Direct Brow Lift and Skin Contraction in Facial Nerve Palsy: A Switch Technique.

The authors present a case series of 4 patients with facial nerve palsy who underwent a direct brow lift to correct brow ptosis, using the excised brow skin as a full-thickness skin graft to correct lower eyelid skin contracture, ectropion, and retraction. Functional outcomes were measured using the validated cornea, static asymmetry, dynamic function, synkinesis (CADS) grading system and by photographic assessment of lower eyelid height via margin reflex distance. Aesthetic outcomes were measured using a published grading scale specific to eyelid skin grafts.

How can we maximize the use of our operating lists? An analysis of factors influencing theatre efficiency in oculoplastic day surgery.

Operating theatre utilization has become the principal measure of NHS operating theatre service performance. We analysed data from oculoplastic theatres in a tertiary centre to identify factors influencing theatre efficiency. We conducted three audits on operating theatre utilization in 2011, 2014 and 2015. Data was collected from real time information entered into the hospital database, including time of arrival, induction, first cut and close of operation. The primary outcome measure was the operating list utilization rate, a combined value of anaesthetic and surgical time as a proportion of the total planned session time. The initial 2011 audit recorded an operating list utilization rate of 81.2%. However, this dropped to 64.5% in 2014 following new management and a move to a new theatre suite. Analysis of the factors contributing to poor theatre efficiency led to changes that streamlined the patient pathway, including standardized case scheduling and reducing staggered patient arrival. A 2015 reaudit analyzing the effects of these changes demonstrated an increase in the operating list utilization rate to 78%. It was significantly higher (p < 0.01) for whole-day lists (85%) compared to half-day lists (75%), suggesting that whole-day lists were more efficient. Operating theatres are a valuable resource and the factors affecting theatre efficiency within our unit are common and will be relevant to units elsewhere. Correcting them can lead to significant improvements in patient care. Data from this study may provide a benchmark for other units in the United Kingdom.

Orbital exenteration: The 10-year Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary experience.

The authors report their experience with orbital exenteration surgery at one academic institution over a 10-year period and review the literature. This retrospective cohort study monitored outcomes of all patients who underwent orbital exenteration surgery at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary between January 2003 and January 2013. Patients with no follow-up data or survival data were excluded from the study. The main outcome measures were surgical complications, disease status of surgical margins, need for adjuvant treatment, local recurrence, metastases and survival. 23 patients with malignancy and 2 with mucormycosis met inclusion criteria for the study. Surgical procedures included non-lid sparing total exenteration (44%), lid-sparing total exenteration (32%), non-lid sparing partial exenteration (8%) and lid-sparing partial exenteration (16%). 44% underwent additional extra-orbital procedures. Survival rates were 72% at 1 year, 48% at 3 years, and 37% at 5 years. Of patients with malignancies, 48% had clear margins after exenteration. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between patients with negative surgical margins compared to positive margins (p = 0.12). Mortality was highest in patients with melanoma (85.7%) and lowest in patients with non-squamous cell lid malignancies (0%). Our study suggests that the type of disease has a much greater impact on the survival of patients undergoing exenteration surgery than the type of exenteration surgery or the disease status of surgical margins. Patients with non-squamous cell lid malignancies and localized orbital disease have the best prognosis for tumor eradication from this radical and highly disfiguring surgery.

Extraocular muscle repositioning and diplopia: associated with ophthalmic plaque radiation therapy for choroidal melanoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate extraocular muscle surgery associated with plaque brachytherapy for choroidal melanoma. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred twenty-nine eyes of 329 consecutive patients with clinically diagnosed choroidal melanoma. INTERVENTION: Palladium 103 plaque brachytherapy with or without extraocular muscle surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Type of muscle surgery required for each tumor location, timing, incidence, and duration of diplopia, as well as treatment. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-four patients (n = 254/329; 77.2%) required muscle surgery. One hundred seven patients (n = 107/329; 32.5%) required surgery on 2 or more muscles. Of 373 muscles repositioned, the lateral rectus muscle (n = 115/373; 30.8%) and inferior oblique muscle (n = 70/373; 18.7%) were the most common, correlating to intraocular tumor location (P<0.001). Only 6 tumors (n = 6/61; 9.5%) originating from the iris and ciliary body required muscle surgery for plaque placement. Of the 312 patients with a preoperative visual acuity better than 20/400, diplopia was reported at the first postoperative visit by 41 patients (n = 41/312; 13.1%), 2 of whom had not undergone muscle surgery. Diplopia resolved spontaneously within 1 month in 18 patients (n = 18/41; 43.9%), between 1 and 6 months in 12 patients (n = 12/41; 29.3%), and at more than 6 months in 5 patients (n = 5/41; 12.2%). Among the 312 patients, persistent diplopia occurred in 6 patients (1.9%), including 1 who had not undergone muscle surgery. Treatment was declined in 1 patient, 3 patients (n = 3/41; 7.3%) were treated with prisms, and 2 patients (n = 2/41; 4.9%) required surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Extraocular muscle surgery frequently is required for plaque brachytherapy. Although transient diplopia occurred in 11.2% of patients, persistent diplopia occurred in only 1.9% of patients and was treatable.

Complications and adverse effects of periocular aesthetic treatments.

The popularity and variety of temporary and permanent periocular aesthetic treatments has increased over the past decade. Patients frequently present to eye clinics with ocular complications and side effects following these treatments, their severity ranging from ocular irritation from dry eyes to visual loss from vascular occlusion. A careful, thorough history is essential, as many patients may not associate aesthetic procedures with ocular complications, and some may be embarrassed to disclose this information. All ophthalmologists should understand the potential ocular sequelae of these treatments and be able to initiate treatment in sight-threatening cases. We summarize the current literature on ophthalmic complications of the most common periocular aesthetic treatments.

Anti-VEGF intravitreal bevacizumab for radiation-associated neovascular glaucoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To report outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab therapy in radiation-associated neovascular glaucoma (NVG). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective interventional case series, 12 eyes with NVG after radiation therapy for ocular malignancy were treated with periodic intravitreal injections of 1.25 mg bevacizumab. Outcome measures included changes in iris neovascularization, intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity, and pain. RESULTS: One month after the first injection, iris neovascularization regressed in nine of 12 eyes (75%), and IOP decreased in eight of 12 eyes (67%) by a mean of 10.1 mm Hg. Patients were monitored for a mean of 26.5 months after their first injection. Six eyes subsequently underwent enucleation for pain control (four eyes; 66%), chronic uveitis (one eye; 17%), and tumor recurrence (one eye; 17%). All remaining patients experienced deterioration in visual acuity (range: 20/160 to no light perception), but pain control was good and IOP normalized in four patients. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal bevacizumab therapy should be considered for patients with radiation-associated NVG who wish to avoid enucleation.

Flashes, floaters and fuzz.

Flashing lights (photopsia) and floaters are common visual phenomena and patients frequently present to hospital with these symptoms. This article provides a guide for the non-specialist to the different pathologies that may result in photopsia and floaters.