Patient outcomes following implantation with a trifocal toric IOL: twelve-month prospective multicentre study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical outcomes with a premium diffractive-refractive trifocal toric intraocular lens (IOL) over a 12-month period. METHODS: Multicentre prospective clinical trial including 227 eyes of 114 patients undergoing cataract surgery with bilateral implantation of the AT LISA tri toric 939MP IOL (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany). One patient was implanted unilaterally. Outcome measures were: visual acuity, manifest refraction, reading performance, contrast sensitivity, defocus curve, patient satisfaction and subjective quality of vision. Alpins vector analysis was used to evaluate astigmatic changes. RESULTS: 12-month follow up results of binocular uncorrected distance, intermediate and near visual acuity were ≤0.3 logMAR in 99.0%, 98.10% and 91.40% of eyes, respectively. 79.7% of eyes had a cylinder value of ±0.50 D at 12 months post-surgery. Contrast sensitivity was in the normal range at 6 months post-surgery. The defocus curve exhibited a smooth transition between far and near foci. Vector analysis showed a mean magnitude of error of -0.16 ± 0.48 D. Mean binocular distance-corrected reading visual acuity was 0.15 ± 0.13 logRAD at 6 months postoperatively. 93.3%, 89.4% and 84.6% of patients expressed satisfaction (good or very good) with distance, intermediate and near vision, respectively, 12 months after surgery. Most (≥95%) patients felt that visual disturbances, including halos, glare, focusing difficulties and depth perception, caused little or no disturbance. CONCLUSIONS: The diffractive-refractive trifocal toric IOL, AT LISA tri toric 939MP, provides effective distance, intermediate and near visual acuity in eyes with corneal astigmatism. Patient satisfaction was high and 98.1% of patients expressed satisfaction with the IOL implanted.

Control of inflammation and prophylaxis of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery: a multicenter study.

PURPOSE: To compare two different postcataract surgery antibiotic/steroid therapeutic combinations, for clinical results as well as patient satisfaction. METHODS: Prospective randomized clinical trial of patients with bilateral operative cataract. Postoperatively, for 15 days one eye was randomly assigned to therapy with the combination chloramphenicol 0.25%-betamethasone 0.13% gel three times a day (Group 1) and the other to the combination tobramycin 0.3%-dexamethasone 0.1% eyedrops four times a day (Group 2). RESULTS: A total of 142 patients (284 eyes) completed the study. The authors could not detect any significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 concerning preoperative evaluation, surgical procedure, and complications. Pertaining to the two therapeutic regimens, efficacy, side effects, and clinical findings such as uncorrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, edema or hyperemia of eyelids and/or conjunctiva, conjunctival and/or ciliary vessels congestion, decreased corneal transparency, corneal edema, Descemet folds, anterior chamber Tyndall and depth, and posterior synechiae were also comparable. Postoperative subjective pain and dry eye sensation were comparable between the two groups, while the gel preparation elicited a significantly more pleasant sensation in the patients (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The motivation for use of a gel is to prolong the permanence of associated drugs on the ocular surface, increasing potency and decreasing concentration of the drug and rate of administration. This in order to improve compliance and decrease potential side effects. Chloramphenicol 0.25%-betamethasone 0.13% gel combination proved to have comparable efficacy, tolerance, and better acceptance by the patients than an aqueous tobramycin 0.3%-dexamethasone 0.1% preparation.

Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy for high myopia: four-year experience with a multiple zone technique.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the results of the authors' 4-year experience with excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and multiple optical zone corneal ablation in highly myopic eyes. METHODS: The authors retrospectively evaluated 56 eyes of 44 patients (mean refraction, -11.3 diopters [D]; range, -5.75 to -24.5 D) who underwent PRK with a Visx Model 20/20 laser (Visx, Santa Clara, CA). Preoperative visual acuity of 20/40 or better was present in 46 eyes. Corneal ablation was divided into concentric optical zones (4, 5, and 6 mm), allowing corrections of up to 18 D, with a refractive goal of within -1 D from emmetropia in 49 eyes. A hand-held fixation system was always used, and a nitrogen-blowing system (NBS) was used in the first 21 eyes only. RESULTS: Before retreatment, the range of final cycloplegic refraction from emmetropia in eyes treated with NBS versus not was within +/-1 D in 6 (28.6%) and 15 eyes (44.1%), between -1.25 and -3 D in 5 (23.8%) and 14 eyes (41.1%), and more than -3 D in 10 (47.6%) and 5 eyes (14.7%), respectively. No lines of visual acuity were lost in 37 eyes (80.4%) with 20/40 or better visual acuity before surgery. Three eyes showed vision loss due to worsening of myopic maculopathy and one due to corneal haze. Correction stabilized within 9 months, and at a mean time of 25.6 months, the correction attained was of -8.5 +/- 3.6 D, achieving 90.3% of attempted correction. Eyes with preoperative myopia less than -10 D (n = 27) showed regression less than -1 D in 8 eyes (29.6%), between -1.25 and -3.00 D in 5 eyes (18.5%), and greater than -3.00 D in 1 eye (3.7%); eyes with more than -10 D (n = 29) regressed in 3 (10.3%), 6 (20.7%), and 1 eye (3.4%), respectively. Severe haze was observed in 11 eyes (19.6%) 3 months after surgery. Two eyes showed decentration greater than 1.5 mm. At last examination, night driving problems were reported by 12 (41.4%) of 29 patients evaluated who drive. CONCLUSIONS: After the NBS was eliminated, the multiple-zone technique achieved a long-term, stable 83.1% reduction of preoperative myopia. Patients with severe myopia appreciated reduction of most of the refractive defect, although perception of halos was noted by 16 patients.