Community optometrist-led post-operative cataract care: how many patients re-present to the hospital ophthalmic department?

BACKGROUND: Cataract surgery represents a significant workload for ophthalmologists in Ireland. Post-operative shared care with community optometrists can reduce the need for hospital follow-up appointments. AIMS: Eight years after the introduction of a shared-care pathway, we wished to quantify the proportion of patients discharged to the community for post-operative follow-up, and the number that re-present to the hospital due to cataract-related issues. METHODS: We collected data on all patients who underwent cataract surgery in our centre over a three month period. Electronic patient records were used to establish whether the patient was discharged on the day of surgery, and whether they re-attended the department post-operatively. Post-operative complications were recorded. RESULTS: 394 cataract procedures were carried out over the three months. 369 patients were discharged to an optometrist for their post-operative care. Of those, 38 were re-referred or re-presented to the hospital ophthalmic service. 21 of these had a post-operative complication. Complications included seven cases of post-operative uveitis, 5 patients with cystoid macular oedema, one retinal detachment and one retained lens fragment. CONCLUSIONS: Community optometrist-led post-operative care for uncomplicated patients is an effective way of reducing the workload associated with cataract surgery. Re-referral pathways must be in place to facilitate timely management of post-operative complications.

National incidence of eyelid cancer in Ireland (2005-2015).

AIMS: We report on the incidence of cutaneous eyelid tumours in Ireland over the 11-year-period from 2005 to 2015, we identify associations between demographic factors and cutaneous eyelid tumour risk. METHODS: Skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), melanoma, and other cancers, located on the eyelid or canthus according to ICD-10 coding, as registered by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI), were captured from the period 2005 to 2015. Age standardised rates (ASR) were calculated according to the European Standard Population (2013). Longitudinal data analysis using linear regression, and associations with age and sex were evaluated with the statistics program R. RESULTS: There were 4824 patients diagnosed with eyelid BCC during the study period, the ASR in men and women was mean 15.87 and 13.49 per 100,00, respectively. The relative risk for eyelid BCC in men compared with women was 1.18, age was associated with incidence. There were 528 patients diagnosed with SCC; the ASR of eyelid SCC in men and women was 2.10 and 1.39 per 100,000, respectively, and increased in women annually (ß = 0.07, p = 0.0005). The relative risk for eyelid SCC in men compared with women was 1.51, and age was exponentially associated with SCC. Melanoma and other eyelid tumours were uncommon-50 and 55 cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: Incidence of both BCC and SCC increases with age and male sex. The incidence of eyelid SCC is increasing in women, and under age 50, eyelid BCC is more common in women than men. SYNOPSIS: We describe the recent incidence of eyelid cancers in Ireland, from National Cancer Registry Data. We find eyelid BCC, and also SCC, are associated with increased age. Rate of eyelid SCC is increasing in women.

Management of optic neuritis in Ireland: a survey comparing the management practices of acute demyelinating optic neuritis amongst ophthalmologists and neurologists in Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Acute optic neuritis (ON) is often the first manifestation of multiple sclerosis which is particularly common in Ireland. Despite the specific clinical details regarding investigations and management of ON provided by the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT), international surveys have shown that there are still notable differences in the management of ON between neurologists and ophthalmologists. AIM: To compare the investigation and treatment of acute optic neuritis between ophthalmologists and neurologists in Ireland METHOD: A survey consisting of a case scenario and questions regarding treatment and investigations of a patient with ON was emailed to ophthalmology consultants, trainees and medical ophthalmologists registered with the Irish College of Ophthalmologists and to neurology consultants and registrars registered with the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience. RESULTS: One hundred sixty recipients responded out of 350 (46%). The majority of the neurologists would initiate steroid treatment regardless of the patient's vision (75%), treat with 1 g IV methylprednisolone (100%) for 5 days (57%), perform an MRI brain and orbits with contrast (92%) and multiple laboratory tests (96%). In contrast, the ophthalmologists tended to initiate treatment depending on the patient's vision (48%), treat with 1 g IV methylprednisolone (97%) for 3 days instead of 5 days (93%), perform MRI brain and orbits with contrast (73%) and favour electrophysiology testing (73%) over laboratory testing (68%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, most respondents would follow the ONTT guidelines regarding IV methylprednisolone. There was a significant difference in responses between the ophthalmologists and neurologists regarding who to treat, duration of treatment and appropriate investigations.

Aflibercept in Diabetic Macular Oedema Previously Refractory to Standard Intravitreal Therapy: An Irish Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: To determine visual and anatomical outcomes of diabetic macular oedema (DMO) patients in a tertiary centre following conversion to aflibercept having been refractory to previous treatment with bevacizumab/ranibizumab. METHODS: A retrospective case series of patients with a diagnosis of DMO undergoing aflibercept intravitreal therapy for at least 6 months who had previous treatment with three consecutive bevacizumab/ranibizumab injections pre-switch. Exclusion criteria included other procedures affecting visual outcome performed within the treatment period. Outcomes measured included visual acuity (VA), central macular thickness (CMT) and injection frequency. RESULTS: Eighteen eyes of 13 patients were included. Mean VA pre-switch was 61.5 ± 13.8 letters and CMT was 433.2 ± 101.4. Mean number of prior bevacizumab/ranibizumab treatments was 11.3 ± 7.2. Mean follow-up post-switch was 22.5 months (SD 7.9). Mean VA improved from baseline by 4.8 letters at 6 months (p = 0.005), by 6.1 letters at 12 months (p = 0.006), by 7.9 letters (p = 0.004) at 18 months and by 6.4 letters (p = 0.1) at 24 months. Mean CMT decreased from baseline by 108.6 µm at 6 months (p = 0.01), 117.7 µm at 12 months (p = 0.0003), 158.0 µm at 18 months (p = 0.005) and by 123.3 µm at 24 months (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Switching to aflibercept in treatment-resistant DMO produces significant improvements in visual and anatomical outcomes, with eventual maintenance of VA levels.