Impact of ophthalmic webinars on the resident's learning experience during COVID-19 pandemic: An insight into its present and future prospects.

PURPOSE: To analyze the impact of ophthalmic webinars on the resident's learning experience during the COVID-19 pandemic (CP). METHODS: This cross-sectional nationwide study was carried out for 1 month during CP and included a total of 382 ophthalmic residents. A questionnaire was sent through various social media platforms. RESULTS: Residents expressed a decline in their clinical exposure (74%; 220), thesis work (58%; 218), and acquisition of the knowledge and skills (42.5%; 161) during CP. Benefits of webinars as perceived by the residents included gain in additional knowledge (77%; 286), feedback on queries (56%; 209), access to multiple speakers (50%; 191), and topics (30%; 110). Nearly 75% (291) of residents endorsed webinars as good to the very good academic tool, and 54% (202) preferred to continue attending webinars in the post-CP phase. However, connectivity/download/data issues (54%; 200) followed by loss of personal touch (53%; 188), lengthy or irrelevant topic (37%; 134), and poor transmission quality (33%; 121) were major deterrents against the webinar. CONCLUSION: The current study generated overall mixed responses from the ophthalmic postgraduate residents in favor of webinars. In the present format, webinars bear enormous potentials to supplement the traditional learning tools by providing uninterrupted learning experiences. However, they are still limited by their pedagogical and technical issues.

ToRCH-screening in pediatric cataract revisited: A North Indian tertiary care centre study.

Purpose: To analyze and report ToRCH-serology screening profile (Toxoplasma gondii [TOX], rubella [RV], cytomegalovirus [CMV], and herpes simplex virus [HSV-I/II]) in pediatric cataract. Methods: In this prospective analytical study, 1,026 consecutive children were screened, of which 46 children with clinically diagnosed congenital (n = 26) and developmental cataract (n = 20) were included. Post-traumatic and familial cataracts were excluded. Sera of all children were tested both qualitatively and quantitatively for IgG/IgM-antibodies against ToRCH agents in a sequential manner. Results: Overall, IgM/IgG-seropositivity against ≥1 ToRCH agent was reported in 91.3% (42/46) children. IgM (±IgG) positivity against ≥1 ToRCH agent was reported in 26.08% (12/46) children (nine congenital and three developmental cataract; P = 0.18), which included 8.7% (4/46) children reported positive against ≥2 agents. Finally, 13% (6/46) children were reported to be sero-clinical-positive (three were infants and three were> 1 year age, P = 0.55; five congenital and one developmental cataract, P = 0.21). Either alone or combined, RV attributed to the majority (50%; 6/12) of the IgM (±IgG) and sero-clinical-positive (50%; 3/6) children. None of the children were HSV-II IgM-positive. Laboratory-confirmed congenital rubella syndrome was reported in 4.3% (2/46) children. One sero-clinical-positive infant with rare coexisting bilateral persistent fetal vasculature was also reported. IgG-alone positivity was reported highest with CMV in 67.4% (31/46) children, whereas 43.4% (20/46) children were found nonimmune to RV. Conclusion: The current study emphasizes the need to interpret ToRCH-screening in pediatric cataract with caution. Interpretation should include both serial qualitative and quantitative assays in tandem with clinical correlation to minimize the diagnostic errors. Clinicians should remain vigilant regarding sero-clinical-positivity in older children too who might pose a threat to the spread of infection.

Comparative studies between longitudinal and torsional modes in phacoemulsification, using active fluidics technology along with the intrepid balanced tip.

PURPOSE: To compare and report the intra- and postoperative outcomes of phacoemulsification between longitudinal (LPKE) and torsional (TPKE) mode, using active fluidics along with the intrepid balanced tip. METHODS: This single center prospective randomized comparative study comprised a total 108 consecutive eyes of 108 patients having senile cataract subdivided into nuclear opalescence (NO) grades II-IV according to the lens opacities classification system III (LOCS III). Cataracts of each grade were randomly assigned to two groups LPKE (n = 54) and TPKE (n = 54) mode, who were operated on by the same surgeon using same machine (Centurion® Alcon Laboratories, Inc., USA) having features of both active fluidics and intrepid balanced tip. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative evaluations were done independently by a different author, who was masked to the surgical procedures. Patients were evaluated on the postoperative days (PODs) 1, 7, 15, and 28. Intraoperative outcome measures were cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) and ultrasound time (UST). Postoperative outcome measures were endothelial cell loss (ECL), central corneal thickness (CCT), and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: Age, gender, and NO-grade distribution among two modes were comparable (P > 0.05). Difference of CDE and UST between modes were found to be significant (P < 0.001) in favor of TPKE with all NO-grades. TPKE mode performs better than LPKE mode with regard to ECL, CCT-change, and BCVA-change, although the differences were found to be insignificant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: When using active fluidics along with the intrepid balanced tip, TPKE mode appeared to be a more efficient mode of PKE with reduced mean UST and CDE across all NO-grades, as compared to LPKE mode. However, ECL, CCT-change, and BCVA-change were seemed to be comparable between the two modes.

The course of dry eye following phacoemulsification and manual-SICS：a prospective study based on Indian scenario / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To evaluate and compare subjective and objectively, the course of surgically induced dry eye following both phacoemulsification ( PKE ) and manual-small incision cataract surgery ( SlCS) procedure, and to analyze the result in terms of causative factors. ●METHODS:This single centre prospective study included 100 eyes of 100 patients randomly divided into two groups (Group 1, SlCS-50 patients; Group 2, PKE-50 patients), who underwent cataract surgery with intraocular lens ( lOL)-implantation from Jun. 2013 to Dec. 2014 for a period of one and half year by single surgeon. Ln all patients post operative course of dry eye were tabulated and assessed at 1, 4, 12wk, subjectively and objectively, and thereafter analyzed in terms of possible causative factors. Statistical data were calculated using SPSS 23. 0 Windows software. RESULTS: There was no significant preoperative intergroup difference in subjective and objective dry eye test (DET) values (P>0. 05). Both the groups showed similar trend of persistently declining objective DET -values till at the end 12wk, as compared to their respective preoperative values (P0. 05). PKE seems to have better subjective DET-value at the end of 12wk. ●CONCLUSlON:Dry eye disease is inevitable following cataract surgery. Both PKE and SlCS, can affect the dry eye test values in almost similar manner post operatively till up to 12wk. Randomized multicentre trial with larger cohort and longer follow-up is warranted to substantiate our findings.

Clear lens extraction and intraocular lens implantation in a case of microspherophakia with secondary angle closure glaucoma.

Phacoemulsification with implantation of single-piece acrylic foldable intraocular lens (IOL) in a 19-year-old boy with microspherophakia, high myopia and angle closure glaucoma is described. The associated myopia and angle closure glaucoma was severely compromising the quality of life. Post-surgical visual recovery was 20/20 with sustained normal intraocular pressure. Management of such cases at times calls for innovations in current surgical technique.