Long-Term Effects of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection for Macular Edema Secondary to Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

PURPOSE: To report the long term effects of intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVAI) for the treatment of macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 47 consecutive patients (47 eyes) whose visual acuity under 20/40 and macular thickness over 250 microm from BRVO received IVAI (1.25 mg). All patients were observed over 12 months. The patients were classified into three groups: one, resolved macular edema after first injection, second, persistant, third, recurrant. At 12 months after injection, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) were compared with one another. RESULTS: Comparing with baseline BCVA (0.96 +/- 0.32, 1.13 +/- 0.42, 0.85 +/- 0.24 log MAR unit), the mean at 12 months was significantly increased (0.50 +/- 0.30, 0.76 +/- 0.51, 0.55 +/- 0.35) in each group. The mean CMT at baseline was 510.84 (+/- 171.07), 538.5 (+/- 216.87), 522.6 (+/- 101.82) microm decreased to 211.58 (+/- 42.74), 232 (+/- 132.68), 270.6 (+/- 85.27). CONCLUSIONS: IVAI was a result of significant decrease of CMT with improvement of BCVA in patients with BRVO after a follow-up of 12 months.

The Effect of Bilateral Slanted Lateral Rectus Recession in Exotropia with Near-Far Disparity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of slanted recession of the lateral rectus (LR) muscle for exodeviation with larger deviation angle at near than far fixation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 31 patients. Seventeen patients underwent slanted LR recession, the upper fiber of the LR was recessed according to the distance deviation angle and the lower fiber was recessed according to the near deviation. Fourteen patients underwent classic recession. To evaluate the effect of slant LR recession, postoperative ocular alignment between them was checked at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after operation. RESULTS: At the postoperative 6 months, bilateral slanted LR recession reduced the mean exodeviation at near from 33.82 PD to 7.29 PD, and same amount recession group reduced 33.67 PD to 11.13 PD. The far deviation change was from 25.59 PD to 2.59 PD, 23.67 PD to 4.00 PD in each group. The change of near-distance difference was from 10.29 PD to 4.71 PD in slanted recession group, and 9.67 PD to 7.93 PD in same amount recession group, showed that slanted recession group reduced angle more significantly (p = 0.002). Success rate was 35% in bilateral slanted LR recession group, 7% in classic recession group, showed that slanted recession group had significantly high success rate (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral slanted LR recession effectively reduces near and distance exodeviation angle, and reduces near-distance incomitance more superior to classic bilateral LR recession technique.