Time to Unplanned Return to the Operating Room and Associated Risk Factors in Patients With Surgical Retinal Detachment Repair.

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence of unplanned return to the operating room (ROR) at ≤45 days or ≥46 days after primary retinal detachment (RD) surgery and correlate ROR with preoperative risk factors and visual outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients with primary RD surgery to assess for unplanned ROR between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2014, with follow-up of 90 days to 8 years (mean, 1.5 years). We assessed 268 patients receiving 270 primary rhegmatogenous RD surgeries between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2014 in an academic tertiary referral center. RESULTS: Of the 270 RD surgeries, 82 were complicated (history of proliferative vitreoretinopathy or trauma-related RDs at presentation) and 188 were uncomplicated (RD unrelated to trauma or proliferative vitreoretinopathy at presentation). The ROR rate for all surgeries was 12.2% (33/270) over the follow-up period, with 51.5% (17/33) having reoperations within 45 days. The complicated detachment group had a ROR rate of 14.6% (12/82) over the follow-up period, and 50% of those (6/12) had reoperations within 45 days. The uncomplicated detachment group had a ROR rate of 11.2% (21/188) over the follow-up period. Of those, 52.4% (11/21) had reoperations within 45 days. CONCLUSIONS: Given that only 51.5% of all RORs occurred within 45 days, a 45-day ROR surgical quality metric that has been previously used may be of limited value for RD surgery. Factors such as age at presentation, number of retinal breaks, number of detached clock hours, use of silicone oil tamponade for pars plana vitrectomy, history of choroidal detachment, high myopia, ocular trauma, and open globe were associated with increasing risk of ROR. Implementing risk-adjusted metrics may provide a more accurate and useful quality improvement metric for evaluating quality of surgical care in vitreoretinal surgery. Am J Ophthalmol 2021;221:•••-•••. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: Clinical Characteristics Associated with Visual Outcomes.

PURPOSE: Retrospective cohort study to identify clinical characteristics associated with poor visual acuity in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Charts of patients in a tertiary referral clinic diagnosed with CSC over a 13-year period were reviewed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between several clinical characteristics and final visual acuity. RESULTS: Of 353 subjects with CSC, 258 had a minimum of 2 clinical assessments and adequate follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed that the followings were significantly associated with worse final visual acuity: older age at diagnosis, history of photodynamic therapy, choroidal neovascularization (CNV), hypertension, and either prostate cancer or benign prostatic hypertrophy. Diabetes mellitus was associated with better final visual acuity. In a subgroup analysis of 150 subjects with at least 1 year of follow-up, CNV, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease were significantly associated with worsening of visual acuity over the study period. Use of a psychiatric medication at presentation was protective. CONCLUSION: Poor visual outcomes in CSC are associated with older age at diagnosis, CNV, hypertension, and history of prostate disease. Several clinical characteristics that have been identified as risk factors for developing CSC also appear to be associated with worse visual outcomes.

Central serous chorioretinopathy and glucocorticoids: an update on evidence for association.

Central serous chorioretinopathy is a common idiopathic retinal disease characterized by central vision loss from serous detachment of the neurosensory retina, serous pigment epithelial detachments, and leakage of fluid through the retinal pigment epithelium into the subretinal space. The concept of an association between exogenous glucocorticoid use and central serous chorioretinopathy is widely accepted among ophthalmologists. Here, we review the evidence for and against such an association. This evidence includes 2 large, case-control studies that found strong associations, and a smaller, population-based study that found no association. We conclude that the preponderance of the literature on this topic supports the existence of an association. Both exogenous and endogenous glucocorticoids have been implicated. Although a mechanism and a causal relationship remain to be established, the association deserves broader recognition among physicians who prescribe glucocorticoids.

Effect of ranibizumab on high-speed indocyanine green angiography and minimum intensity projection optical coherence tomography findings in neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this 1-year prospective study was to investigate how induction/pro re nata ranibizumab intravitreal treatment of eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration affects the anatomy of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and the overlying outer retinal tissue. METHODS: High-speed indocyanine green (HS-ICG) angiography measurements provided quantification of the CNV size in 60 patients followed for 1 year. Minimum intensity projection optical coherence tomography (MinIP OCT), a novel algorithm assessing minimum optical intensity between the internal limiting membrane and retinal pigment epithelium, measured the area of outer retinal disruption overlying the CNV. Fluorescein angiography was also assessed to evaluate late retinal leakage. RESULTS: After 1 year, the mean area of CNV measured with indocyanine green angiography decreased by 5.8%. The mean area of MinIP OCT of outer retinal disruption overlying the CNV decreased by 4.2%. Mean area of fluorescein angiography leakage decreased by 6.3%. Both the area of outer retinal disruption measured with MinIP OCT and the area of leakage on fluorescein angiography typically exceeded the area of CNV on indocyanine green angiography at baseline and 1 year. CONCLUSION: Choroidal neovascularization treated with induction/pro re nata intravitreal ranibizumab for 1 year essentially remained static. Minimum intensity projection optical coherence tomography suggests that the area of outer retinal disruption overlying the CNV may be greater than the CNV itself and often correlates with the leakage area on fluorescein angiography. Additionally, there was minimal change in the area of outer retinal disruption on MinIP OCT even when fluid resolved. Measurements of the extent of CNV lesions based on indocyanine green angiography and MinIP OCT may provide useful outcome variables to help assess the CNV complex longitudinally and warrant further validation.

Epidemiology of epiretinal membrane in a large cohort of patients with uveitis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical characteristics associated with the presence of epiretinal membrane (ERM) in patients with uveitis. DESIGN: Case-control study. PARTICIPANTS AND CONTROLS: Five hundred ninety-eight subjects seen in a single tertiary referral clinic between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2011, who were diagnosed with uveitis. METHODS: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) images of all subjects were reviewed to assess for ERM. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to compare characteristics of subjects with ERM (cases) with characteristics of subjects without ERM (controls). A second multivariate analysis assessed the relationship between ERM and visual acuity. Fundus photographs were reviewed to compare SD OCT ascertainment of ERM with photographic ascertainment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence or absence of ERM on OCT imaging. RESULTS: Of 598 uveitic participants, 246 (41%) were found to have ERM in at least 1 eye on SD OCT imaging. The prevalence of ERM by Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature anatomic subtype was 28.1% for anterior uveitis, 57.0% for intermediate uveitis, and 43.4% for posterior uveitis and panuveitis. Multivariate analysis showed that the following clinical factors were associated significantly with ERM: older age (3% increased risk per year of age; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.05), intermediate uveitis (odds ratio [OR], 3.41; 95% CI, 1.67-6.96), posterior uveitis and panuveitis (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.09-3.01), male sex (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.05-2.42), and history of cataract surgery (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.13-2.79). When adjusted for covariates, eyes with ERM had a mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity of 0.58 (20/76) versus 0.48 (20/60) in non-ERM eyes (P = 0.039). Of OCT-defined ERMs in this cohort, 38% were not detectable on fundus photographs. CONCLUSIONS: Epiretinal membrane is a common complication of uveitis that is associated with patient age, intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis, panuveitis, male sex, and previous cataract surgery. It can contribute independently to vision loss in uveitic eyes. In uveitis, OCT is more sensitive than fundus photography for identification of ERM.

Visual acuity after cataract surgery in patients with age-related macular degeneration: age-related eye disease study 2 report number 5.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate visual acuity outcomes after cataract surgery in persons with varying degrees of severity of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN: Cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1232 eyes of 793 participants who underwent cataract surgery during the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2, a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial of nutritional supplements for treatment of AMD. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative characteristics of participants who underwent cataract extraction during the 5-year trial were analyzed. Both clinical data and standardized red-reflex lens and fundus photographs were obtained at baseline and annually. Photographs were graded by a centralized reading center for cortical and posterior subcapsular lens opacities and for AMD severity. Cataract surgery was documented at annual study visits or by history during the 6-month telephone calls. Analyses were conducted using multivariate repeated-measures regression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after cataract surgery compared with preoperative BCVA. RESULTS: Adjusting for age at time of surgery, gender, interval between preoperative and postoperative visits, and type and severity of cataract, the mean changes in visual acuity were as follows: eyes with mild AMD (n = 30) gained 11.2 letters (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.9-15.5), eyes with moderate AMD (n = 346) gained 11.1 letters (95% CI, 9.1-13.2), eyes with severe AMD (n = 462) gained 8.7 letters (95% CI, 6.7-10.7), eyes with noncentral geographic atrophy (n = 70) gained 8.9 letters (95% CI, 5.8-12.1), and eyes with advanced AMD (central geographic atrophy, neovascular disease, or both; n = 324) gained 6.8 letters (95% CI, 4.9-8.8). The visual acuity gain across all AMD severity groups was statistically significant from preoperative values (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Mean visual acuities improved significantly after cataract surgery across varying degrees of AMD severity.

Comparison of wide-field fluorescein angiography and 9-field montage angiography in uveitis.

PURPOSE: To compare qualitatively and quantitatively Optos fundus camera fluorescein angiographic images of retinal vascular leakage with 9-field montage Topcon fluorescein angiography (FA) images in patients with uveitis. We hypothesized that Optos images reveal more leakage in patients with uveitis. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational case series. METHODS: Images of all patients with uveitis imaged with same-sitting Optos FA and 9-field montage FA during a 9-month period at a single institution (52 eyes of 31 patients) were graded for the total area of retinal vascular leakage. The main outcome measure was area of fluorescein leakage. RESULTS: The area of apparent FA leakage was greater in Optos images than in 9-field montage images (median 22.5 mm(2) vs 4.8 mm(2), P < 0.0001). Of the 49 (45%) eyes with gradable photos, 22 had at least 25% more leakage in the Optos image than in the montage image; 2 (4.1%) had at least 25% less leakage in Optos; and 25 (51%) were similar in the 2 modalities. There were 2 eyes that had no apparent retinal vascular leakage in 9-field montage but were found to have apparent leakage in Optos images. Of the 49 eyes, 23 had posterior pole leakage, and of these, 17 (73.9%) showed more posterior pole leakage in the Optos image. A single 200-degree Optos FA image captured a mean 1.50× the area captured by montage photography. CONCLUSIONS: More retinal vascular pathology, in both the periphery and the posterior pole, is seen with Optos FA in patients with uveitis when compared with 9-field montage. The clinical implications of Optos FA findings have yet to be determined.

Evaluation of fluocinolone acetonide sustained release implant (Retisert) dissociation during implant removal and exchange surgery.

PURPOSE: To characterize the phenomenon of dissociation of the 2 components of the sustained-release fluocinolone acetonide implant (Retisert; Bausch & Lomb) during removal or exchange procedures, or both, and to evaluate outcomes after these events. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational case series. METHODS: Retrospective review of 27 consecutive sustained-release fluocinolone acetonide implant (Retisert) exchanges or removals between 2001 and 2010 at the Cole Eye Institute. All patients had received the implant as treatment for noninfectious uveitis. Preoperative and postoperative characteristics were analyzed, and operative reports were reviewed to characterize the effects of intraoperative implant dissociation. RESULTS: Twenty-seven sustained-release fluocinolone acetonide implant (Retisert) exchange or removal surgeries were performed by 3 surgeons in 20 eyes of 19 patients. Of these 27 procedures, dissociation of the implant strut from the drug-containing cup occurred in 11 eyes (40.7%). Retrieval of the dislocated cup led to intraoperative complications, including posterior retinal tear (n = 1) and limited suprachoroidal hemorrhage (n = 1). The length of time that the implant resided in the eye correlated significantly with cup dissociation. Dissociated implants resided a mean of 47.4 months, whereas intact implants resided a mean of 32.5 months (P = .0032). There was no long-term or short-term vision loss attributed to intraoperative implant dissociation. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained-release fluocinolone acetonide implant (Retisert) dissociation is a common occurrence in exchange or removal procedures, or both. The longer an implant resided in the eye, the greater the tendency toward dissociation. Preparation for this complication should be contemplated in any implant removal or exchange procedure.

Efficacy of the intraoperative relaxed muscle positioning technique in thyroid eye disease and analysis of cases requiring reoperation.

PURPOSE: In the relaxed muscle positioning technique of treating strabismus for thyroid eye disease (TED), the most restricted muscles, as determined by preoperative assessment of ductions and intraoperative forced ductions, are recessed to the positions where they rest freely on the globe without tension. The purpose of this technique is to identify preoperative characteristics that are predictive of reoperation and evaluate outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients with TED who underwent strabismus surgery using the relaxed muscle positioning technique between 1999 and 2009. Preoperative characteristics; surgical outcomes at 2, 6, and 12 months; and the outcomes of reoperations were evaluated. Outcomes were categorized as excellent (no diplopia in primary and reading gazes without prisms), good (diplopia requiring ≤10(Δ) correction), and poor (persistent diplopia in primary or reading gazes despite prism or attempted prism correction). RESULTS: Of 63 TED patients treated during the study period, 58 met inclusion criteria. Of these, 45 patients (78%) underwent only one strabismus surgery; 10 (17%), 2 surgeries; and 3 (5%), 3. Excellent outcomes were achieved in 48 (83%), good in 4 (7%), and poor in 6 (10%). Mean follow-up was 12.1 months (range, 1.5 months to 11.5 years). There was an increased likelihood for reoperation in patients with multiple treatment modalities for Graves disease (P = 0.03) and larger horizontal deviations (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The intraoperative relaxed muscle positioning technique improved ocular alignment and relieved diplopia in most patients with dysthyroid strabismus. Patients with more severe disease were more likely to require reoperation.

A review of clinical trials of anti-VEGF agents for diabetic retinopathy.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss in the working-age population worldwide. Many observational and preclinical studies have implicated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathogenesis of DR, and recent successes with anti-VEGF therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have prompted research into the application of anti-VEGF drugs to DR. Here we review the numerous early studies that suggest an important potential role for anti-VEGF agents in the management of diabetic retinopathy. CONCLUSIONS: For diabetic macular edema, phase II trials of intravitreal pegaptanib and intravitreal ranibizumab have shown short-term benefit in visual acuity. Intravitreal bevacizumab also has been shown to have beneficial short-term effects on both visual acuity and retinal thickness. For proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), early studies suggest that intravitreal bevacizumab temporarily decreases leakage from diabetic neovascular lesions, but this treatment may be associated with tractional retinal detachment (TRD). Furthermore, several studies indicate that bevacizumab is likely to prove a helpful adjunct to diabetic pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for TRD. Finally, three small series suggest a potential beneficial effect of a single dose of bevacizumab to prevent worsening of DME after cataract surgery. Use of anti-VEGF medications for any of these indications is off-label. Despite promising early reports on the safety of these medications, we eagerly await the results of large, controlled trials to substantiate the safety and efficacy of anti-VEGF drugs for diabetic retinopathy.

Effectiveness of laser photocoagulation in clinically significant macular edema with focal versus diffuse parafoveal thickening on optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether increased foveal thickness in clinically significant diabetic macular edema responds differently to modified focal/grid laser photocoagulation in the setting of focal versus diffuse parafoveal thickening as defined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) criteria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients undergoing macular laser procedures for clinically significant diabetic macular edema were retrospectively reviewed. OCT, demographic, and clinical data were recorded for 62 consecutive eyes with clinically significant diabetic macular edema and foveal thickening (> 230 microns). Diffuse parafoveal thickening was defined as having all four parafoveal OCT quadrants greater than 300 microns, whereas focal thickening was defined as having fewer than four quadrants greater than 300 microns. RESULTS: Mean foveal thickness decreased from 331 to 311 microns with relatively stable visual acuity (20/54 vs 20/51) after a single laser treatment session. The diffuse parafoveal edema subgroup (24 eyes) had a mean foveal thickness change from 383 to 366 microns (P = .47) and mildly decreased visual acuity (20/62 vs 20/69). The focal parafoveal edema subgroup (38 eyes) experienced statistically significant foveal thinning from 299 to 276 microns (P = .018) and mildly improved visual acuity (20/48 to 20/43). CONCLUSION: Increased foveal thickening associated with clinically significant diabetic macular edema responds more favorably to modified focal/grid laser photocoagulation in the setting of focal parafoveal edema by OCT criteria. Statistically significant foveal thinning occurred following treatment in the focal group (P = .018) but not the diffuse group (P = .47). Furthermore, eyes with focal parafoveal edema experienced a more beneficial visual acuity response than those with diffuse edema (P = .049).