[Trends in indications of perforating keratoplasty at the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic, E.U., during the period 2008-2012]. / Trendy v indikáciách k perforujúcej keratoplastike na Ocnej klinike FN Brno v rokoch 2008-2012.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study is retrospective analysis of perforating keratoplasty (PKP) indications at the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty Hospital, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, E.U., during the period of 5 years, from January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2012. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed the PKP indications retrospective analysis at the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty Hospital, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, E.U., during the period of 5 years, from January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2012, with complex evaluation of demographic and clinical data. The clinical diagnoses indicating the perforating keratoplasty were divided into 6 groups (keratoconus, bulous keratopathy, keratitis, corneal dystrophies, injuries, corneal transplant failure, and others) according to Cunningham et al. 2011 (2) and Boimer et al. 2012(1) methods. RESULTS: Our results correspond to data in the literature published abroad, where the majority of recently published papers refer significant increase of corneal transplant failure in the last years of follow-up.Key words: perforating keratoplasty, indications.

[Supracor, Laser Correction of Presbyopia: One-year Follow-up Outcomes]. / Supracor, laserová metoda korekce presbyopie: výsledky rocního sledování

PURPOSE: Evaluation of one-year postoperative results after Supracor laser procedure. METHODS: The study group consisted of 8 hyperopic patients (16 eyes) seeking alternatives to wearing glasses for both distance and near vision. These patients underwent Supracor refractive surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology of The University Hospital Brno in the time period from July 2012 to February 2013. The patient mean age at operation was 57,2 years (±4,6), mean binocular uncorrected near visual acuity was Jaeger No. 13, distance visual acuity 0,5 (±0,19). Average follow-up period was 15,5 months (±2,4). We evaluated binocular uncorrected and best corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA, BCDVA), near visual acuity (UNVA, BCNVA), and intermediate visual acuity (UIVA, BCIVA) 12 months after surgery, further the stability of visual acuity, objective refraction, mesopic contrast sensitivity, occurrence of complications, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: In all 8 patients, binocular UDVA of at least 1,0 was achieved. The mean spherical equivalent was +0,25 D (±0,64). UNVA was Jaeger No. 3 or better in 7 patients (68,7 %), 5 of them could read Jaeger No. 1. UIVA Jaeger No. 1 was achieved in 5 patients (62,5 %), Jaeger No. 2 in 2 patients (25 %), and Jaeger No. 4 in 1 patient (12,5 %). In all eyes, preoperative mesopic contrast sensitivity was within the normal range for the given age. Postoperatively it remained within the normal range in 11 eyes (68,7 %). In 5 eyes (31,3 %) we found adecrease below the lower limit in higher spatial frequencies (12 and 18 cycles/degree) during the entire follow-up period. According to the patient questionnaire, 7 patients (87,5 %) were fully satisfied with the outcome of the surgery and they felt independent of wearing glasses, 1 patient was dissatisfied. 7 patients (87,5 %) did not report the presence of photic phenomena (halo, glare), 1 patient suffered from these problems. We did not encounter any intraoperative or postoperative complications.Conlusion: According to our first experience, good distance, near, and intermediate visual acuity and arather high patient satisfaction can be achieved with the use of the Supracor procedure. Supracor seems to be asuitable method of presbyopia correction in motivated, adaptable patients who meet strict indication criteria. With regard to the small number of patients in our study group, agreater number of patient evaluations will be required in the future, and long-term results will be of interest as well.Key words: Supracor, presbyopia, LASIK, refractive surgery.

Changes in cortisol level in saliva following relaxation-activation autoregulative intervention.

The relaxation-activation autoregulative method (RAM) is a psychoregulative procedure characterized by typical autonomic patterns of relaxation and activation phases (blood pressure, electric skin resistance, heart beat, EEG, etc.). They are used as feedback information in the training of autoregulative abilities. RAM has a multidimensional (non-specific) tuning effect which is manifested by changes in the psychophysiological state (emotional tuning, physiological functioning and performance). It has a therapeutical effect on disorders with a psychic pathogenic component, e.g., essential hypertension. The increased production of adrenaline following the application of RAM was found in previous experiments.--The present experiment with a sample of six persons well mastering RAM has shown that the cortisol level following this psychoregulative intervention also rises significantly and that this rise has been recorded over three days, i.e., over the whole period of saliva sampling. It may be said that RAM has a non-specific, ergotropic (activating) subsequent effect and that this effect has the character of stress, more accurately eustress. Autogenic training, on the other hand, reduces the cortisol level.