Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Surgical Volumes Among Fellowship-Trained Glaucoma Subspecialists.

PRCIS: The change in glaucoma surgical volumes due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic was not uniform across procedure types and was unequal between rural and urban practice locations. PURPOSE: To quantify the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on surgical volumes performed by fellowship-trained glaucoma subspecialists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare Public Use File extracted all glaucoma surgeries, including microinvasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGSs), trabeculectomy, goniotomy, lasers, and cataract surgery, performed by fellowship-trained glaucoma surgeons in rural and urban areas between 2016 and 2020. Predicted estimates of 2020 surgical volumes were created utilizing linear squares regression. Percentage change between predicted and observed 2020 surgical volume estimates was analyzed. Statistical significance was achieved at P <0.05. RESULTS: In 2020, fellowship-trained glaucoma surgeons operated mostly in urban areas (N = 810, 95%). A 29% and 31% decrease in predicted cataract surgery volumes in urban and rural areas, respectively, was observed. Glaucoma surgeries experienced a 36% decrease from predicted estimates (N = 56,781). MIGS experienced an 86% and 75% decrease in rural and urban areas, respectively. Trabeculectomy in rural areas experienced a 16% increase relative to predicted estimates while urban areas experienced a decrease of 3% ( P > 0.05). The number of goniotomies decreased by 10% more in rural areas than in urban areas (-22% and -12%, respectively). Laser procedures decreased by 8% more in urban areas than in rural areas (-18% and -10%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Among glaucoma-trained surgeons, glaucoma surgeries experienced a greater volume loss than cataract surgeries. In urban US areas, relative reductions in MIGS and goniotomy volumes in urban areas may have been compensated by greater laser and trabeculectomy volumes. Trabeculectomies in rural areas were the only group exceeding predicted estimates. Glaucoma subspecialists may utilize these findings when planning for future events and in overcoming any remaining unmet need in terms of glaucoma care.

Comparing Ahmed-FP7 to Baerveldt-250 and Baerveldt-350 surgical outcomes: 1-year results from a retrospective cohort study leveraging the electronic health record.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes following Ahmed-FP7 (AGI-FP7), Baerveldt-250mm2 (BGI-250), or Baerveldt-350mm2 (BGI-350) implantation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Retrospective cohort study comprising 800 eyes from 800 individuals who underwent surgery 1 January 2016-31 December 2020 at a tertiary-care institution. Data were extracted from standardised fields in the electronic health record. Primary outcome was failure (defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤5 mm Hg or >18 mm Hg or reduction <20% at two consecutive visits from month 3 onwards; or visual acuity (VA) loss ≥3 lines; or return to the operating room (OR)). Secondary outcomes were IOP, VA, number of follow-up visits and return to the OR. RESULTS: A total of 523 AGI-FP7, 133 BGI-250 and 144 BGI-350 cases were analysed. The AGI-FP7 group was more likely to be younger and diagnosed with secondary glaucoma, with a higher mean baseline IOP (28.5±12.2 vs 22.0±7.7 mm Hg in BGI-250 and 23.4±9.0 in BGI-350, p<0.001). Cumulative failure rate at month 12 was 30% (AGI-FP7) vs 39% (BGI-250) vs 33% (BGI-350, p=0.159). Mean IOP at month 12 was lower in the BGI-350 group compared with AGI-FP7 (12.4±4.4 vs 14.8±5.6 mm Hg, p=0.003) but not BGI-250 (vs 13.1±4.6, p=0.710). Target IOP was achieved in 71% of AGI-FP7, 66% BGI-250, and 76% BGI-350. VA loss and rates of return to the OR did not differ between groups. Both BGI-250 and BGI-350 had more follow-up visits than AGI-FP7 (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: These three glaucoma drainage devices performed similarly within 1 year, with no difference in failure rates despite differing baseline patient characteristics.

Low Vision Rehabilitation Service Utilization Before and After Implementation of a Clinical Decision Support System in Ophthalmology.

Importance: Electronic clinical decision support systems apply clinical guidelines in real time and offer a new approach to improve referral and utilization of low vision rehabilitation (LVR) care. Objective: To characterize patients and factors associated with LVR service utilization with and without the use of an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support system (CDSS) alert. Design, Setting, and Participants: Quality improvement study using EHR data to compare patients who did and did not utilize LVR service after referral between November 6, 2017, and October 5, 2019, (primary) and to assess overall service utilization rate from September 1, 2016, to April 2, 2021, regardless of referral status (secondary). Participants in the primary analysis were patients at a large ophthalmology department in an academic medical center in the US who received an LVR referral recommendation from their ophthalmologist according to the CDSS alert. The secondary analysis included patients with best documented visual acuity (BDVA) worse than 20/40 before, during, and after the CDSS implementation. Data were analyzed from August 2021 to April 2022. Exposures: Number and locations of referral recommendations for LVR service according to the CDSS alert in the primary analysis; active CDSS implementation in the secondary analysis. Main Outcomes and Measures: LVR service utilization rate was defined as the number of patients who accessed service among those who were referred (primary) and among those with BDVA worse than 20/40 (secondary). EHR data on patient demographics (age, sex, race, ethnicity) and ophthalmology encounter characteristics (numbers of referral recommendations, encounter location, and BDVA) were extracted. Results: Of the 429 patients (median [IQR] age, 71 [53 to 83] years; 233 female [54%]) who received a CDSS-based referral recommendation, 184 (42.9%) utilized LVR service. Compared with nonusers of LVR, users were more likely to have received at least 2 referral recommendations (12.5% vs 6.1%; χ21 = 5.29; P = .02) and at an ophthalmology location with onsite LVR service (87.5% vs 78.0%; χ21 = 6.50; P = .01). Onsite LVR service (odds ratio, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.18-3.61) persisted as the only statistically significant factor after adjusting for patient demographics and other referral characteristics. Among patients whose BDVA was worse than 20/40 before, during, and after the CDSS implementation regardless of referral status, the LVR service utilization rate was 6.1%, 13.8%, and 7.5%, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: In this quality improvement study, ophthalmologist referral recommendations and onsite LVR services at the location where patients receive other ophthalmic care were significantly associated with service utilization. Ophthalmology CDSSs are promising tools to apply clinical guidelines in real time to improve connection to care.

Assessing Resident Cataract Surgical Outcomes Using Electronic Health Record Data.

Objective: To demonstrate that electronic health record (EHR) data can be used in an automated approach to evaluate cataract surgery outcomes. Design: Retrospective analysis. Subjects: Resident and faculty surgeons. Methods: Electronic health record data were collected from cataract surgeries performed at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, and cases were categorized into resident or attending as primary surgeon. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA) and unplanned return to operating room were extracted from the EHR. Main Outcome Measures: Postoperative VA and reoperation rate within 90 days. Results: This study analyzed 14 537 cataract surgery cases over 32 months. Data were extracted from the EHR using an automated approach to assess surgical outcomes for resident and attending surgeons. Of 337 resident surgeries with both preoperative and postoperative VA data, 248 cases (74%) had better postoperative VA, and 170 cases (51%) had more than 2 lines improvement. There was no statistical difference in the proportion of cases with better postoperative VA or more than 2 lines improvement between resident and attending cases. Attending surgeons had a statistically greater proportion of cases with postoperative VA better than 20/40, but this finding has to be considered in the context that, on average, resident cases started out with poorer baseline VA.A multivariable regression model of VA outcomes vs. resident/attending status that controlled for preoperative VA, patient age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, and estimated income found that resident status, preoperative VA, patient age, ASA score, and estimated income were all significant predictors of VA. The rate of unplanned return to the operating room within 90 days of cataract surgery was not statistically different between resident (1.8%) and attending (1.2%) surgeons. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that EHR data can be used to evaluate and monitor surgical outcomes in an ongoing way. Analysis of EHR-extracted cataract outcome data showed that preoperative VA, ASA classification, and attending/resident status were important in predicting postoperative VA outcomes. These findings suggest that the utilization of EHR data could enable continuous assessment of surgical outcomes and inform interventions to improve resident training. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Effectiveness of Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery in the United States: Intelligent Research in Sight Registry Analysis 2013-2019.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) with and without concurrent phacoemulsification. DESIGN: Multicenter, retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients in the Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS®) Registry who underwent Xen gel stent (ab interno) implantation, endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP), or goniotomy or canaloplasty from 2013 through 2019. METHODS: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess reoperation rates. We defined reoperation as any subsequent glaucoma surgery occurring 1 month to 3 years after the initial procedure. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine factors predictive of reoperation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reoperation rate, mean intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuity (VA), postoperative complications, predictors of reoperation, and reoperation procedure type. RESULTS: A total of 79 363 eyes from 57 561 patients were included, with 15 118 eyes (19%) receiving stand-alone MIGS and 64 245 eyes (81%) receiving MIGS concurrent with phacoemulsification. Overall, patients who underwent MIGS concurrently with phacoemulsification showed lower reoperation rates compared with stand-alone MIGS, most pronounced in ECP and goniotomy or canaloplasty. At postoperative year 2, the cumulative reoperation rate for stand-alone procedures was 15% for ECP, 24% for Xen implantation, and 24% for goniotomy or canaloplasty compared with 3% for ECP, 19% for Xen implantation, and 6% for goniotomy or canaloplasty concurrent with phacoemulsification (P < 0.001 for each stand-alone MIGS vs. MIGS with phacoemulsification). Black race, older age, moderate and severe glaucoma, higher baseline IOP, and glaucoma subtype were associated with higher reoperation risk. Although IOP decreased in all groups, stand-alone MIGS showed a more substantial decrease in mean IOP. Complication rates from MIGS were low overall: 1% for ECP, 1% for Xen implantation, and 2% for goniotomy or canaloplasty. CONCLUSIONS: In current United States clinical practice, MIGS has substantially lower reoperation rates when performed with phacoemulsification, especially for ECP and goniotomy or canaloplasty. Approximately one-sixth of patients undergoing stand-alone ECP and one-quarter of patients undergoing stand-alone Xen implantation or goniotomy or canaloplasty require reoperation by 2 years. Black race, diagnosis coding of moderate to severe glaucoma, and higher baseline IOP were associated with higher risk of reoperation after MIGS procedures. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Effectiveness of Trabeculectomy and Tube Shunt with versus without Concurrent Phacoemulsification: Intelligent Research in Sight Registry Longitudinal Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage device (GDD) surgery performed with concurrent phacoemulsification compared with stand-alone procedures. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients in the Intelligent Research in Sight Registry who underwent trabeculectomy or GDD from 2013 through 2019. METHODS: The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine reoperation rates. Reoperation was defined as any subsequent glaucoma surgery occurring 1 month to 3 years after the initial procedure. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine reoperation risk factors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reoperation rate, intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity, reoperation procedure type, postoperative complications, and predictors of surgical failure. RESULTS: A total of 117 697 eyes undergoing glaucoma surgery alone and 35 657 eyes undergoing surgery with phacoemulsification were included. The cumulative reoperation rates at postoperative years 1 and 3 were 4.9% and 11.5%, respectively, for trabeculectomy alone and 3.0% and 7.3%, respectively, for trabeculectomy combined with phacoemulsification (P < 0.001). The reoperation rates at postoperative 1 and 3 years were 3.8% and 7.8%, respectively, for GDD alone and 2.1% and 5.4%, respectively, for GDD with phacoemulsification (P < 0.001). Stand-alone procedures achieved greater IOP reduction by percentage change from baseline (trabeculectomy alone, 35.3% vs. trabeculectomy with phacoemulsification, 23.1%, P < 0.001; and GDD alone, 36.0% vs. GDD with phacoemulsification, 29.3%; P < 0.001). Visual acuity improved by 0.12 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.12) and 0.10 logMAR (95% CI, 0.08-0.11) after trabeculectomy and GDD with phacoemulsification and declined by 0.15 logMAR (95% CI, 0.14-0.15) and 0.12 logMAR (95% CI, 0.11-0.12) after stand-alone trabeculectomy and GDD. The overall documented complication rate was 2.9% for GDD and 1.4% for trabeculectomy. Age, sex, race, ethnicity, baseline IOP, and glaucoma diagnosis and severity were associated with surgical failure risk. The most common reoperation procedure was GDD. CONCLUSIONS: Reoperation rates within the first 3 years after trabeculectomy and GDD with and without phacoemulsification were low. Trabeculectomy and GDD with phacoemulsification had lower reoperation rates than those with stand-alone procedures. However, stand-alone procedures resulted in greater IOP reduction compared with combined procedures. Postoperative complications were uncommon overall. Patient age, sex, race, ethnicity, baseline IOP, and glaucoma diagnosis and severity were associated with surgical success.

Ophthalmology Surgical Assessment of Tube Shunt Glaucoma Surgery.

PURPOSE: To develop an internationally standardized and validated tool to assess skill in performing tube shunt surgery. DESIGN: A panel of 6 glaucoma surgeons developed a tool for assessing tube shunt surgery using a modified Dreyfus scale for skill acquisition. The tool was reviewed by a panel of 10 international content experts, and their comments were incorporated into the final rubric. PARTICIPANTS: A different panel of 8 international glaucoma specialists independently graded videos of surgical procedures performed by 6 surgeons at various levels of ophthalmic training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inter-rater reliability for each step in the rubric was calculated. RESULTS: The tube shunt rubric contained 13 steps specific to tube shunt surgery and 7 global indices. The Cronbach α statistic, a measure of internal reliability, ranged from 0.75 to 0.97, indicating strong internal reliability for all 13 steps. CONCLUSIONS: The tube shunt assessment tool has face validity, content validity, and interobserver reliability, and can be used to assess tube shunt surgery skills. Further studies are required to determine predictive and construct validity.

Using Electronic Clinical Decision Support to Examine Vision Rehabilitation Referrals and Practice Guidelines in Ophthalmology.

Purpose: To examine ophthalmologist use of an electronic health record (EHR)-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) to facilitate low vision rehabilitation (LVR) care referral. Methods: The CDSS alert was designed to appear when best documented visual acuity was <20/40 or hemianopia or quadrantanopia diagnosis was identified during an ophthalmology encounter from November 6, 2017, to April 5, 2019. Fifteen ophthalmologists representing eight subspecialties from an academic medical center were required to respond to the referral recommendation (order, don't order). LVR referral rates and ophthalmologist user experience were assessed. Encounter characteristics associated with LVR referrals were explored using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Results: The alert appeared for 3625 (8.9%) of 40,931 eligible encounters. The referral rate was 14.8% (535/3625). Of the 3413 encounters that met the visual acuity criterion only, patients who were worse than 20/60 were more likely to be referred, and 32.4% of referred patients were between 20/40 and 20/60. Primary reasons for deferring referrals included active medical or surgical treatment, refractive-related issues, and previous connection to LVR services. Eleven of the 13 ophthalmologists agreed that the alert was useful in identifying candidates for LVR services. Conclusions: A CDSS for patient identification and referral offers an acceptable mechanism to apply practice guidelines and prompt ophthalmologists to facilitate LVR care. Further study is warranted to optimize ophthalmologist user experience while refining alert criteria beyond visual acuity. Translational Relevance: The CDSS provides the framework for multi-center research to assess the development of pragmatic algorithms and standards for facilitating LVR care.

Sex-Based Differences in Medicare Reimbursements among Ophthalmologists Persist across Time.

PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in Medicare reimbursements between male and female ophthalmologists between 2013 and 2019. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Ophthalmologists receiving Medicare reimbursements between 2013 and 2019. METHODS: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File was used to determine total reimbursements and number of services submitted by ophthalmologists between 2013 and 2019. Reimbursements were standardized to account for geographic differences in Medicare reimbursement per service. Data from the American Community Survey (ACS) were used to determine socioeconomic characteristics (unemployment, poverty, income, and education) by zip code for the location of each physician's practice. A multivariate linear regression model was used to evaluate differences in annual reimbursements by sex, accounting for calendar year, years of experience, total number of services, ACS zip code data, and proportion of procedural services. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual Medicare reimbursement and use of billing codes (e.g., outpatient office visits and eye examinations, diagnostic testing, laser treatment, and surgery). RESULTS: Among 20 281 ophthalmologists who received Medicare reimbursements between 2013 and 2019, 15 451 (76%) were men. The most common billing codes submitted were for outpatient visits and eye examinations (13.8 million charges/year), diagnostic imaging of the retina (5.6 million charges/year), intravitreal injections (2.9 million charges/year), and removal of cataract with insertion of lens (2.4 million charges/year). Compared with men, female ophthalmologists received less in median annual reimbursements (median, $94 734.21 [interquartile range (IQR), $30 944.52-$195 701.70] for women vs. $194 176.90 [IQR, $76 380.76-$355 790.80] for men; P < 0.001) and billed for fewer annual median services (median, 1228 [IQR, 454-2433] vs. 2259 [IQR, 996-4075, respectively]; P < 0.001). After adjustment for covariates, female ophthalmologists billed for 1015 fewer services (95% confidence interval [CI], 1001-1029; P < 0.001) and received $20 209.12 less in reimbursements than men (95% CI, -$21 717.57 to -$18 700.66; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Female ophthalmologists billed for fewer services and received less in reimbursement from Medicare than men over time and across all categories of billing codes. Disparities persisted after controlling for physician and practice characteristics.

Use of Teleophthalmology for Evaluation of Ophthalmic Emergencies by Ophthalmology Residents in the Emergency Department.

Background:Utilizing telemedicine is one approach to reduce the ever-increasing burden of patients on emergency departments (EDs) and consulting physicians. Utilization of telemedicine services in the ED may also benefit resident education.Materials and Methods:Ten first-year ophthalmology residents were trained to use a Topcon 3D Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)-1 Maestro to capture OCT images and fundus photos in patients presenting to the ED with urgent ophthalmic concerns. Findings were communicated to the supervising ophthalmologist. Retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain patient characteristics and final ophthalmologist diagnosis. Residents rated ease of use, technical reliability, and educational value through a survey.Results:From December 1, 2019, to December 1, 2020, the device was used in 109 patient encounters, capturing 887 images (average 8.1 images per encounter). Patients on whom the device was used were on average 48.5 years old (±17.2, range 17-90) and 59.6% were female. The imaging device was utilized most commonly for evaluating papilledema (n = 21, 18.6%), new-onset visual acuity/visual field defects (n = 12, 10.6%), retinal detachment/tear (n = 8, 7.1%), and ophthalmic trauma workup (n = 8, 7.1%). Eight residents completed the survey and most (n = 7) agreed or strongly agreed that the device helped them diagnose patients more accurately. Technical issues such as machine malfunction, image artifacts, and problems syncing with the electronic health record and computer were noted by survey respondents.Conclusions:The most common use of teleophthalmology in the ED setting was evaluation of papilledema; the majority of residents perceived an educational benefit from this tool. Efforts should be made to address the technical challenges to increase the utility of this device.

Unplanned Return to the Operating Room After Tube Shunt Surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of unplanned returns to the operating room (OR) within 180 days and at any time postoperatively after valved and non-valved tube shunt surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. METHODS: A review of 357 eyes that underwent tube shunt surgery (151 valved, 206 non-valved) was conducted at an academic glaucoma service between January 2014 and December 2016. A control eye was time matched for each eye that underwent reoperation. RESULTS: The reoperation rate within 180 days was 16 of 151 (10.6%) for valved and 25 of 206 (12.1%) for non-valved tube shunts and at any time postoperatively was 31 of 151 (20.5%) for valved, and 47 of 206 (22.8%) for non-valved tube shunts. Mean postoperative follow-up was 2.8 ± 1.1 years. The most common reoperations within 180 days and at any time postoperatively after valved tube shunt surgery were tube revisions (43.8% within 180 days, 38.7% any time) and external cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) (31.3% within 180 days, 38.7% anytime). The most common reoperations within 180 days after non-valved tube shunt surgery were tube revisions (32.0%), external CPC (12.0%), and vitrectomy with anterior chamber washout (12.0%) and at any time postoperatively were tube revision (34.0%), external CPC (31.9%), and tube explant (12.8%). At last follow-up, eyes that returned to the OR and controls were similar in terms of mean intraocular pressure (IOP), proportion of eyes meeting target IOP, and change in visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: More than 20% of eyes undergoing tube shunt surgery returned to the OR at any time postoperatively with a mean follow-up of nearly 3 years, with more than 10% of eyes undergoing reoperation within the first 180 days. Rates of reoperation were similar between valved and non-valved tube shunts.

Developing an Ophthalmology Clinical Decision Support System to Identify Patients for Low Vision Rehabilitation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an electronic health record (EHR) clinical decision support system to identify patients meeting criteria for low vision rehabilitation (LVR) referral. Methods: In this quality improvement project, we applied a user-centered design approach to develop an interactive electronic alert for LVR referral within the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. We invited 15 ophthalmology physicians from 8 subspecialties to participate in the design and implementation, and to provide user experience feedback. The three project phases incorporated development evaluation, feedback analysis, and system refinement. We report on the final alert design, firing accuracy, and user experiences. Results: The alert was designed as physician-centered and patient-specific. Alert firing relied on visual acuity and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 diagnosis (hemianopia/quadrantanopia) criteria. The alert suppression considerations included age < 5 years, recent surgeries, prior LVR visit, and related alert actions. False positive rate (firing when alert should have been suppressed or when firing criteria not met) was 0.2%. The overall false negative rate (alert not firing when visual acuity or encounter diagnosis criteria met) was 5.6%. Of the 13 physicians who completed the survey, 8 agreed that the alert is easy to use, and 12 would consider ongoing usage. Conclusions: This EHR-based clinical decision support system shows reliable firing metrics in identifying patients with vision impairment and promising acceptance by ophthalmologist users to facilitate care and LVR referral. Translational Relevance: The use of real-time data offers an opportunity to translate ophthalmic guidelines and best practices into systematic action for clinical care and research purposes across subspecialties.

Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery in US Ophthalmology Residency: Surgical Case Log Cross-sectional Analysis and Proposal for New Glaucoma Procedure Classification.

PRECIS: A cross-sectional sample of the US ophthalmology residency graduating class of 2018 revealed that 18.4% of residents logged <5 traditional glaucoma surgeries, and 63.4% logged at least 1 microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). PURPOSE: Describe the state of MIGS in US ophthalmology residency training and propose a glaucoma procedure classification system for residents' surgical case logs. METHODS: Deidentified case logs from residents graduating in 2018 were requested from US residency program directors. RESULTS: Case logs were received for 152/488 (31%) residents from 36/115 (31%) programs. The mean number of traditional glaucoma surgeries per resident was 9.0±5.9 (range: 0 to 31). The mean number of MIGS per resident was 5.2±8.9 cases (range: 0 to 58). There were 28/152 (18.4%) residents from 16/36 (44.4%) programs who logged <5 traditional glaucoma surgeries as primary surgeon, and 3/152 (2.0%) residents from 3/36 (8.3%) programs who logged zero traditional glaucoma surgeries as primary surgeon. There were 98/152 (64.5%) residents from 32/36 (88.8%) programs who logged <5 MIGS as primary surgeon, and 48/152 (31.6%) residents from 25 of 36 (69.4%) programs who logged zero MIGS as primary surgeon. There were 104/152 (63.4%) residents from 33/36 (91.6%) programs who logged at least 1 MIGS as primary surgeon; there were 3/36 (8.3%) residency programs where no resident logged any MIGS as primary surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: US ophthalmology residents' MIGS experience varies widely. Residents can satisfy glaucoma surgery requirements with some MIGS, even in the absence of adequate traditional glaucoma surgeries. We propose a residency case log classification system that better reflects the growing role of MIGS in clinical practice and helps ophthalmic educators more accurately track procedures requiring related skills.

Changes in Performance of Glaucoma Surgeries 1994 through 2017 Based on Claims and Payment Data for United States Medicare Beneficiaries.

PURPOSE: To evaluate trends in glaucoma procedures in the United States Medicare population and to evaluate which physicians are performing newer procedures. DESIGN: Analysis of publicly available claims and payment data. PARTICIPANTS: Surgeons and beneficiaries enrolled in United States Medicare between 1994 and 2017. METHODS: Data regarding payments to physicians by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) were downloaded for the years 2012 through 2017. Data regarding claims to CMS by physicians were requested and processed between 1994 and 2017. Procedure counts from both data sets then were normalized for changes in the Medicare population, with 1995 as the baseline. The normalized volumes of procedures over time were visualized, as were geographic distributions of surgeons and their volume of procedures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Trends in procedure counts over time, geographic distribution of surgeons, and their volume of procedures. RESULTS: The number of trabeculectomies continues to decline and now is similar to the number of tubes. Use of the relatively new trabecular bypass shunts has increased rapidly. Surgeons performing these procedures are less likely to be performing traditional glaucoma surgeries as well. The number of laser-based cyclodestruction procedures increased after introduction of the endoscopic technique and again with the introduction of so-called micropulse procedures. The procedure counts obtained with physician payment data consistently are lower than those from claims data given the limitations of the payment data. CONCLUSIONS: Glaucoma practice patterns change each time a new device or procedure is introduced. Collectively, the use of new microinvasive glaucoma surgery procedures has increased rapidly such that they now account for a significant majority of glaucoma surgeries. Given the almost complete lack of comparative data to inform surgeon choices regarding these procedures, it will be important that randomized studies are carried out to fill this gap.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes with Open Versus Closed Conjunctiva Implantation of the XEN45 Gel Stent.

PURPOSE: To describe the efficacy and safety of open versus closed conjunctival implantation of the XEN45 Gel Stent (Allergan Inc). DESIGN: Retrospective, multicenter study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 137 patients with glaucoma who underwent XEN45 implantation via open or closed conjunctival methods. The XEN45 was implanted as a stand-alone procedure or at the time of cataract surgery by 5 surgeons. METHODS: Patient demographics, diagnoses, preoperative and postoperative clinical data, outcome measures including intraocular pressure (IOP), use of glaucoma medications, visual acuity, and complications were collected. Statistical analyses were performed with P < 0.05 as significant. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Failure was defined as less than 20% reduction of IOP from medicated baseline or IOP >21 mmHg at 2 consecutive visits at postoperative month 1 and beyond, the need for subsequent operative intervention or additional glaucoma surgery, or a catastrophic event such as loss of light perception. Eyes that had not failed by these criteria and were not on glaucoma medications were considered complete successes. Eyes that had not failed but required glaucoma medications were defined as qualified successes. RESULTS: Complete success was achieved in 31% and 56% of the closed and open groups, respectively (P = 0.01). Qualified success was achieved in 53% and 71% of the closed and open groups, respectively (P = 0.06). At postoperative month 12, the open conjunctiva group was using fewer glaucoma medications than the closed group (0.9 vs. 1.8, respectively; P = 0.02). At postoperative month 12, the open group had a significantly greater percentage of IOP reduction compared with the closed group (43.1% vs. 24.8%, respectively; P = 0.02). Postoperative needling rates were higher in the closed group compared with the open group (36.1% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of the XEN45 with opening of the conjunctiva is a safe and efficacious procedure to lower IOP with comparable success rate and lower needling rate compared with the closed conjunctiva technique. Prospective evaluation of the various methods for XEN45 implantation will allow for further comparison.

Incorporating a virtual curriculum into ophthalmology education in the coronavirus disease-2019 era.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to describe the transition of ophthalmology education to a virtual curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight innovative solutions ophthalmic educators implemented for medical students, residents, and fellows. RECENT FINDINGS: Clinical and surgical ophthalmology volume abruptly decreased in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis. All didactics, grand rounds, and journal clubs shifted to an online format. Ophthalmic educators collaborated with other institutions in the United States and abroad on shared virtual curricula and seminars, and simulation-based training tools were better emphasized for surgical skill acquisition. We share the latest literature written by ophthalmic educators on successful adaptation of these new instructional strategies. SUMMARY: The COVID-19 pandemic transformed ophthalmology education overnight and accelerated the adoption of innovative e-virtual learning resources for trainees. These changes will undoubtedly remain part of the new paradigm of medical education in the post-COVID era.

Unplanned Return to the Operating Room After Trabeculectomy.

PURPOSE: To determine the unplanned return to operating room (OR) rate within 180 days and at any time postoperatively after trabeculectomy performed or supervised by an attending surgeon and to identify associated factors. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. METHODS: Review of 881 eyes that underwent trabeculectomy at an academic glaucoma service between January 2014 and December 2016. Inclusion criteria included adult patients with postoperative follow-up >180 days and no other glaucoma-related surgery within the prior year. For each eye that underwent reoperation, a control was time-matched within 1 month. RESULTS: The reoperation rate within 180 days was 9.5% (84/881) and at any time postoperatively was 23.3% (205/881). When intraoperative bleb needling cases were excluded, the reoperation rate was 6.5% (57/881) within 180 days and 13.6% (120/881) at any time postoperatively. Mean postoperative follow-up was 2.9 ± 1.1 years. The most common reoperations within 180 days were bleb revision (32.1%) and intraoperative bleb needling (28.6%) and at any time postoperatively were bleb needling (36.1%), bleb revision (23.9%), and tube shunt implant (13.2%). At last follow-up, eyes that returned to OR and control eyes were similar in terms of mean intraocular pressure (IOP), the proportion of eyes meeting target IOP, and change in visual acuity since the original trabeculectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 10% of eyes returned to OR within 180 days and over 20% of eyes required reoperation at any time postoperatively with a mean follow-up of nearly 3 years. Additional studies should evaluate unplanned return to OR as a measure of surgical quality within ophthalmology.

Survey of Ehlers-Danlos Patients' ophthalmic surgery experiences.

BACKGROUND: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a rare disease affecting approximately 1 in 5,000 people. Although ophthalmic conditions associated with EDS have been described, little data exist concerning ophthalmic surgical outcomes experienced by EDS patients. METHODS: Patients with EDS were surveyed via the EDS Society and asked about their ophthalmic surgical experiences including procedure, complications, and the timing with respect to receiving the EDS diagnosis. Complications were confirmed as such by subspecialists. RESULTS: Of 579 respondents, 467 reported confirmed EDS, and 112 of those had an ophthalmic procedure, including refractive surgery, cataract/lens surgery, retinal surgery, strabismus surgery, oculoplastic surgery, corneal surgery, and laser surgery for glaucoma. The rate of confirmed complications was: 23%-refractive, 33%-lens/cataract, 33%-retina, 59%-strabismus, 23%- oculoplastics, 0%-cornea, and 25%-glaucoma laser. In addition, 76% of patients underwent surgery prior to the EDS diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with EDS may have elevated risk of postoperative ophthalmic surgical complications. It would seem reasonable to systemically and prospectively explore how patients with EDS respond to ophthalmic surgery. Furthermore, it would seem circumspect to ask surgical candidates patients about whether they carry a diagnosis of EDS or have signs and symptoms of EDS prior to surgery.