Blink detection and magnetic force generation for correction of lagophthalmos, with specific regard to implant compatibility testing.

PURPOSE: The overall goal was to restore a normal and synchronous blink in unilateral lagophthalmos. We describe the biocompatibility profiling of a novel ferromagnetic implant used for electromagnetic eyelid force generation. METHODS: A non-contact blink detection system and an electromagnetic stimulation system were designed and tested. A modified Lester-Burch speculum equipped with strain gauge technology was used in blinking force measurement. Samarium-cobalt magnets were prototyped and coated with parylene-C. Biocompatibility testing was performed using NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblast cells with MTT colorimetric assay cytotoxic quantification. OUTCOME MEASURES: Cellular viability and interleukin concentrations. RESULTS: Our system was capable of detecting 95.5 ± 3.6% of blinks in various lighting conditions. Using our force measuring device, the difference between non-paralyzed and paralyzed orbicularis oculi (OO) for normal and forceful blinking closure was 40.4 g and 101.9 g, respectively. A 16.6 × 5.0 × 1.5 mm curved shaped samarium cobalt eyelid implant was successfully developed and showed a reproducible blink at 100 ms with full corneal coverage with external eyelid taping. Compared to gold weights, parylene-C coated samarium cobalt implants showed not only excellent cell viability (82.0 ± 4.9% vs. 88.4 ± 0.9%, respectively, p > .05), but also below detection threshold for pro-inflammatory marker concentrations (interleukin-6 < 2 pg/mL and interleukin-10 < 3 pg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated excellent in-vitro biocompatibility of our parylene-C coated samarium cobalt implants. We believe that our novel approach can improve the quality-of-life of affected individuals and provides new understanding of blinking biomechanics.

Guidelines for vismodegib in the management of periocular basal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The management of advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in the periocular region remains a clinical challenge. Vismodegib (ErivedgeTM) has been approved in 2013 by Health Canada for adult patients with "histologically confirmed metastatic BCC or locally advanced BCC inappropriate for surgery or radiation." An expert consensus was sought to create a standardised approach in the use of this novel treatment. METHODS: Fourteen practicing oculoplastic surgeons across Canada were involved in formulating and reviewing guidelines until consensus was reached. A consultancy meeting was followed by further ratification of guidelines over email. Two voting surveys were performed of the group to objectively assess agreement over each statement within the guidelines. Ratification continued until at least two-thirds of the group agreed on every guideline statement. RESULTS: The guidelines summarize 21 statements in a major and minor criteria format. A multidisciplinary team review is suggested for each patient with the involvement of recommended specialists. The internal survey revealed 100% agreement over 9 statements, 91.7% agreement over 8 statements, 83.3% agreement over 4 statements, and 2 statements had 66.7% and 58.7% agreement each. All statements with less than 91.7% agreement were surveyed again, and they were kept, modified, or removed on the basis of a consensus of over 66.7%. CONCLUSIONS: These guidelines serve to act as a framework for physicians considering vismodegib for the medical management of patients with advanced or metastatic periocular BCC. Future applications, including neoadjuvant uses of the drug, may become apparent through further research.

Perceptions and use of computer-assisted surgery (CAS) in the orbit.

Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) plays a prominent role in certain surgical disciplines. We investigated the current perceptions and use of this technology for orbital surgery. An online survey was emailed to members of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Canadian Society of Oculoplastic Surgery, and British Oculoplastic Surgery Society. Respondents were asked to describe their practice type and seniority, their frequency of orbital surgery, experience, use, and accessibility of CAS, and their opinion on the technology. There were a total of 151 responses across the societies. 105 respondents (69.5%) had been in attending/consultant practice for over 10 years, with over half (54.7%) working in academic/teaching hospitals. The majority (66.7%) had superficial or no experience with CAS. In total, 84.8% of respondents rarely or never use CAS for orbital surgery (n = 128). Posterior orbital surgery (64.2%) and orbital decompression (49.0%) were the two most useful reasons to implement CAS. Longer operating time (58.3%) and cost (54.8%) were the two most selected weaknesses for CAS, whereas improved accuracy in attaining surgical end point(s) (80.8%) and patient safety (63.6%) were the principal advantages. Type of practice was significantly associated with CAS availability/accessibility (p < 0.05). Proportion of orbital surgery performed in practice was significantly associated with both CAS experience and use (p < 0.05). Our study confirms an expected variation in the perception and use of CAS for orbital surgery. Demonstrated patient benefit and integration of refined and cost-effective CAS systems into operating room environments may influence its future role.

Conservative therapy for chalazia: is it really effective?

PURPOSE: To assess the within-treatment efficacy of hot compresses (HC), HC plus tobramycin (Tobrex) and HC plus tobramycin/dexamethasone (Tobradex) for chalazia treatment. METHODS: Design: Multicentre, randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01230593). SETTING: Two clinical sites in New York and two clinical sites in Ontario. STUDY POPULATION: A total of 149 patients with one or more chalazia on separate eyelids randomly assigned to receive HC (n = 50), HC plus tobramycin (n = 50) or HC plus tobramycin/dexamethasone (n = 49). INTERVENTION: 4-6 weeks of assigned treatment. Patients were measured for chalazion horizontal width and surveyed for pain and treatment satisfaction levels. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was complete resolution (100% size reduction). Secondary outcomes were size change in millimetres and patient reported pre- and post-treatment pain and satisfaction levels. RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, complete resolution occurred in 36 (18%) lesions total, 13 (21%) treated with HC, 12 (16%) with HC plus tobramycin and 11 (18%) with HC plus tobramycin/dexamethasone, with no significant difference between them (p = .78). Individually by paired t-test, there were statistically significant post-treatment mean size differences: HC 1.20 mm (p < 0.001), HC plus tobramycin 1.69 mm (p < .001) and HC plus tobramycin/dexamethasone 1.54 mm (p < 0.001), but no significant difference between them (p = .61). Lesions that completely resolved had a statistically significant lower pretreatment duration (1.5 months) compared to lesions that did not completely resolve (2.2 months) (p = .04). CONCLUSION: Hot compresses (HC) alone or in combination with tobramycin or tobramycin/dexamethasone drops and ointment are all effective first-line treatment options for chalazia. However, physicians may consider moving directly to the use of more invasive therapies, such as incision and curettage or steroid injections, for chalazia that have been present for more than 2 months, as older lesions are less likely to resolve with conservative therapies alone.

Clinical decision-making: heuristics and cognitive biases for the ophthalmologist.

Diagnostic errors have a significant impact on health care outcomes and patient care. The underlying causes and development of diagnostic error are complex with flaws in health care systems, as well as human error, playing a role. Cognitive biases and a failure of decision-making shortcuts (heuristics) are human factors that can compromise the diagnostic process. We describe these mechanisms, their role with the clinician, and provide clinical scenarios to highlight the various points at which biases may emerge. We discuss strategies to modify the development and influence of these processes and the vulnerability of heuristics to provide insight and improve clinical outcomes.

Ptosis Repair in Ocular Myasthenia Gravis.

Ptosis repair was performed in patients with ocular myasthenia gravis by a posterior approach (Fasanella-Servat, 12 eyelids of nine patients) or levator advancement (eight eyelids of five patients) techniques. There were eight males and five females. Median age was 73 years and range 30-86 years. The median duration of myasthenia was 10 years and range 2 to 28 years. Pyridostigmine and prednisone were widely used prior to surgical referral, but ineffective or intolerable in all. The mean preoperative upper margin-reflex distance (MRD) was 0.55 mm (range -1 to 2 mm). The levator excursion range was 10 to 16 mm and mean 12.4 mm. Mean follow-up was 9.1 months. Postoperatively, the MRD ranged from 0.5 to 4 mm, with a mean of 2.3 mm. Two patients had lagophthalmos postoperatively (one posterior approach, one levator advancement) that did not require correction. Three of five patients who underwent levator advancement required repeat ptosis repair.

Orbital radiation therapy for Graves' ophthalmopathy: measuring clinical efficacy and impact.

PURPOSE: Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is an autoimmune condition primarily managed with prolonged courses of glucocorticoids, which can be associated with significant side effects. Orbital radiation therapy (RT) is an alternative treatment that has shown variable efficacy in improving orbital and visual symptoms. In this study, the therapeutic benefit of RT was evaluated in terms of patient's ability to taper their corticosteroid requirements, which may better reflect the proposed mechanism of RT and provide a clinically relevant response endpoint. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This is a retrospective review of consecutive patients treated with orbital RT for GO between 2000 and 2010 at a single tertiary hospital with a dedicated ocular radiation therapy clinic. The primary measure of treatment response was defined as the ability to taper glucocorticoids following RT without any further exacerbation of orbitopathy symptoms. Additional endpoints including ocular symptoms (diplopia, proptosis, visual acuity, extraocular movement) and need for surgical intervention were reported. RESULTS: Of 86 eligible patients, with a mean follow-up of 9.3 months, 81 (94%) patients responded to RT. Of patients taking corticosteroids at baseline, 91% were able to taper off corticosteroids completely and the remaining patients had decreased their doses by 83%. Diplopia, visual acuity, and extraocular movements improved in 29%, 81%, and 58% of patients, respectively. The median reduction in proptosis was 2.5 mm and 2 mm in the left and right eyes, respectively (range, -18 mm to 23 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Orbital RT is a generally well-tolerated treatment that helps minimize the dose and duration of corticosteroid therapy for patients with GO while improving ocular symptoms, including proptosis and diplopia. Prospective research should consider using corticosteroid requirement as a measure of response to orbital RT for GO.

Oculoplastic surgery.

Esthetic and functional surgery in the periocular region falls into the domain of oculoplastic surgeons, as well as plastic surgeons and otorhinolaryngologists with training in facial plastic surgery. This article provides a description of 8 common eyelid procedures that are routinely performed under local anesthesia, with or without mild intravenous sedation. Serious complications are rare. The rate of postoperative infection in the highly vascularized eyelid tissues is less than 1% in our experience.

Complications of blepharoplasty: prevention and management.

Blepharoplasty is an operation to modify the contour and configuration of the eyelids in order to restore a more youthful appearance. The surgery involves removing redundant skin, fat, and muscle. In addition, supporting structures such as canthal tendons are tightened. Other conditions such as ptosis, brow ptosis, entropion, ectropion, or eyelid retraction may also need to be corrected at the time a blepharoplasty is performed to ensure the best functional and aesthetic result. Due to the complexity and intricate nature of eyelid anatomy, complications do exist. In addition to a thorough pre operative assessment and meticulous surgical planning, understanding the etiology of complications is key to prevention. Finally, management of complications is just as important as surgical technique.

Indications for orbital imaging by the oculoplastic surgeon.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the indications for ordering orbital imaging and the indications for ordering CT versus MRI by oculoplastic surgeons and to assess the correlation between surgeon's clinical indications for imaging and the radiologist's diagnosis. DESIGN: Retrospective review of imaging requisitions and radiology reports. PARTICIPANTS: Patients of 4 oculoplastic surgeons who required CT or MRI scans. METHODS: Imaging requisitions and radiology reports of patients from 4 oculoplastic surgeons were reviewed to determine the indication for ordering a CT or MRI scan between March 2006 and March 2009. The indications were then compared with the radiologist's diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 735 patients were included: 449 (61.1%) female and 286 (38.9%) male, with an average age of 50.1 years and an age range of 7 months to 93 years. Of these patients, a total of 632 CT and 223 MRI scans were ordered, 135 of which were follow-up scans. CONCLUSIONS: The most common indication for CT scan was thyroid disease, followed by orbital tumors and then inflammatory disease, while the most common indication for MRI scan was orbital tumors, followed by inflammatory disease and then thyroid disease. CT scans were more commonly ordered than MRI, largely for trauma and to rule out orbital foreign body.

Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma with predominant periorbital involvement.

We present an unusual variant of necrobiotic xanthogranuloma with periorbital involvement. Our patient had an unusually complicated course due to initial misdiagnosis and patient refusal to undergo treatment. We present her clinical course and review the literature on this rare lesion.

The "mini tarsal strip" lateral canthopexy for lower eyelid laser-assisted blepharoplasty-indications, technique and complications in 614 cases.

The aim of this article is to describe the "mini tarsal strip procedure", a form of lateral canthal tendon plication to tighten the lower lid and give a better apposition of the lower eyelid to the globe. We describe this procedure in the context of transconjunctival lower lid blepharoplasty.

Adult-onset exposure keratitis after childhood ptosis repair with frontalis sling procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To report the development of adult-onset exposure keratitis in patients having undergone childhood ptosis repair with frontalis sling surgery (FSS). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, noncomparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: Seven patients having received childhood FSS who were referred to us as adults with a complaint of ocular dryness that did not develop until years after surgery. METHODS: Single-centre, clinic-based, chart review. RESULTS: Four patients had bilateral, congenital ptosis and 3 had unilateral ptosis, secondary to childhood trauma (2) and third nerve palsy (1). Mean age at first FSS was 6 years (range, 9 months-14 years). Five patients had received additional ophthalmic surgery, including strabismus surgery (2), repeat FSS (4), and prior failed levator resection (1). Mean age at referral to our centre with complaint of ocular dryness was 37 years (range, 23-46 years). Mean time from most recent FSS to presentation was 23 years (range, 17-36 years). On examination, 6 patients had related eyelid abnormalities, including bilateral entropion (1), ptosis recurrence (4), and peaked upper eyelid (1). All patients had measurable lagophthalmos (range, 0.5 mm-3 mm), and 5 had detectable punctate keratopathy (range, "trace" to "2+" on a scale of 0 to 4+). All patients were offered artificial lubricating drops, and 3 were deemed candidates for corrective eyelid surgery, resulting in improvement of exposure keratitis. CONCLUSIONS: Adult-onset exposure keratitis should be included as a potential late complication of FSS ptosis repair in children, particularly when multiple surgeries are required or complications occur.