Prevention and management of vision loss relating to facial filler injections.

INTRODUCTION: With the increased use of filler and fat injections for aesthetic purposes, there has been a corresponding increase in the incidence of complications. Vision loss as an uncommon but devastating vascular side effect of filler injections was the focus of this paper. METHODS: A review committee, consisting of plastic surgeons, aesthetic medical practitioners, ophthalmologists and dermatologists from Singapore, was convened by the Society of Aesthetic Medicine (Singapore) to review and recommend methods for the prevention and management of vision loss secondary to filler injections. RESULTS: The committee agreed that prevention through proper understanding of facial anatomy and good injection techniques was of foremost importance. The committee acknowledged that there is currently no standard management for these cases. Based on existing knowledge, injectors may follow a proposed course of action, which can be divided into immediate, definitive and supportive. The goals were to reduce intraocular pressure, dislodge the embolus to a more peripheral location, remove or reverse central ischaemia, preserve residual retinal function, and prevent the deterioration of vision. Dissolving a hyaluronic acid embolus remains a controversial option. It is proposed that injectors must be trained to recognise symptoms, institute immediate actions and refer patients without delay to dedicated specialists for definitive and supportive management. CONCLUSIONS: Steps to prevent and manage vision loss based on current evidence and best clinical practices are outlined in this paper. Empirical referral to any emergency department or untrained doctors may lead to inordinate delays and poor outcomes for the affected eye.

Analgesic effect of supplemental intracameral lidocaine during phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia: a randomised controlled trial.

AIMS: To determine the analgesic effect of supplemental intracameral lidocaine 1% during phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia, and to assess the risk factors associated with pain. METHODS: In a double-masked, randomised, clinical trial, 506 patients undergoing phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia were randomised to receive a supplemental intracameral injection of either 0.5 cc of 1% lidocaine (277 patients, 54.7%) or balanced salt solution (BSS) (229 patients, 45.3%). Patients were interviewed by a trained interviewer using a standardised questionnaire. The main outcome measure was intraoperative pain, scored on a visual analogue scale of 0-10. Logistic regression was performed to assess ORs. RESULTS: 125 of 277 patients (45.1%) experienced pain in the lidocaine group, compared with 123 of 229 patients (53.7%) in the BSS group. The proportion of patients who experienced pain was significantly lower in the intracameral lidocaine group compared with the BSS group (multivariate OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.97; p=0.034). The median pain score (range) was 0.0 for intracameral lidocaine group compared with 1.0 for BSS group (p=0.039). Pain was more common in females (54.3% vs 43.6%; OR 1.56), non-Chinese (62.3% vs 46.9%; OR 2.13) and those who had previous cataract surgery to the fellow eye (55.3% vs 44.7%; OR 1.61). CONCLUSION: The use of 0.5 cc of 1% intracameral lidocaine during phacoemulsification under topical anaesthesia significantly reduces pain experienced by patients. Risk factors for pain include females, non-Chinese and previous cataract surgery.

Efficacy of an aspheric treatment algorithm in decreasing induced spherical aberration after laser in situ keratomileusis.

PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of an aspheric laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) algorithm for myopia with and without astigmatism in minimizing postoperative induction of spherical aberration. SETTING: Four sites in Asia. METHODS: Patients with -1.00 to -10.00 diopters (D) of spherical myopia with -4.00 D or less of astigmatism were recruited. Patients randomly had bilateral Zyoptix aspheric algorithm (aspheric group) or bilateral conventional Zyoptix Tissue Saving algorithm (control group). A Technolas 217z100 excimer system was used for LASIK ablation. Visual effectiveness, safety, higher-order aberrations, and corneal asphericity (Q value) were evaluated postoperatively. RESULTS: The aspheric group comprised 86 eyes and the control group, 84 eyes. At 3 months, the high-contrast uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/20 or better in 78% of eyes in the aspheric group and 83% of eyes in the control group. The control treatment induced 0.22 microm of spherical aberration, which was significantly higher than the 0.04 microm induced with the aspheric treatment (6.0 mm pupil) (P<.0001). The aspheric treatment induced significantly less vertical coma and trefoil (P = .02). Eyes in the aspheric group had significantly lower Q values (P<.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in the manifest refraction spherical equivalent between the 2 groups (P >.05). Although high- and low-contrast corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was similar between the groups, the aspheric group gained more lines of low-contrast CDVA. CONCLUSION: The aspheric algorithm was more effective than the conventional algorithm in reducing induced spherical aberration and maintaining corneal asphericity after myopic LASIK.

Visual experiences during different stages of LASIK: Zyoptix XP microkeratome vs Intralase femtosecond laser.

PURPOSE: To describe the loss of light perception and other visual experiences encountered during different stages of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and to compare patients' experiences between LASIK performed with the Zyoptix XP microkeratome and Intralase laser. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, self-matched clinical study. METHODS: Forty-one patients (82 eyes) had bilateral LASIK with the corneal flap fashioned by Zyoptix XP microkeratome in one eye and Intralase laser in the other. They were interviewed postoperatively with a standardized questionnaire about their intraoperative visual experiences, including light perception and ability to see the red fixation light. RESULTS: During both vacuum suction and corneal flap fashioning, a higher proportion of eyes in the Zyoptix XP microkeratome group lost light perception compared with the Intralase group (85.4% vs 39.0% and 90.2% vs 61.0%; P < .001 and P = .004, respectively). Patients also saw flashes, various colors, movement, the surgeon's hands or fingers, and the surgeon during surgery, and there was no difference in these visual experiences between the Zyoptix XP microkeratome and Intralase groups. Overall, eight (19.5%) of 41 patients were frightened by their intraoperative visual experiences during LASIK. CONCLUSIONS: Patients retain light perception during most stages of LASIK except during suction and fashioning of the corneal flap, when some are temporarily unable to see. Many also experience various visual sensations intraoperatively, and 19.5% of patients are frightened by their visual experiences.

Efficacy of measuring visual performance of LASIK patients under photopic and mesopic conditions.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to compare the visual performance of LASIK eyes measured using high-contrast logMAR letter charts under bright (photopic) and dim (mesopic) conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 46 subjects (35 +/- 8 years of age) undergoing LASIK procedures were recruited for the study. The best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) of each subject was measured using the high-contrast ETDRS logMAR chart under photopic and mesopic conditions at 3 visits: preoperative (Pre), 1 month postoperative (Post1) and 3 months postoperative (Post3). The differences in logMAR scores for the right eyes only were analysed for the Pre-Post1 (n = 46), Pre-Post3 (n = 18) and Post1-Post3 (n = 16) comparisons. RESULTS: The logMAR scores of subjects were worse at the 1-month postoperative visit than preoperatively, and improvement in visual performance was seen at the 3-month postoperative visit. These changes in visual performance became more evident under mesopic conditions. The means and standard errors of the differences in logMAR scores for the Pre-Post3 (0.097 +/- 0.020) were slightly larger than those of the Pre-Post1 (-0.067 +/- 0.019) and Post1-Post3 (0.031 +/- 0.012) comparisons. Under mesopic conditions, the visual performance of the subjects was statistically significant for the 3 comparisons, but not under photopic conditions. CONCLUSION: High-contrast logMAR chart performed under mesopic conditions has the potential to replace visual acuity measured under photopic conditions in providing more reliable representation of postoperative visual outcomes of LASIK eyes. Eye doctors should consider performing this vision test routinely to gauge the success of LASIK surgery.

Post-LASIK myopic shift after a trek in the North Pole.

Bilateral laser in situ keratomileusis was performed in a 37-year-old male ethnic Chinese adventurer. Eight weeks postoperatively, the patient made an unassisted trek to the geographic North Pole. After 2 weeks in this environment, a myopic shift of more than -1.50 diopters occurred in both eyes. The myopic shift resolved over 2 months when the patient returned to a tropical climate. Using Orbscan corneal topography, we propose that the myopic shift was attributed to biomechanical changes in the cornea induced by corneal dehydration in the Arctic environment.

Selective argon laser suturelysis versus needle suturelysis to treat induced corneal astigmatism after cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To compare the complications and subjective experience of patients having argon laser suturelysis (LS) with those of patients having needle suturelysis (NS) for corneal astigmatism after extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. METHODS: This prospective study comprised 30 patients (30 eyes) with more than 3.00 diopters of with-the-rule astigmatism after ECCE. A minimum of 5 weeks after surgery, 2 sutures along the steepest meridian were lysed by the same surgeon, 1 by a needle and the other by laser using a Hoskins lens. Patients were randomized to receive NS first followed by LS or LS followed by NS. The complications were recorded. The patients subjectively graded their fear and discomfort/pain during suturelysis using a scale from 0 to 10. Patient preference for either procedure was also recorded. RESULTS: The complications of NS were conjunctival epithelial defect (17/30), subconjunctival hemorrhage (13/30), and corneal abrasion (4/30) and of LS, minor conjunctival burn (1/30) and conjunctival epithelial defect (1/30). The mean subjective fear and discomfort/pain scores in the NS group were significantly higher than in the LS group (P =.0010 and P =.0014, respectively). Nineteen patients preferred LS, 3 preferred NS, and 8 had no preference for either procedure. CONCLUSION: Argon laser suturelysis was associated with fewer complications than NS and was preferred by patients.