Eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye: a preliminary investigation / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye.@*METHODS@#This was a prospective, randomized, open-label, investigator-masked, and self-controlled study. We randomly assigned one eye of patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye to the treatment group, and the other eye to the control group. Both groups received artificial tears and lid warming; the treatment group received an additional one-time in-office eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device. Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) and tear meniscus height (TMH) of each eye, and Standard Patient Evaluation for Eye Dryness II (SPEED II) score of each patient were evaluated before and at one week after treatment.@*RESULTS@#Thirty eyes of 15 patients were enrolled. No adverse effects occurred during the treatment. Compared with the baseline values, the SPEED score decreased significantly at one week after treatment (mean±95% confidence interval, 11.00±0.99 vs. 5.67±1.67, P<0.0001), the NITBUT-first in the treatment group increased significantly at one week after treatment ((4.74±1.27) s vs. (7.49±2.22) s, P=0.01). The NITBUT-first was significantly longer in the treatment group ((7.49±2.22) s) than in the control group ((5.17±0.91) s) at one week after treatment (P=0.042). No significant differences were found in other tear film parameters between the two groups.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Eyelid margin cleaning using the novel Deep Cleaning Device is a convenient, effective, and safe treatment for patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye.

Eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye: a preliminary investigation / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, open-label, investigator-masked, and self-controlled study. We randomly assigned one eye of patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye to the treatment group, and the other eye to the control group. Both groups received artificial tears and lid warming; the treatment group received an additional one-time in-office eyelid margin cleaning using Deep Cleaning Device. Non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) and tear meniscus height (TMH) of each eye, and Standard Patient Evaluation for Eye Dryness II (SPEED II) score of each patient were evaluated before and at one week after treatment. Results: Thirty eyes of 15 patients were enrolled. No adverse effects occurred during the treatment. Compared with the baseline values, the SPEED score decreased significantly at one week after treatment (mean±95% confidence interval, 11.00±0.99 vs. 5.67±1.67, P<0.0001), the NITBUT-first in the treatment group increased significantly at one week after treatment ((4.74±1.27) s vs. (7.49±2.22) s, P=0.01). The NITBUT-first was significantly longer in the treatment group ((7.49±2.22) s) than in the control group ((5.17±0.91) s) at one week after treatment (P=0.042). No significant differences were found in other tear film parameters between the two groups. Conclusions: Eyelid margin cleaning using the novel Deep Cleaning Device is a convenient, effective, and safe treatment for patients with meibomian gland dysfunction-associated dry eye.

Assessments of tear meniscus height, tear film thickness, and corneal epithelial thickness after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the lower tear meniscus height (LTMH), central tear film thickness (CTFT), and central corneal epithelial thickness (CCET) after deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK).@*METHODS@#This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of 20 patients who had DALK in one eye over a three-month period. LTMH, CTFT, and CCET of the operated eyes and the unoperated fellow eyes were measured using high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT). Correlations between three OCT assessments and age, time following surgery, graft size, bed size, and the number of residual sutures were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared to patients with keratoconus, patients with other corneal conditions had significantly higher CCET in the fellow eye (P=0.024). For all patients, CCET in the operated eye was significantly negatively correlated with the number of residual sutures (R=-0.579, P=0.008), and was significantly positively correlated with time following surgery (R=0.636, P=0.003). In the fellow eye, a significant positive correlation was found between age and CCET (R=0.551, P=0.012), and a significant negative correlation between age and CTFT (R=-0.491, P=0.028). LTMH was found to be significantly correlated between operated and fellow eyes (R=0.554, P=0.011). There was no significant correlation between LTMH and age, bed/graft size, time following surgery, or residual sutures (all possible correlations, P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Patients with keratoconus tend to have a thinner central corneal epithelium. Corneal epithelium keeps regenerating over time after DALK. DALK did not induce a significant change in tear volume compared with the fellow eye. Postoperative tear function might depend on an individual's general condition, rather than on age, gender, bed/graft size, time following surgery, or residual sutures.

Effects of corneal thickness distribution and apex position on postoperative refractive status after full-bed deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of corneal thickness distribution and apex position on postoperative refractive status after full-bed deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (FBDALK).@*METHODS@#This is a retrospective analysis of patients who were diagnosed with advanced keratoconus between 2011 and 2014 in our hospital. The base of the cone in all patients did not exceed the central cornea at a 6-mm range. The FBDALK was performed by a same surgeon. All patients had a complete corneal suture removal and the follow-up records were intact. Patients who had graft-bed misalignment or who were complicated with a cataract or glaucoma were excluded. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), and Pentacam examination data were recorded at two years postoperatively. The recorded data included the superior-inferior (S-I) and nasal-temporal (N-T) corneal thickness differences in 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm diameter concentric circles with the corneal apex as the center (S-I2 mm, S-I4 mm, S-I6 mm, S-I8 mm, N-T2 mm, N-T4 mm, N-T6 mm, and N-T8 mm), the linear, X-axis, and Y-axis distance between the corneal pupillary center and the cornea apex, total corneal astigmatism at a zone of 3 mm diameter from the corneal apex (TA3 mm), the astigmatic vector values J0 and J45, and the corneal total higher-order aberration for 3 and 6 mm pupil diameters (HOA3 mm and HOA6 mm). Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 15.0.@*RESULTS@#A total of 47 eyes of 46 patients met the criteria and were included in this study. The mean follow-up time was (28±7) months. The mean UCVA was 0.45±0.23 (logMAR) (MAR: minimum angle of resolution) and the mean BSCVA was 0.19±0.15 (logMAR), which were all significantly positively correlated with postoperative TA3 mm and HOA3 mm. The mean S-I corneal thickness differences were (44.62±37.74) μm, and the mean N-T was (38.57±32.29) μm. S-I2 mm was significantly positively correlated with J0 (r=0.31), J45 (r=0.42), HOA3 mm (r=0.37), and HOA6 mm (r=0.48). S-I4 mm and S-I8 mm were significantly positively correlated with HOA3 mm (r=0.30, r=0.40) and HOA6 mm (r=0.46, r=0.35). The X-axis distance between corneal pupillary center and corneal apex was significantly positively correlated with J45 (r=0.29).@*CONCLUSIONS@#In patients with advanced keratoconus after FBDALK, the unevenly distributed thickness at corneal pupillary area and the misalignment of corneal apex and pupillary center might cause significant regular and irregular astigmatism, which affected the postoperative visual quality.