ABSTRACT
A 28?year?old female who underwent an uneventful femtosecond laser enabled keratoplasty (FLEK) in her left eye presented with pain, redness, and blurring of vision in the operated eye two weeks after getting immunized with COVID?19 vector vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV19 Vaccine Recombinant COVISHIELD, AstraZeneca). Slit?lamp examination showed donor stromal edema with Descemet’s membrane folds and Khodadoust line (KP’s on endothelium) with anterior chamber cells and flare. The patient was diagnosed with acute corneal graft rejection and advised hourly topical steroids with cycloplegics and oral steroids. The patient responded to treatment and there was progressive reversal of graft rejection with the patient achieving best spectacle?corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) of 20/30 after five weeks of treatment. Our case highlights possible immune corneal graft rejection after COVID19 vaccination and the need to step up topical steroids before vaccination
ABSTRACT
Custard apple seeds have been used in native medicine from time immemorial for the management of head lice and skin exfoliation. We report six consecutive patients who developed toxic keratoconjunctivitis within 6–12 h of ocular exposure to custard apple seeds. The use of topical steroid worsens the toxicity and predisposes to the development of microbial keratitis in such cases. Patients showed a good response to primary treatment with topical fortified antibiotics and lubricants. This case series highlights the need to educate the patients regarding the potential toxic effects of the custard seeds and the treating physicians about possible deleterious effects on using topical steroid.
ABSTRACT
Keratoconus is a slowly progressive, noninflammatory ectatic corneal disease characterized by changes in corneal collagen structure and organization. Though the etiology remains unknown, novel techniques are continuously emerging for the diagnosis and management of the disease. Demographical parameters are known to affect the rate of progression of the disease. Common methods of vision correction for keratoconus range from spectacles and rigid gas‑permeable contact lenses to other specialized lenses such as piggyback, Rose‑K or Boston scleral lenses. Corneal collagen cross‑linking is effective in stabilizing the progression of the disease. Intra‑corneal ring segments can improve vision by flattening the cornea in patients with mild to moderate keratoconus. Topography‑guided custom ablation treatment betters the quality of vision by correcting the refractive error and improving the contact lens fit. In advanced keratoconus with corneal scarring, lamellar or full thickness penetrating keratoplasty will be the treatment of choice. With such a wide spectrum of alternatives available, it is necessary to choose the best possible treatment option for each patient. Based on a brief review of the literature and our own studies we have designed a five‑point management algorithm for the treatment of keratoconus.
ABSTRACT
We report the case of a 76-year-old woman who presented to us with bilateral simultaneous Descemet’s membrane detachment (DMD) after successful uneventful cataract surgery of both eyes in the late post-operative period. The first eye was operated 1-week prior to the second eye. We shall also discuss different hypothesis of an underlying predisposition to DMD and in our case the possible role of a thick arcus senilis in the etiology of DMD. Surgical intervention with 14% octafluoropropane (C3F8) gas injection in the anterior chamber resulted in excellent visual acuity restoration in the patient.
ABSTRACT
Aim: To study the safety and efficacy of sutureless femtosecond anterior lamellar keratoplasty (FALK) in patients with corneal stromal opacities. Materials and Methods: Eleven eyes of 11 consecutive patients with corneal stromal opacities involving <250 μ due to various pathologies were included in the study. Preoperatively, all underwent anterior segment imaging with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD‑OCT) (Bioptigen Inc., Durham, North Carolina, USA) to measure the depth of the stromal opacity. All patients underwent FALK, and bandage contact lens was placed for a period of 2 weeks. Postoperatively, uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and SD‑OCT evaluation were performed. Results: All patients showed significant improvement in BCVA. The mean postoperative BCVA (in decimals) improved from 0.11 ± 0.06 preoperatively to 0.59 ± 0.08. There were no intraoperative or significant postoperative complications that were noticed. Conclusion: FALK is a safe and effective alternative to deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty or penetrating keratoplasty in the treatment of anterior stromal opacities.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To assess the efficacy and advantages of femtosecond laser enabled keratoplasty (FLEK) over conventional penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) in advanced keratoconus. Materials and Methods: Detailed review of literature of published randomized controlled trials of operative techniques in PKP and FLEK. Results: Fifteen studies were identified, analyzed, and compared with our outcome. FLEK was found to have better outcome in view of better and earlier stabilization uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and better refractive outcomes with low astigmatism as compared with conventional PKP. Wound healing also was noticed to be earlier, enabling early suture removal in FLEK. Conclusions: Studies relating to FLEK have shown better results than conventional PKP, however further studies are needed to assess the safety and intraoperative complications of the procedure.