Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dry Eye Disease among Adults in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Environmental and epidemiological factors increase the risk of dry eye in Saudi Arabia, but most studies have limited generalizability. Objective: To determine the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) among adults across Saudi Arabia and the associated risk factors. The secondary objective was to estimate the economic burden of DED by calculating lubricant usage and its annual costs. Methods: This cross-sectional study invited adults from across Saudi Arabia to complete a questionnaire that collected data regarding demographics, symptoms related to DED, previous diagnosis of DED, use of contact lenses, and use of eye lubricants. Results: A total of 2042 responses were received, of which 784 (38.4%) respondents had previously been diagnosed with DED and 752 (36.8%) were symptomatic but undiagnosed. Between the DED diagnosed and symptomatic-undiagnosed groups, a significant difference was found in terms of age (P < 0.001), gender (P = 0.002), presence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.004), smoking status (P = 0.007), duration of electronic screen use (P = 0.05), number of ocular complaints (P < 0.001), and frequency of lubricants use (P < 0.001). Between the DED-diagnosed and non-DED groups, significant differences were found in terms of age (P < 0.001), gender (P < 0.001), presence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.001), allergy (P = 0.001), autoimmune disease (P = 0.005), smoking status (P < 0.001), and history of refractive surgery (P < 0.001). The mean estimated annual cost of using lubricating agents was SAR 328.2 ± 210.3 (USD 87.5 ± 56.1), and this was significantly higher in the diagnosed group (P = 0.01) than the symptomatic-undiagnosed group. Conclusions: The prevalence of DED is high among adults in Saudi Arabia. High-risk population include elderly, female, and using electronic screens for >2 hours/day.

Exposure Keratopathy: An Idiopathic Lagophthalmos Case Report.

Exposure keratopathy refers to corneal damage that results primarily from prolonged exposure of the ocular surface to the outside environment. Herein, we describe a case of exposure keratopathy with bilateral idiopathic lagophthalmos and discuss factors pertaining to prompt diagnosis and treatment. A 21-year-old woman presented with bilateral nocturnal lagophthalmos, blurred vision, and whitish spots in both eyes. She had no remarkable history of medication use, trauma, surgery, cranial nerve abnormality, critical illness, or other ocular problems. Examination revealed bilateral lagophthalmos, good Bell's phenomenon, bilateral inferior corneal scars, and vision loss. Laboratory results were normal; there was an absence of proptosis, and no epithelial defects were apparent. Based on these findings, she was diagnosed with exposure keratopathy resulting from idiopathic bilateral lagophthalmos and treated with lubricants.  This was a rare case of exposure keratopathy with bilateral lagophthalmos of idiopathic origin, and a challenging one, which prompted the researchers to formulate an appropriate treatment plan.

Digital Eye Strain Among Radiologists: A Survey-based Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Computers have become a fundamental part of clinical radiology departments. Radiologists tend to spend long hours in front of computers, reading and analyzing medical images. This prolonged use of computers is associated with digital eye strain. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of digital eye strain among radiologists and determine its contributory factors. METHODS: An online survey was sent to radiologists practicing in hospitals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The survey addressed demographic information, workload and workstation environment, personal eye care, and evaluation of digital eye strain symptoms as well as the strategies employed to reduce these symptoms. Results were analyzed descriptively using Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 198 participants (111 men and 87 women), including residents (40.9%), senior registrars (27.3%), and consultants (27.3%). Most participants (71.2%) were aged below 40 years. Most participants tend to spend 7-9 hours daily reviewing medical images. Overall, 50 participants (25.3%) take a break from work once daily only. A total of 53 participants (26.8%) reported undergoing an eye examination within the past year and 100 participants (50.5%) reported experiencing digital eye strain. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 3.9; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.6-10.0) and the practice of taking breaks once a day (OR = 15.1; 95% CI: 2.4-94.1) or twice a day (OR = 5.5; 95% CI: 1.1-28.4) only were associated with higher rates of digital eye strain symptoms. CONCLUSION: Digital eye strain is a prevalent condition among radiologists regardless of their subspecialty. It is more commonly seen among radiology residents. Being a female and not taking frequent breaks were associated with higher rates of digital eye strain.

Assessment of Learning Curve in Phacoemulsification Surgery Among the Eastern Province Ophthalmology Program Residents.

PURPOSE: To assess residents' performance of phacoemulsification surgery and determine which steps of the procedure are most difficult to learn, and to measure rate of intraoperative complications. DESIGN: This was a prospective observational study. METHODS: Phacoemulsification surgery was divided into steps and each step was given a proficiency grade by the attending consultant. All intraoperative complications were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: 200 cases performed by the Eastern Province ophthalmology program residents were evaluated. The most commonly encountered difficulty factors were hard nucleus (20.7%), small pupil (12.6%), and white cataract (10.3%). Capsulorhexis, nucleus disassembly and removal, and cortex removal were the most difficult steps to learn. General complication rate was 17.5%, and posterior capsular rupture was the most common complication (40%). Proficiency more than 90% of the time in each step was noted in residents with prior experience of more than 40 cases, except for nucleus disassembly. CONCLUSION: The study showed that nucleus disassembly remained the major obstacle in the residents' exponential learning curve of phacoemulsification surgery. Majority of complications occurred at level of capsulorhexis and cortical removal steps.

Visual outcomes and patient satisfaction after bilateral implantation of a new trifocal diffractive intraocular lens.

PURPOSE: To assess the visual outcomes, patient satisfaction and spectacle independence following implantation of new diffractive trifocal intraocular lenses. SETTING: 2 centers (university-based practice and a private practice set up). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective nonrandomized study in which 74 AT LISA TRI 839MP and 8 AT LISA TORIC TRI 939MP IOLs implanted bilaterally in 41 patients following either cataract extraction or refractive lensectomy, follow-up was done at 1st, 2nd and 3rd months to assess the visual and refractive outcomes. Also, a questionnaire was used to assess patient satisfaction, spectacle independence and photic phenomena after the surgery. RESULTS: Mean uncorrected monocular distance decimal visual acuity (UDVA) was preoperatively 0.35. The averages of uncorrected monocular distance/intermediate/near (UDVA/UIVA/UNVA) postoperatively were 0.90/0.87/0.91 at 3 months. 87.5% patients had SE within ±0.50 by the 3rd month. Nearly all the patients were satisfied with the surgical outcome and the reported photic phenomena by some patients were non-disturbing with noticeable high level of patient's satisfaction by the third month. CONCLUSION: Diffractive trifocal IOLs can provide with satisfactory visual and refractive results along with positive impact on the performance of vision-related daily activities with minimal level of non-disturbing photic phenomena to patients.

Comparison of LASEK, mechanical microkeratome LASIK and Femtosecond LASIK in low and moderate myopia.

PURPOSE: We conducted a prospective study to determine the best treatment option for patients with low-to-moderate spherical myopia or myopic astigmatism who are considered equally eligible for LASEK with mitomycin-C (MMC) and LASIK with either mechanical microkeratome or femtosecond laser flap creation. METHODS: Forty-six adult patients (86 eyes) who underwent LASEK with MMC (16 patients, 31 eyes), and mechanical microkeratome LASIK (13 patients, 23 eyes) or Femtosecond LASIK (17 patients, 32 eyes) were assessed for clinical outcomes 1, 3 and 6 months post-operatively. RESULTS: Six months after surgery, all eyes in all three groups were within 1 D of the intended refractive change. UCVA 20/20 or better was achieved in 96% of eyes undergoing LASEK with MMC 88% of eyes in the mechanical microkeratome LASIK and 72% of eyes in the Femtosecond LASIK group at 6 months. Mean spherical equivalent was -0.12 ± 0.22 D, -0.09 ± 0.28 D and -0.25 ± 0.28 D in the three groups, respectively (p = 0.077). Patients in the LASEK with MMC group had less high order aberrations at 3 and 6 months compared to the two LASIK groups. None of the three procedures were associated with early- or late-onset complications or loss of 2 or more lines after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: After an initially slower visual improvement, LASEK with MMC, and to lesser extent, LASIK with mechanical microkeratome, produced better visual acuity and less corneal aberrations compared to Femtosecond LASIK at 3 and 6 months after surgery. These observations deserve further investigation in a randomized controlled trial.