Outcomes of complex Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty performed by cornea fellows.

BACKGROUND: A major obstacle that academic institutions face is the steep learning curve for cornea fellows initially learning to perform Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of complex DSEK performed by cornea fellow supervised by an attending surgeon at an academic institution. METHODS: Patients who underwent a complex DSEK procedure performed by a cornea fellow during the years 2009-2013 were included. All the surgeries were supervised by the same cornea attending. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Charts were reviewed for demographic data, intraoperative and postoperative complications and clinical outcomes. Corneal graft survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-seven eyes of 55 patients (mean age 77.5 ± 8.5 years) were included in the study with a mean follow-up time of 16.4 ± 15.6 months. Previous graft failure, presence of a tube and history of trabeculectomy were the leading diagnoses to define the surgery as complex. No intraoperative complications occurred. In 21.1% of cases a corneal graft detachment was documented in the first postoperative day. Mean visual acuity improved from 1.06 LogMAR (20/230) preoperatively to 0.39 LogMAR (20/50, p < 0.001) by the sixth postoperative month and to 0.52 LogMAR (20/65, p < 0.001) at the last follow-up visit. Graft failure rate was 29.8%. Kaplan-Meier analysis found a 67.2% graft survival rate at 20 months. CONCLUSIONS: Complex DSEK can be performed successfully with an acceptable postoperative complication rate by cornea fellows during their training period when supervised by an experienced attending.

Ophthalmic Assessment in Patients With Darier Disease.

PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of ophthalmic findings in patients with Darier disease, an autosomal dominant genetic skin disorder, in an effort to evaluate the need for eye examinations in the management of the disease. DESIGN: Prospective observational case series. METHODS: Thirty-six individuals with Darier disease were evaluated by both ocular assessment questionnaire and a comprehensive ophthalmic examination (visual acuity, refraction, external examination, and slit-lamp examination) with emphasis on the eyelids, conjunctiva, and cornea. In addition, questionnaire-based medical interview and skin examination were conducted. RESULTS: According to the medical questionnaire, 39% of patients reported eye problems, 36% dry eye, and 42% eye fatigue after prolonged reading. Ocular examination revealed Darier disease lesions on the eyelids in 55% of the patients, blepharitis in 44%, conjunctival hyperemia in 28%, and short tear film break-up time in 83%. There was no significant relationship between any of these ophthalmic findings and systemic retinoid therapy, sex, or age. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of blepharitis and dry eye highlights the importance of ophthalmologic evaluation of patients with Darier disease.

Lamellar keratoplasty with corneoscleral graft for limbal dermoids.

To assess the postoperative outcomes of limbal dermoid excision with corneoscleral graft transplantation. The charts of 8 consecutive patients (mean age: 13.0y) who had undergone limbal dermoid excision with lamellar corneoscleral graft transplantation by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. Mean dermoid size was 7.75 mm (6.0-12.0 mm). Mean visual acuities (in logMAR units) before and after surgery were 1.8 and 1.7, respectively (P=0.29). Spherical equivalents were 1.3 diopter (D) before surgery and 0.7 D after surgery (P=0.40). The mean astigmatism measurements before and after surgery were 2.4 D and 1.5 D, respectively (P=0.17). Vector analysis revealed a mild change in astigmatism with a mean "d" of 3.2 (0.56-6.89). No intra- or post-operative complications occurred. Lamellar keratoplasty for limbal dermoids is safe and offers good cosmesis and tectonic stability. A significant decrease in the amount of astigmatism is not expected following surgery.

Microbiology and biofilm of corneal sutures.

AIM: To investigate the relationships between corneal suture bacteriology, biofilm and the clinical setting using culture studies and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). METHODS: This is a prospective, observational study of patients with a history of penetrating keratoplasty presenting to a tertiary cornea clinic for routine or symptoms-related corneal suture removal. We documented for each patient the suture clinical setting (quiescent, exposed and keratitis-related), retention time, antimicrobial therapy, bacterial growth on culture studies, and bacterial presence and biofilm coverage on SEM. RESULTS: There were significantly different culture positivity rates between the quiescent (8%), exposed (12%) and keratitis-related (60%) suture groups (p=0.039). As expected, keratitis-related sutures had the longest retention time compared with quiescent and exposed ones (p=0.02). The biofilm coverage score was higher for sutures from the keratitis-related and exposed groups, although this trend was not statistically significant (p=0.90). Higher biofilm scores were seen in samples that also yielded a positive culture result (p=0.36) and in samples with bacterial presence on SEM images (p=0.16 and p=0.73). Both of these were important trends but not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for active bacterial and biofilm presence on corneal sutures was found. Corneal sutures should be considered for removal sooner, before becoming exposed and/or keratitis-related. Traditional culture studies and SEM imaging are helpful in investigating biofilm and its clinical importance. More studies of the spectrum of bacterial growth on embedded biomedical devices such as corneal sutures are needed.

Efficacy of add-on aldosterone receptor blocker in uncontrolled hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled hypertension (UH) may be caused by hyperaldosteronism, and some experts recommend the routine use of aldosterone antagonists in this condition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of this approach and to characterize those who respond effectively to an add-on aldosterone antagonist. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the effectiveness of spironolactone, an aldosterone antagonist, used as add-on therapy, compared with a standard add-on treatment, in patients referred to a hypertension clinic with UH despite the use of two or more antihypertensive drugs. RESULTS: A total of 340 patients (186 male) with an average age of 63 +/- 14 years were followed for at least 3 months. Of the patients, 42 received add-on spironolactone and 298 received an additional antihypertensive drug other than spironolactone. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. Blood pressure (BP) decreased significantly in both groups. In patients who received spironolactone, BP decreased by 23.2/12.5 mm Hg from 165 +/- 27/94 +/- 15 to 142 +/- 25/81 +/- 9 mm Hg, whereas in patients who received other add-on therapy BP decreased by 7.6/5.8 mm Hg from 160 +/- 24/91 +/- 12 to 152 +/- 20/85 +/- 11 mm Hg (P < .05). Patients who received spironolactone had lower serum potassium levels than those who did not receive spironolactone 3.8 +/- 0.4 v 4.5 +/- 0.5 mmol/L respectively (P < .001). Potassium levels <4 mmol/L were associated with a greater reduction in BP. CONCLUSIONS: Add-on spironolactone is a highly effective add-on treatment in UH, mainly in patients with low serum potassium levels. Further studies assessing serum potassium as a marker for treatment approach are needed to establish the role of aldosterone antagonists in the management of UH.

Factors related to strabismus decompensation after a period of prolonged postoperative stability.

PURPOSE: To identify factors associated with late decompensation of horizontal strabismus after a period of prolonged (>12 months) postoperative stability. METHODS: Charts from all pediatric horizontal strabismus surgical cases from 1999 to 2009 were reviewed. Patients with a distance or near alignment of <10(Δ) at the first visit >12 months following surgery were included. The primary outcome was time from surgery to strabismus decompensation. Multiple variables were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: A total of 185 cases were included. Mean age at surgery was 5.1 years and mean follow-up was 62.2 months. Late decompensation rate was 31%; of these, 54% underwent reoperation. Using two different models, a higher risk of decompensation was associated with both the presence of preoperative oblique dysfunction (P = 0.023/0.002) and larger distance/near deviations at the first >12 months postoperative visit (P = 0.033/0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Worsening of alignment >12 months after horizontal strabismus surgery occurs in almost one-third of patients. Preoperative oblique dysfunction is associated with long-term instability, possibly because it is a surrogate for sensory torsion and poor fusion. Additionally, larger distance and near deviations at >12 months after surgery were each associated with late decompensation. The rate of decompensation for patients with deviations of 0(Δ) to <4(Δ) was less than those with deviations of 4(Δ) to <8(Δ) and >8(Δ), suggesting that the biologic behavior of all deviations within the monofixation range (0(Δ) to 8(Δ)) is not uniform.

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia: a survey of changes in the standard of care from 2003 to 2012.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the current standard of care of ophthalmologists who are likely to encounter ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in their practices and to compare this with data gathered in 2003. METHODS: Invitations to a web-based survey were sent to members of the Ocular Microbiology and Immunology Group. In addition, the survey was posted to the Cornea Society Listserv, Keranet. The survey contained questions regarding the surgical and medical management of OSSN and postcare follow-up. The results of this survey were compared with the results of a 2003 survey, where possible, to identify the areas of change in the standard of care. RESULTS: Eighty-one ophthalmologists participated in the survey. Seventy-nine percent of the responders thought that there was enough evidence for topical monotherapy in OSSN, but only 58% reported ever using topical agents as monotherapy. First-line topical therapy was interferon α2b (56%) followed by mitomycin C (MMC) (37%). A shift from surgical excision alone to excision followed by topical therapy was seen when comparing the 2012 survey to the 2003 survey. The preferred postexcision topical agent was MMC. Seventy-five percent of responders evaluate their patients every 2 to 4 months during the first 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Topical agents were being used more in 2012, either in combination with surgical excision or as monotherapy, compared with those used in 2003. Interferon has replaced MMC as the agent most used for topical monotherapy, possibly because of a favorable safety and tolerance profile. Prospective randomized trials are needed to better define the ideal practice patterns.