COMPARISON OF RETROBULBAR, SUB-TENON ANESTHESIA AND MEDIAL CANTHUS EPISCLERAL ANESTHESIA FOR 25-GAUGE POSTERIOR VITRECTOMY.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy, safety, and globe akinesia between retrobulbar anesthesia, sub-Tenon anesthesia, and medial canthus episcleral anesthesia for 25-gauge posterior vitrectomy. METHODS: A total of 340 25-gauge vitrectomy data sheets were retrospectively collected between November 2017 and June 2019. Ninety patients were included in the study. These patients were matched by sex and age to receive retrobulbar anesthesia (group 1, n = 30), sub-Tenon anesthesia (group 2, n = 30), and medial canthus episcleral anesthesia (group 3, n = 30). Globe akinesia was recorded after the injection of anesthetic at 2, 5, and 10 minute time intervals. Patients were asked to rate the pain during administration of anesthesia, during surgery, and postoperatively using the visual analog pain scale. RESULTS: For a perfect block, at 10 minutes, retrobulbar outperformed both sub-Tenon and medial canthus episcleral anesthesia which seemed quite similar. During administration, the three techniques did not show statistically different effects on pain. Regarding perioperative pain, retrobulbar outperformed medial canthus episcleral anesthesia. CONCLUSION: All three techniques allowed for safe surgery. Retrobulbar obtained the best results, although sub-Tenon proved to be a valid alternative. Medial canthus episcleral anesthesia obtained mostly good and fair blocks and acceptable pain levels during surgery. Further studies should investigate whether optimal anesthetic efficacy can be obtained with sub-Tenon and medial canthus episcleral techniques when higher volumes are used.

A hybrid CMOS-imager with a solution-processable polymer as photoactive layer.

The solution-processability of organic photodetectors allows a straightforward combination with other materials, including inorganic ones, without increasing cost and process complexity significantly compared with conventional crystalline semiconductors. Although the optoelectronic performance of these organic devices does not outmatch their inorganic counterparts, there are certain applications exploiting the benefit of the solution-processability. Here we demonstrate that the small pixel fill factor of present complementary metal oxide semiconductor-imagers, decreasing the light sensitivity, can be increased up to 100% by replacing silicon photodiodes with an organic photoactive layer deposited with a simple low-cost spray-coating process. By performing a full optoelectronic characterization on this first solution-processable hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductor-imager, including the first reported observation of different noise types in organic photodiodes, we demonstrate the suitability of this novel device for imaging. Furthermore, by integrating monolithically different organic materials to the chip, we show the cost-effective portability of the hybrid concept to different wavelength regions.

Carotenoids in Age-related Maculopathy Italian Study (CARMIS): two-year results of a randomized study.

PURPOSE: The high concentration of carotenoids in the macula, plus evidence linking oxidative stress to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and carotenoids to antioxidation, generated the hypothesis that higher antioxidant intakes can prevent AMD. The aim of this study was to determine whether nutritional supplementation with a targeted nutritional supplement improves visual acuity and visual function in AMD. METHODS: In this multicenter, prospective open-label randomized study, 145 patients were randomly assigned to 2 different treatment groups. Interventions were lutein (10 mg), zeaxanthin (1 mg), astaxanthin (4 mg; AZYR SIFI, Catania, Italy), and antioxidants/vitamins supplementation formula or no dietary supplementation for 2 years. Primary outcome was mean changes in visual acuity (VA) at 12 and 24 months. Other measures included contrast sensitivity (CS) and National Eye Institute visual function questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) scores at 12 and 24 months. RESULTS: Patients in the treated group showed stabilization of VA with significantly (p=0.003) better VA scores (81.4 ± 7.2) compared to the nontreated group (76.8 ± 8.9) at 24-month follow-up. An improvement in CS (p=0.001) and final mean NEI VFQ-25 composite scores at 12 and 24 months higher in treated group compared to nontreated group were also shown (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with lutein/zeaxanthin and astaxanthin together with other nutrients were more likely to report clinically meaningful stabilization/improvements in VA, CS, and visual function through 24 months compared with nontreated subjects. Further studies are needed with more patients and for longer periods of time.