted in 100% of patients achieving an uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 20/40 or better, with 87% of LASIK and PRK, and 91% of SMILE patients having 20/20 or better. Significant increases in HOAs were observed across all procedures (p < 0.05), correlating positively with SEQ and Q-value changes (LASIK (0.686, p < 0.05), followed by PRK (0.4503, p < 0.05), and SMILE (0.386, p < 0.05)). Vertical coma and spherical aberration (SA) were the primary factors for heightened aberration magnitude among the procedures (p < 0.05), with the largest contribution in SMILE, which is likely attributed to the centration at the corneal apex. Notably, PRK showed insignificant changes in vertical coma (-0.197 µm ± 0.0168 to -0.192 µm ± 0.0198, p = 0.78), with an increase in oblique trefoil (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings underscore differences in HOAs among PRK, LASIK, and SMILE, helping to guide clinicians.

Comparing Effective Optical Zones After Myopic Ablation Between LASIK, PRK, and SMILE With Correlation to Higher Order Aberrations.

PURPOSE: To explore size, decentration, and eccentricity of effective optical zones (EOZs) in laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and correlate them to higher order aberrations (HOAs). METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of 188 eyes that underwent refractive surgery for compound myopia (61 LASIK, 84 PRK, 43 SMILE). EOZ measurements were determined using 1-year postoperative Pentacam (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH) tangential difference maps. HOA data were measured using Pentacam wavefront aberration Zernike polynomials. Correlations between EOZs and HOAs were analyzed. RESULTS: The EOZs of LASIK and PRK are smaller than SMILE at 19.54 ± 1.44, 19.39 ± 1.66, and 22.18 ± 2.61 mm2, respectively (P < .001). No difference existed in absolute decentration from corneal vertex (P = .078) or pupil center (P = .131), but horizontal and vertical components differed significantly (P < .001). Smaller EOZ areas were correlated with greater spherical aberration induction (rLASIK = -0.378, rPRK = -0.555, rSMILE = -0.501) and total HOA induction in all groups. Absolute decentration from corneal vertex positively correlated with total HOA (rLASIK = 0.396, rPRK = 0.463, rSMILE = 0.399) and directional vertical coma induction negatively correlated with vertical decentration from the corneal vertex (rLASIK = -0.776, rPRK = -0.665, rSMILE = -0.576) in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: SMILE results in a larger EOZ than LASIK and PRK, and absolute decentration remains comparable regardless of surgical reference center, despite horizontal/vertical differences. Surgical planning to ensure adequate EOZ size and centration may reduce induction of HOAs, including spherical aberrations and vertical coma. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(11):741-750.].

Comparison of Corneal Power Difference Maps with Achieved Myopic Correction Using Scheimpflug Tomography After LASIK, PRK, and SMILE.

Purpose: To compare corneal power difference maps (∆maps) obtained from the Pentacam in patients with 1 year follow-up after LASIK, PRK, and SMILE with further stratification to low, moderate, and high myopia. Patients and methods: This retrospective study was comprised of patients who had preoperative and 1-year postoperative power maps that were obtained-front sagittal (SagF), refractive power (RP), true net power (TNP), and total corneal refractive power (TCRP)-for evaluation. Measurements were recorded and compared at the 4mm, 5mm and 6mm pupil and apex zones. Comparisons were made between each specific power ∆map and the surgically induced refractive change (SIRC). Further analysis of the ∆maps was performed based on degree of myopia (high, moderate, and low). Correlation and agreement were also assessed with regression and limits of agreement (LoA). Results: There were 172 eyes in the LASIK group, 187 eyes in the PRK group, and 46 eyes in the SMILE group. In the LASIK group, TNP ∆map at 5mm pupil zone had the least absolute mean difference with SIRC (0.007 ± 0.42D). In the PRK group, TNP ∆map at 5mm apex zone was most accurate compared to SIRC (0.066 ± 0.45D). In the SMILE group, TCRP ∆map at 4mm apex zone had the closest absolute value when compared to SIRC (0.011 ± 0.50D). There was good correlation and agreement for all three surgery groups, LASIK: r = 0.975, LoA -0.83D to +0.83D, PRK: r = 0.96, LoA -0.83D and +0.95D, and SMILE: r = 0.922, LoA -0.97 D to +0.99D. Conclusion: TNP ∆maps most accurately measured corneal power in the LASIK and PRK groups while TCRP ∆maps were most accurate in the SMILE group. The degree of myopia may change which ∆map is most accurate.

Assessing Visual Outcomes: A Comparative Study of US-FDA Premarket Approval Data for Multifocal and EDOF Lens Implants in Cataract Surgery.

This study compares the efficacy, safety, and patient-reported outcomes of three intraocular implants (IOL): Tecnis Synergy IOL, AcrySof IQ PanOptix Trifocal, and Tecnis Symfony EDOF IOL. Participants achieving 20/20 or better uncorrected binocular visual acuity were as follows: Synergy-67% distance, 64% intermediate, and 47% near; PanOptix-73% distance, 73% intermediate, and 50% near; and Symfony-63% distance, 75% intermediate, and 22% near. Symfony demonstrated superior intermediate visual acuity compared to Synergy (p = 0.0182) for those achieving 20/25 or better. Both Synergy and PanOptix showed superiority over Symfony for near visual acuity (p < 0.0001). Halos were statistically more common in Synergy participants compared to PanOptix (p = 0.0013) and Symfony (p < 0.0001). Each trial lens outperformed its monofocal IOL in terms of independence from glasses or contacts, with Synergy and PanOptix showing statistical significance over Symfony. Comparing contrast sensitivities and defocus curves was challenging due to data variance and as such, standardization of United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) data reporting is key for better comparison of outcomes among different IOL platforms.

Allogenic Lenticular Implantation for Correction of Refractive Error and Ectasia: Narrative Review.

INTRODUCTION: Intrastromal lenticule implantation is a promising treatment option for corneal pathologies, from refractive error to ectasia. In this narrative review, we intend to feature up-to-date literature supporting the use of lenticular tissue, a compelling method that can be customized for a variety of applications, providing an additional source of donor tissue for treating corneal diseases. METHODS: We searched databases PubMed, Mendeley, and Scopus last accessed 10 May 2023, for literature on stromal lenticules and narrowed based on relevance. Review articles, animal studies, ex vivo studies, and book chapters were excluded, while assessable and relevant articles published in English were included. RESULTS: Storage methods from using fresh lenticules to dehydration have proven successful, with cryopreservation maintaining structure and cellular viability for up to 10 years. Successful use of lenticules for treatment of numerous pathologies including corneal ectasias, hyperopia, and presbyopia with additional insight into the treatment of corneal ulcers and perforations are highlighted in this narrative review. CONCLUSION: Lenticular implantation is an innovative and advantageous treatment for various ocular pathologies, offering increased bioavailability, flexibility, and customization for patients. They can treat previously untreatable diseases and serve as a replacement for synthetic implants, with promising outcomes worldwide. Lenticular implantation has the potential to become a leading approach in ophthalmologic surgery. Further studies should aim to provide evidentiary support for a standardization of lenticule banking.

Management of Corneal Haze After Photorefractive Keratectomy.

Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a safe and popular corneal surgery performed worldwide. Nevertheless, there is potential risk of corneal haze development after surgery. Proper management of post PRK haze is important for good visual outcome. We performed a comprehensive review of the literature on the various risk factors and treatments for PRK haze, searching the PubMed, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, ScienceDirect, and Embase databases using relevant search terms. All articles in English from August 1989 through April 2023 were reviewed for this study, among which 102 articles were chosen to be included in the study. Depending on the characteristics of and examination findings on post PRK haze, different management options may be preferred. In the proposed framework, management of PRK haze should include a full workup that includes patient's subjective complaints and loss of vision as well as visual acuity, biomicroscopy, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, epithelial mapping, and Scheimpflug densitometry. Topical steroid treatment for haze should be stratified based on early- or late-onset haze. Mechanical debridement or superficial phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) may be used to treat superficial corneal haze. Deep PTK and/or PRK can be used to treat deep corneal haze. Mitomycin-C and topical steroids are prophylactic post-surgery agents to prevent recurrence of haze.

Bilateral Lipid Keratopathy in the Setting of Brimonidine Tartrate Use.

Lipid keratopathy (LK) is a rare disease involving lipid deposition in the cornea resulting in corneal opacification. Primary LK can arise sporadically while secondary LK is seen in patients with a history of ocular trauma, medication exposure, infection, inflammation, or disorders resulting in derangements of lipid metabolism. Secondary LK is more common and occurs due to neovascularization. Use of precipitating medications should be considered in LK workup, particularly for patients in whom other etiologies have been ruled out. Brimonidine, an ocular hypotensive medication, can be associated with LK. We present a case of bilateral secondary LK in a patient with a history of prolonged brimonidine use, without additional contributing factors.

The Combined Utilization of Epithelial Thickness Mapping and Tomography in Keratorefractive Surgery Screening: One Imaging Modality is Not Sufficient.

Increasing popularity and utility of epithelial thickness mapping (ETM) in keratorefractive surgery screening may begin to inappropriately devalue the use of tomography. An increasing body of research suggests that the interpretation of ETM based solely on the corneal resurfacing function may be insufficient to screen and select patients for refractive surgery. ETM and tomography are complementary and, when used together, may provide the safest and most optimal tools for keratorefractive surgery screening.

Comparing Visual Outcomes of Light Adjustable Intraocular Lenses in Patients With and Without Prior History of Corneal Refractive Surgery.

PURPOSE: To assess visual outcomes of light adjustable intraocular lens (LAL; Calhoun Vision, Inc) implantation after cataract extraction in patients with a history of corneal refractive surgery. METHODS: The records of patients who received LALs with and without a history of corneal refractive surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Data for 51 eyes (30 patients) with a history of corneal refractive surgery and 52 eyes (44 patients) without refractive surgery were analyzed. A total of 36 eyes of patients with and 43 eyes of patients without a history of corneal refractive surgery had 12-month follow-up data available. The primary outcomes evaluated were uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). RESULTS: At 12 months, 31% of eyes with a history of corneal refractive surgery had a UDVA of 20/20 or better and 97% of eyes were 20/40 or better. In contrast, 63% of patients with no history of corneal refractive surgery had 20/20 UDVA or better at 12 months and 100% were 20/40 or better. Of patients with a history of corneal refractive surgery, 55% and 83% of eyes at 12 months were within ±0.50 and ±1.00 diopters, respectively, of the target refraction compared to 89% and 96% of eyes without a history of corneal refractive surgery. CONCLUSIONS: LALs are a promising platform for achieving excellent visual outcomes following cataract surgery. Patients with a prior history of corneal refractive surgery can achieve excellent visual outcomes with the LAL. However, this study found that patients with a history of corneal refractive surgery demonstrated less predictable visual acuity outcomes when compared to patients without a history of corneal refractive surgery. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(5):311-318.].

Influence of Preoperative Parameters on the Ratio of Keratometric Change per Diopter of Attempted Spherical Equivalent (∆K/∆SEQ) for Myopic Correction Within LASIK, PRK, and SMILE.

Purpose: To compare 3 of the most common corneal refractive procedures; PRK, LASIK, and SMILE assessing ΔK/ΔSEQ ratio and its correlation with preoperative demographics including age, keratometry, pachymetry, cylinder value, and attempted myopic correction. The goal was to analyze the relative strength of each preoperative parameter in accounting for changes in ∆K/∆SEQ. Patients and Methods: A total of 370 eyes from 102 male and 97 female patients (173 eyes PRK, 153 LASIK, and 44 SMILE) with ages ranging from 20 to 51 underwent refractive surgery for myopia between -0.25 and -7.71 D manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE). All surgeries were performed at a single surgery center in Draper, Utah. The Pentacam was used for all optical measurements and data were gathered pre-operatively and then again 1-year post-operatively. Only patients who achieved emmetropia at a visual acuity of 20/25 or better were included. Results: The mean ΔK/ΔSEQ ratio for LASIK (0.839 ± 0.020) was significantly greater than that of PRK (0.775 ± 0.022) and SMILE (0.709 ± 0.046). Age was found to negatively correlate with ΔK/ΔSEQ for both LASIK (r = -0.177) and SMILE (r = -0.451) procedures. Pre-op keratometry was found to negatively correlate with ΔK/ΔSEQ for LASIK (r = -0.202) but not for PRK or SMILE. Pre-op pachymetry was not correlated with ΔK/ΔSEQ for any of the procedures. Attempted myopic spherical equivalent (SEQ) correction was positively correlated with ΔK/ΔSEQ for LASIK (r = 0.236), PRK (r = 0.459), and SMILE (r = 0.304). Lastly, pre-op cylinder value was found to be correlated to ΔK/ΔSEQ in SMILE (r = -0.367), but not in LASIK or PRK. Conclusion: The ΔK/ΔSEQ ratio not only differs depending on the procedure being done but also by pre-operative factors such as age, keratometry, attempted correction, and cylinder value. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the attempted correction had the greatest effect on ∆K/∆SEQ out of all parameters in LASIK and PRK. For SMILE, age had the greatest predictive value of the change in ∆K/∆SEQ. While the exact effect of these parameters will vary by surgeon, all of these should be factored into a refractive surgeon's nomograms in order to achieve optimal visual outcomes for their patients.

One-Year Visual Outcomes and Corneal Higher-Order Aberration Assessment of Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction for the Treatment of Myopia and Myopic Astigmatism.

We present a retrospective, single-center report of one-year visual outcomes for Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) to treat myopia and myopic astigmatism, as well as to compare outcomes with other published literature, including results from the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). A total of 405 eyes with a mean preoperative spherical equivalent of -5.54 diopters (D) underwent SMILE between April 2017 and April 2022. The outcomes measured included visual acuity, manifest refraction, vector analysis, and wavefront aberrometry at various time points, specifically pre-operative and twelve months post-operatively. Results were compared to other similar published studies of SMILE outcomes between 2012 and 2021. A total of 308 and 213 eyes were evaluated at three and twelve months, respectively. At twelve months, 79% of eyes achieved UDVA ≥ 20/20, and 99% had ≥20/40, with no patients losing ≥2 lines of vision. For accuracy, 84% of eyes were within 0.5 D of target SEQ, and 97% were within 1 D. Total corneal higher order aberrations (HOA) increased from 0.33 to 0.61 um. Significant change was found in vertical coma and spherical aberration at twelve months. SMILE remains a safe and effective treatment for myopia and myopic astigmatism. Clinical outcomes are likely to improve with increased surgeon experience and refinement of technology and nomograms.

Review of Presbyopia Treatment with Corneal Inlays and New Developments.

Presbyopia may represent the largest segment of refractive errors that is without an established and effective refractive surgery treatment. Corneal Inlays are materials (synthetic or allogenic) implanted in the stroma of patients' corneas to improve presbyopia. These inlays, introduced into the United States in 2015 via the small-aperture corneal inlay (KAMRATM, SightLife Surgical/CorneaGen, Seattle, Washington, United States), were met with an initial wave of enthusiasm. Subsequent models like the shape-changing corneal inlay (RAINDROPTM, Revision Optics, Lake Forest, California, United States) offered excellent results for patients, but longer-term research raised questions about patient safety. At the time of this article, no synthetic corneal inlays are available in the United States for the correction of presbyopia. Other options for presbyopia correction include allograft corneal inlays, trifocal synthetic corneal inlays, pharmacologic therapies, scleral incisions or additive techniques and PresbyLASIK. Presently, allograft inlays consist of corneal lenticules removed from patients undergoing Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE). We will review corneal inlays and other alternative procedures that may provide effective and predictable treatments for patients with presbyopia.

Corneal opacities after small-incision lenticule extraction.

A 36-year-old woman was referred to our clinic in October 2021 with suboptimal vision at intermediate and near distances and halos and photophobia after a small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) in December 2019. The patient needs to increase font size of her computer to 150% to read text, but images still appear blurred. She indicates that sunglasses seem to improve her contrast. Preoperatively, her refractive error was -2.5 diopters (D) and -2.25 D for right and left eyes. The optical zone size of the SMILE procedure was 6.8 mm. There is no further information available on the peroperative course of the SMILE procedure. Her uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) is 20/20 in both eyes and does not improve with correction. The Schirmer tear test is 14 to 13 mm. Slitlamp biomicroscopy of the right eye and the left eye reveals hyperreflective small opacities in the anterior one-third of the corneal stroma ( Figures 1 and 2JOURNAL/jcrs/04.03/02158034-202209000-00021/figure1/v/2022-08-29T115553Z/r/image-tiffJOURNAL/jcrs/04.03/02158034-202209000-00021/figure2/v/2022-08-29T115553Z/r/image-tiff ). No other abnormalities are seen. The scotopic pupil sizes are 6.41 and 6.73 mm. Straylight measurements are within normal limits. Higher-order aberrations (HOAs) measure for the right eye (6.03 mm pupil) 0.818 µm and for the left eye (6.17 mm pupil) 0.560 µm. The corneal Scheimpflug tomography quad maps for both eyes are shown in Supplemental Figures 1 and 2 ( http://links.lww.com/JRS/A663 , http://links.lww.com/JRS/A664 ). What is your diagnosis or are additional diagnostic methodologies needed to establish a diagnosis? What is your treatment advice for this patient?