Deep sclerectomy and trabeculectomy augmented with Mitomycin C: 2-year post-operative outcomes.

PURPOSE: Two-year post-operative outcomes of both deep sclerectomy (DS) and trabeculectomy surgery (Trab) augmented with Mitomycin C (MMC) at a single tertiary eye centre. METHODS: Retrospective review of DS + MMC and trabeculectomy + MMC at a single centre between February 2015 and March 2018. Patients with a minimum of 12-month follow-up were included. Post-operative follow-up: day 1, week 1, months 1/3/6/12/18/24. Primary outcomes: changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and changes in LogMAR visual acuity (BCVA) pre- and post-procedure. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: changes in number of eye drops, number of follow-up clinic visits, post-operative complications and further surgical interventions. Complete success: IOP ≤ 21 mmHg off all IOP-lowering medications. Qualified success: IOP ≤ 21 mmHg on medication. Failure: IOP > 21 mmHg at 24 months or ≤ 5 mmHg on 2 consecutive follow-up visits after 3 months +/- additional incisional glaucoma surgery +/- loss of light perception. Statistical analysis performed using Microsoft Excel + SPSS. RESULTS: 90 eyes: DS + MMC = 46 eyes, Trab + MMC = 44 eyes. DS + MMC v Trab + MMC: mean pre-op IOP = 19.57 mmHg v 18.89 mmHg, significantly reduced at all post-operative time-points for both groups (p < 0.001). Mean IOP reduction from baseline = 33.94% v 38.39%; > 30% IOP reduction = 54.35% v 68.18%. IOP ≤ 16 mmHg = 82.61% (38/46) v 95.46% (42/44), IOP ≤ 12 mmHg = 52.17% (24/46) v 72.72% (32/44). Complete success = 67.39% v 61.36%, qualified success = 26.09% v 29.55%, failure = 6.52% v 9.09%. Post-op BCVA: no statistically significant differences between two groups (p = 0.09). Mean pre-op drops v post-op drops = 2.98 v 0.38 (DS + MMC; p < 0.001); 2.68 v 0.39 (Trab + MMC; p < 0.001). Further surgical intervention = 13% v 29.55%. Mean number of post-op clinic visits DS + MMC v Trab + MMC = 10.09 v 13.02 (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Both procedures achieve sustained intraocular pressure and drop reduction at 2 years post-op. DS + MMC has lower complication rates requiring less intervention and significantly fewer clinic visits, which may be an important factor for deciding surgical management of glaucoma patients in the era of Covid-19 to reduce patient/clinician exposure to the virus.

Digital Ophthalmology in the UK - Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Virtual Glaucoma Clinics in the National Health Service. / Digitale Ophthalmologie in Großbritannien ­ Diabetische-Retinopathie-Screening und virtuelle Glaukomsprechstunde im National Health Service.

The customary doctor and patient interactions are currently undergoing significant changes through technological advances in imaging and data processing and the need for reducing person-to person contacts during the COVID-19 crisis. There is a trend away from face-to-face examinations to virtual assessments and decision making. Ophthalmology is particularly amenable to such changes, as a high proportion of clinical decisions are based on routine tests and imaging results, which can be assessed remotely. The uptake of digital ophthalmology varies significantly between countries. Due to financial constraints within the National Health Service, specialized ophthalmology units in the UK have been early adopters of digital technology. For more than a decade, patients have been managed remotely in the diabetic retinopathy screening service and virtual glaucoma clinics. We describe the day-to-day running of such services and the doctor and patient experiences with digital ophthalmology in daily practice.