Postoperative astigmatic considerations in manual small-incision cataract surgery - A review.

Cataract remains a major cause of visual impairment worldwide including in India. The sutureless manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) as an alternative to phacoemulsification, gives equivalent visual results at lower expenses. Still the procedure is often discredited for higher astigmatism due to the larger size of the incision. High astigmatism is an important cause of poor uncorrected visual acuity after cataract surgery. However, there are enough studies in the literature to prove that surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) can be minimized and also eliminated by adopting appropriate wound construction techniques during surgery. Even pre-existing astigmatism if any can be neutralized by changing wound architecture during surgery. Here, we review the various techniques of scleral tunnel construction described in the literature to care for postoperative astigmatism in MSICS.

Resident Performed Sutureless Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS): Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To show the surgical and visual outcomes of a resident-performed manual small incision cataract surgery. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective observational case series. STUDY SETTING: Ruby Eye Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Manual small incision cataract surgery was performed on 339 uncomplicated cataract cases by three in-house residents. Preoperative visual acuity and vision with a pinhole were meticulously noted in the record sheets. All patients underwent thorough preoperative evaluation with the help of a slit lamp. Eyes with corneal guttae, un-dilated pupils, pseudo-exfoliation, raised intraocular pressure and posterior segment abnormalities were excluded from the study. The mean patient age was 59 years (min: 47 years and max: 85 years). Forty-seven percent were males, and the rest were females. The mean uncorrected preoperative visual acuity recorded was 1.3 logMAR units (max: 1 and min: 1.6, Std dev: 0.4). Forty-two percent of the eyes had dense nuclear cataracts (≥ Nuclear Sclerosis grade III from LOCS II). RESULTS: The mean postoperative visual acuity recorded was 0.4 logMAR units [standard deviation 0.3 logMAR units (max: 1 and min: 0.1 p-value <0.001)]. Forty-three cases (12.6%) had tunnel-related complications (premature entry/button hole). Thirty-six cases (10.6%) had iatrogenic prolapse of the iris tissue. Eight cases (2.3%) had a runaway capsulorhexis, while 18 cases (5.3%) had iatrogenic posterior capsular rupture. Two cases (0.58%) had a large zonular dialysis. Ten cases (2.9%) were retaken to the operating room again for repeat intervention. CONCLUSION: The ophthalmic resident learning curve for manual small incision cataract surgery is steep, unlike what is reported in the literature. A good training program with a special emphasis on wound construction is of paramount importance for future residents.

Safety and Efficacy of a New Posterior Chamber Phakic Intraocular Lens in Cases of High Myopia: Early Results.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the visual outcomes of a foldable, hydroxy ethyl-methacrylate, single-piece, posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens (pIOL). STUDY TYPE: Retrospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients presenting with moderate to high myopia who underwent surgical correction with a posterior chamber phakic IOL (refractive intraocular lens, phakic intraocular lens, Appasamy Associates, Chennai, India) were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients with at least one-year follow-up were included. Manifest refraction, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), endothelial cell density (ECD), and pIOL vault were analyzed 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Intraoperative and postoperative events were recorded in all cases. RESULTS: The study included 30 eyes from 15 patients. The mean patient age was 25.8 ± 3 years. The spherical equivalent of manifest refraction was -11.47 ± 4.38 D preoperatively and -0.44 ± 0.55 D postoperatively. The preoperative CDVA was 0.17 ± 0.12 logMAR. The postoperative UDVA was 0.053 ± 0.11 logMAR (min: -0.17 and max: 0.2) and 0.019 ± 0.091 logMAR (min: -0.17 and max: 0.2) at the end of 1 month and 6 months, respectively. At the end of the 12-month visit, the postoperative UDVA was 0.032 ± 0.094, and the safety index was 2.42. The mean ECD was 2639 cells/mm2 (min: 2389 and max: 2993 with SD: 139.53) at the preoperative visit and 2445 cells/mm2 (min: 2050 and max: 2701) at the 12-month visit (5.8% loss, p less than 0.001). ECD loss from 6 months to 12 months was not statistically significant. No significant cataract formation, significant endothelial cell loss, glaucoma, uveitis, or any other vision-threatening complication were observed. CONCLUSION: Based on postoperative experience, we found that RIL phakic IOLs are safe and effective for treating high myopia at short-term follow-up.

Phacoemulsification vs manual small incision cataract surgery in eyes affected by pseudo exfoliation syndrome with grade II and III cataracts.

PURPOSE: To compare the postoperative alteration of central corneal thickness (CCT) and visual outcomes between phacoemulsification (group A) and manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) (group B) in grade II and III nuclear cataracts (NS II and III) with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF). METHODS: It is a double masked prospective randomised interventional study. A total of 60 eyes of 60 patients were assigned randomly to either the phacoemulsification (group A) or MSICS (group B) groups. All eyes had nuclear sclerosis grade II and III (LOCS II grading system) with pseudoexfoliation material either over the pupillary margin, anterior lens capsule, or both. All surgeries were done by a single surgeon. Postoperative evaluation was scheduled on the 1st, 30th, 90th, and 180th-day. Statistical analyses were done using appropriate methods. Outcome of the study were measured with changes in central corneal thickness (CCT), Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and the spherical equivalent in the operated eye up to 6 months post surgery. RESULTS: The mean preoperative CCT showed no difference between the groups (0.9659). The mean rise in CCT on the 1st postoperative day (POD) showed a significant difference between the groups {24.65 (SD 9.32) [group A (Phacoemulsification)] and 33.34 (SD11.68) [group B (MSICS)] (P < 0.0023)}. At the 1st, 3rd, and 6th month postoperative visits, there was no significant difference. The mean uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) on the 1st POD was 0.189 (SD 0.118) in Group A and 0.302 (SD 0.121) in group B (P < 0.0005) which was significantly better with the phacoemulsification procedure. At the 1st month it was 0.039 (SD 0.084) in group A and 0.148 (SD 0.089) in group B (P < 0.004), which remained almost stable after that. The mean corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th-month postoperative visits showed no significant difference (P 0.8). The mean spherical equivalent was 0.29 in group A and 0.8 in group B. CONCLUSION: In moderately hard nuclear cataracts with PXF, phacoemulsification provides better unaided visual outcomes with less endothelial dysfunction than MSICS in the immediate and subsequent postoperative period.

Refractive outcomes of implantation of an implantable phakic copolymer lens with peripheral holes in the intraocular posterior chamber in moderate to high myopia patients: a single-surgeon series.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety and efficacy of implanting implantable phakic copolymer lenses (IPCLs) with peripheral optic holes in the intraocular posterior chamber in Indian patients with moderate to high myopia. METHODS: Seventy-five eyes of 50 patients who underwent IPCL implantation were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative parameters, such as subjective refraction, anterior chamber depth (measured using a pentacam), and white-to-white diameter were measured. A custom-made IPCL using the aforementioned parameters was then implanted in the sulcus to correct moderate to high myopia. All patients had undergone neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet peripheral iridotomy. RESULTS: Clinical outcome data were collated retrospectively from the medical case records of the patients. The mean age was 25.36 years (standard deviation [SD]: 3.60 years), and 55.55% of the patients were men. The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.367 logmar units (SD: 0.266, max: 0.0 and min: 1.2). The post-IPCL implantation mean uncorrected visual acuity was 0.225 logmar units (SD: 0.172, max: 0 and min: 0.7), which was significantly superior to the preoperative BCVA (P=<0.0001). Forty-three patients (86%; satisfaction scores of ≥4; scale 1-5) were "highly satisfied" to "extremely satisfied" with the outcome. The mean follow-up period was 1.8 years. CONCLUSION: Implantation of the IPCL with peripheral holes in the intraocular posterior chamber resulted in a clinically significant improvement in unaided visual acuity. Long-term follow-up showed optimum stability of vision.

An unusual case of corneal lipoma.

A 24-year-old male presented with a painless yellowish lesion on the nasal part of his cornea that extended to the paracentral area. Without a confirmed clinical diagnosis, the patient was advised surgical removal of the lesion. The lesion showed a smooth, elevated anterior surface without any signs of inflammation. On making a small incision over the lesion, we found yellowish material being extruded from the lesion. Cytological evaluation of the material revealed clear vacuolated cells suggestive of lipocytes, based on which we diagnosed it a rare case of corneal lipoma.

To show the efficacy of compressive sutures alone in the management of acute hydrops in a keratoconus patient.

A 17-year-old boy presented with sudden loss of vision in the left eye (OS) for 3 days. He was diagnosed with acute hydrops following keratoconic progression in OS. The patient was initially started on topical medical therapy, including steroids and hypertonic eye drops; showing no signs of resolution. Hence, the patient was planned for full-thickness compressive corneal sutures. Four sutures were placed along the central oedematous area covering the area of ruptured Descemet's membrane. Signs of resolution were noticed by 1st week and there was complete resolution of oedema by 3rd post-op week. Sutures were removed by 7th postoperative week/45th day. The patient was doing fine with visual acuity of 6/60 in the last visit with no symptoms of discomfort and no signs of corneal vascularisation. Full-thickness corneal compressive sutures is an effective alternative in cases of acute hydrops if perfluoropropane gas is not available.

AN ATYPICAL CASE OF SYMPATHETIC OPHTHALMIA AFTER LIMBAL CORNEAL LACERATION.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To report a case of atypical sympathetic ophthalmia after limbal corneal laceration. METHODS AND RESULTS: An 11-year-old child had a successful left eye corneal laceration repair at the temporal limbus with excision of exposed nonnecrotic iris tissue, resulting in good visual acuity of 20/80 and 20/25 on postoperative Days 1 and 7, respectively. The patient was prescribed 1 mg/kg oral prednisolone in a tapering dose as prophylaxis. On postoperative Day 21, the patient presented with acute onset decreased vision in both eyes. Visual acuity was counting fingers 3 feet in both eyes. On examination, anterior segment examination was quiet without any inflammation, anterior vitreous face showed 1+ cells, and dilated funduscopy revealed bilateral symmetrical serous retinal detachments along the posterior pole. Optical coherence tomography demonstrated separation and elevation of inner neurosensory layers from the outer segment marking presence of hyperreflective material along with subretinal fluid between detached surfaces. There was stippled hyperfluorescence along the posterior pole as seen in fluorescein angiography. With a diagnosis of sympathetic ophthalmia confirmed, oral prednisolone (2 mg/kg body weight) was instituted after which, there was gradual decrease in macular elevation with corresponding improvement in visual acuity with no recurrence for the last 6 months. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first reported instance of an atypical presentation of sympathetic ophthalmia, and antecedent corticosteroid therapy would have mitigated robust anterior segment findings usually associated with the condition.