LONG-TERM OUTCOMES FOR OPTIC DISK PIT MACULOPATHY AFTER VITRECTOMY.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of pars plana vitrectomy for congenital optic disk pit maculopathy with various adjuvant techniques, including gas tamponade, internal limiting membrane peel, and temporal optic disk endolaser in a multicenter study with long-term follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify eyes that underwent surgical repair for congenital optic disk pits and serous macular detachment with or without macular retinoschisis from four retinal centers across Canada from 2003 to 2013. Data collected included surgeries performed, preoperative and postoperative vision, central retinal thickness, and presence or absence of subretinal fluid. Optical coherence tomography was used to define anatomical success (i.e., foveal reattachment). RESULTS: Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients with optic disk pits and serous macular detachments were identified that had undergone surgical repair. All eyes underwent pars plana vitrectomy and induction of posterior vitreous detachment if one was not present. Additional procedures performed on occasion included internal limiting membrane peel (n = 8), temporal optic disk pits endolaser (n = 7), and gas tamponade (air, C3F8 or SF6; n = 31). After vitrectomy surgery, foveal attachment was achieved in 26 of 32 eyes (81.3%). The average number of surgeries required was 1.4 ± 0.6, with a maximum of 3 vitrectomies (n = 2). Mean change in best-corrected visual acuity was -0.47 ± 0.54 logMAR units, which corresponds to approximately 5 lines of visual improvement (P < 0.001). Median time to reattachment was 416 days. Preoperative vision, preoperative symptom days, and age were not associated with postoperative reattachment. Similarly, internal limiting membrane peel and temporal endolaser were not associated with postoperative reattachment, nor was there a difference between air and SF6 and C3F8 gas tamponade. Elevated preoperative central retinal thickness was associated with a lower chance of postoperative reattachment (P = 0.007) and was also the best prognostic indicator of success (P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy for macular detachment due to optic disk pit has good long-term success and results in an improvement in visual acuity. However, adjuvant techniques such as internal limiting membrane peel and temporal endolaser may not improve outcomes, nor does there seem to be a difference between short- and long-acting gases. Patients should be made aware that it can take more than a year and multiple surgeries to achieve foveal reattachment and that increased baseline central retinal thickness is a poor prognostic sign.

Phaco-trabectome versus phaco-iStent in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate efficacy and safety of phaco-trabectome (PT) versus phaco-iStent (Pi) for intraocular pressure (IOP) control in open-angle glaucoma (OAG). DESIGN: Retrospective comparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 70 eyes of 55 patients with OAG underwent either PT surgery by a single surgeon or Pi (insertion of 2 stents) by another surgeon in Canada between January 2010 and December 2012. METHODS: The medical records of consecutive adult patients who underwent either PT or Pi surgery were reviewed. All patients who satisfied both the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the outcomes analyses. IOP reduction, reduction in glaucoma medication, safety profile, and best-corrected visual acuity were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-six eyes of 30 patients had PT and 34 eyes of 25 patients had Pi. Baseline IOP was higher in the PT group (20.92 ± 5.07 mm Hg) than in the Pi group (17.47 ± 4.87 mm Hg; p = 0.026). At 12 months there was no significant difference between groups in relative reduction of mean IOP (PT -5.09 ± 5.73, 24% relative reduction vs. Pi -3.84 ± 3.80, 22% relative reduction; p = 0.331) or glaucoma medication use (PT -0.49 ± 1.17 vs. Pi -0.26 ± 0.73; p = 0.168) from baseline. However, Pi had significantly fewer individual complications (PT 20 vs. Pi 5; p < 0.0001) throughout the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: At 12 months of follow-up, both techniques significantly lowered IOP, but fewer complications were observed in the Pi group.

Burden and Depression among Caregivers of Visually Impaired Patients in a Canadian Population.

Purpose/Background. This study reports the degree of burden and the proportion at risk for depression among individuals who provide care to visually impaired patients. Study Design. This is clinic-based, cross-sectional survey in a tertiary care hospital. Methods. Caregivers were considered unpaid family members for patients whose sole impairment was visual. Patients were stratified by vision in their better seeing eye into two groups: Group 1 had visual acuity between 6/18 and 6/60 and Group 2 were those who had 6/60 or worse. Burden was evaluated by the Burden Index of Caregivers and the prevalence of being at risk for depression was determined by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Results. 236 caregivers of 236 patients were included. Total mean BIC scores were higher in Group 2. Female caregivers, caregivers providing greater hours of care, and caregivers of patients who have not completed vision rehabilitation programs are at higher risk for depression.