Short-term outcomes of implanting a retropupillary iris-claw intraocular lens in patients with lens and intraocular lens drops.

Lens drop and intraocular lens (IOL) drop can occur after cataract or phacoemulsification surgery, where the IOL is dislocated from the capsular bag into the vitreous cavity. The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term outcomes of implanting a retropupillary iris-claw in patients with IOL drop and lens drop after phacoemulsification. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Santosa Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, from January 2020 to December 2023. Patients were divided into two groups: IOL drop and lens drop groups. Total sampling was used, involving 51 patients in the present study, with 27 patients in the IOL drop group and 24 patients in the lens drop group. Data collected included age, sex, eye laterality, the onset of IOL drop or lens drop, intraocular pressure (IOP), uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), record of astigmatism change preoperative and postoperative, and postoperative pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) complications. Our data indicated that the UDVA significantly improved in both IOL drop and lens drop groups after PPV surgery (p<0.001). However, there were no significant changes in IOP or astigmatism following the surgery in either group. Over one month, both groups showed improved UDVA, decreased IOP, and changes in astigmatism, with no significant differences between groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference in CDVA between IOL drop and lens drop groups. Only four complications were recorded in the present study. Comparing IOL drop and lens drop groups, only an increase in IOP showed a significant difference (p=0.018). Corneal edema, IOL decentration, and pupil ovalization were not significantly different. In conclusion, retropupillary iris-claw IOL implantation is safe and effective for aphakic patients with complications from phacoemulsification, regardless of whether it is lens drop or IOL drop.

Retinal neurovascular alteration in type 2 diabetes with renal impairment in association with systemic arterial stiffness.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients should be alert for subclinical macroangiopathy. We aimed to investigate the association between retinal neurovascular alteration and systemic arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) patients with varying degrees of renal impairment. METHODS: The study included 170 patients with confirmed diagnosis of type 2 DM aged ≥18 years old. Renal function was assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Arterial stiffness was measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and ankle brachial index (ABI). Retinal neurovascular parameters were derived from Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)/OCT-Angiography, represented by vessel density (VD Central, Inner, Outer, Full), foveal avascular zone (FAZ area and FAZ perimeter) of the superficial capillary plexus, the average of macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (ave mGC-IPLt) and the average of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (aveRNFLt). The association between variables among the groups (according to renal function, diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity, and arterial stiffness categories) were analyzed by regression analysis with multiple hypothesis testing commands. RESULTS: Out of the 265 eyes, the mean DM duration and HbA1c were 6.21 ± 6.37 years and 8.44 ± 2.06% respectively. While the mean of eGFR, baPWV and ABI were 66.78 ± 32.80 ml/min/1.73m2, 15.49 ± 3.07 m/s, and 1.05 ± 0.12, respectively. Patients with more severe renal impairment demonstrated longer DM duration (p < 0.001), higher baPWV (p < 0.0001), and retinal vascular alteration. Proliverative DR group showed the lowest eGFR (p < 0.0001), highest baPWV (p < 0.0001), and retinal neurovascular changes. Significantly lower eGFR and retinal vascular alteration were found in the baPWV > 14 group. Some neurovascular parameters were significantly negatively correlated with baPWV; moreover, retinal neurovascular changes were also noted in the abnormal ABI group. CONCLUSIONS: The strong association between changes in the retinal neurovascular system, DR severity, renal impairment, and arterial stiffness in type 2 DM was confirmed. Patients with more severe renal impairment had higher levels of arterial stiffness, more severe DR and retinal neurovascular alteration. Retinal neurovascular changes seen in OCT/OCTA might mimic renal microvascular alteration and systemic arterial stiffness. Therefore, assessment of baPWV and OCT/OCTA should be integrated in DR screening to enhance cardiovascular risk stratification and prognosis as well as to provide clinically useful early identification of subclinical micro- and macrovascular alterations.

Circulating Biomarkers to Predict Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease.

The purpose of this review is to outline the currently available circulating biomarkers to predict diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Studies have extensively reported the association between DR and DKD, suggesting the presence of common pathways of microangiopathy. The presence of other ocular complications including diabetic cataracts may hinder the detection of retinopathy, which may affect the visual outcome after surgery. Unlike DKD screening, the detection of DR requires complex, costly machines and trained technicians. Recognizing potential biological markers related to glycation and oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, basement membrane thickening, angiogenesis, and thrombosis as well as novel molecular markers involved in the microangiopathy process may be useful as predictors of retinopathy and identify those at risk of DR progression, especially in cases where retinal visualization becomes a clinical challenge. Further investigations could assist in deciding which biomarkers possess the highest predictive power to predict retinopathy in clinical settings.

Effects of SGLT2 inhibitor administration on blood glucose level and body weight in type 1 diabetes rat model.

The prevalence of diabetes worldwide is increasing and 629 million people are projected to have diabetes by 2045, and the most significant burden of the disease being concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Type 2 diabetes is mainly treated with insulin adjunctive therapies such as metformin to improve insulin sensitivity and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors to lower blood glucose levels. However, there was limited study on the application of SGLT2 inhibitors on type 1 diabetes, particularly empagliflozin. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on blood glucose levels and body weights in a rat model of type 1 diabetes. To mimic type 1 diabetes, the rats were injected with streptozotocin 60 mg intra-peritoneally. Twenty-four rat models were randomly divided into four groups: normal rat group (negative control), untreated diabetic rat group (positive control), type 1 diabetic rats treated with metformin, and type 1 diabetic rats treated with empagliflozin. Blood glucose levels and body weight were recorded before and after induced with streptozotocin and on weeks 4, 6, 8 and 10 of the treatment with anti-diabetic drugs. This study found that the blood glucose levels before and after treatment significantly decreased in all groups (p<0.05), except in the negative control group. Similar results were observed in body weight of the rats, which all groups experienced weight loss, except the negative control. These results suggested that apart from being used in type 2 diabetes, SGLT2 inhibitors may also be used as a treatment for type 1 diabetes.

Delivering a modified continuous objective structured clinical examination for ophthalmology residents through a hybrid online method.

Since coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, it has become a challenging situation to continue medical education, including in Indonesia. The situation prohibited face-to-face (direct) educational activities in clinical settings, therefore also postponing examinations involving especially procedural skills. Adaptations were urgently needed to maintain the delivery of high-stake examinations to sustain the number of ophthalmology graduates and the continuation of eye health service. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been one of our widely used method to assess clinical competencies for ophthalmology residents, and is the one method that involves gatherings, close contact of examiners, examinees and patients, therefore the most difficult to adjust. Pandemic challenges brought technical changes in our delivering the OSCE to online, maximizing digital platforms of meetings, while still concerned to guarding the safety of candidates, patients and staffs. OSCE scenarios were also made as timely efficient as possible by changing continuous station models to a cascade one. The purpose of this article is to document our experience in conducting a feasible and reproducible OSCE in this pandemic era filled with limitations.

The Superoxide Dismutase Mimetic TEMPOL and Its Effect on Retinal Ganglion Cells in Experimental Methanol-Intoxicated Rats.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of blindness due to methanol intoxication is higher in males of productive age. The management of methanol-induced toxic optic neuropathy is yet to produce satisfactory results. Antioxidant therapy is now used as an alternative method of preventing methanol intoxication. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of TEMPOL (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl), a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic, on retinal ganglion cells in methanol-intoxicated rats. METHODS: This experimental study was conducted with 20 male Wistar rats that were 10-12 weeks old and weighed 300-350 g. The rats were divided into four groups that each received a different treatment: a negative control group, a positive control group, a methanol group, and a methanol + TEMPOL group. Enucleated eyes from all groups were sliced and stained using hematoxylin-eosin (HE). Retinal layer and ganglion cells were assessed based on cellular structure, cellular swelling, and vacuole formation in the ganglion cell layer as observed at × 200 magnification. The Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney test were used, with significance taken to correspond to p < 0.05. RESULTS: Retinal ganglion cells of the control group had fewer vacuoles and a more well-organized cellular structure compared to those of the methanol group. The histopathologic scores of the methanol-intoxicated group were lower than those of the TEMPOL therapy group; p = 0.011 (i.e., p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TEMPOL had a positive impact on the cellular structure of retinal ganglion cells in methanol-intoxicated rats.

Efficacy of single bevacizumab injection as adjuvant therapy to laser photocoagulation in macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Macular grid laser photocoagulation remains the standard treatment for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). One possible strategy for treating macular edema is to inhibit VEGF activity by competitive binding of VEGF with an anti-VEGF antibody, suggesting the therapy option with bevacizumab. However, multiple injections of anti-VEGF may lead to complications and high cost. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement in visual acuity and central macular thickness after combination therapy of laser photocoagulation with single intravitreal bevacizumab injection in macular edema secondary to BRVO. METHODS: Nineteen patients with macular edema secondary to BRVO were assigned to either the group of nine patients in combination therapy of laser photocoagulation with intravitreal bevacizumab or the group of ten patients in the laser photocoagulation therapy. Complete ophthalmologic examinations were performed just before the therapy and at 1 month following the therapy. Changes in visual acuity were tested with the logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), and central macular thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS: Combination therapy of laser photocoagulation and single intravitreal bevacizumab injection resulted in a significantly better visual acuity compared to laser photocoagulation therapy (0.35 versus 0.13 logMAR; P=0.041) and reduced macular thickness by 120.33 µm versus 71.50 µm (P=0.277), although this difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Laser photocoagulation combined with a single intravitreal bevacizumab has a substantial effect on increasing visual acuity in macular edema secondary to BRVO.

Learning curve of sutureless transconjunctival 20-gauge vitrectomy.

BACKGROUND: To report the learning curve of transition from 20-gauge (20 G) conventional vitrectomy to a 20 G sutureless vitrectomy technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive case study of 32 eyes from 32 consecutive patients who underwent sutureless 20 G pars plana vitrectomy. A 20 G microvitreoretinal blade was introduced, beveled transconjunctivally, slowly, parallel with the limbus, creating a conjunctivoscleral tunnel incision. Study participants were divided into three groups, and surgical time, induced astigmatism, and complications were compared. RESULTS: Of 32 consecutive patients, there was no significant difference in induced astigmatism or maneuvering between the early learning curve and other groups. The true learning curve was the first three patients. There were three cases where suturing the sclerotomy was necessary: one port in each case, three of 32 cases (9.3%), or three of 96 ports (2.9%). CONCLUSION: There were no significant difficulties in surgical maneuvers while performing 20 g sutureless vitrectomy.