Indications and techniques of corneal transplantation in a referral center in Colombia, South America (2012-2016).

PURPOSE: To describe the indications and techniques of corneal grafting in a tertiary institution in a middle-sized city in Colombia. METHODS: A retrospective review of surgical reports and medical records of patients undergoing keratoplasty from January 2012 to December of 2016. RESULTS: A total of 346 eyes from 316 patients were included. The first three indications for keratoplasty were: bullous keratopathy (BK) with 46.2% of the cases, active infectious keratitis (22.3%) and the group of corneal dystrophies and degenerations, including Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy (9%). Keratoconus was in the sixth place (4.9%). 73.3% of the procedures were penetrating keratoplasties (n = 255), 21.7% posterior lamellar (n = 75) and 3.5% anterior lamellar (n = 12). While in 2012, 25 cases of endothelial grafts were performed, only 13 were done in 2016. CONCLUSIONS: BK was the first cause of keratoplasty with almost half of the cases, and keratoconus was relegated to sixth place with less than 5%. In comparison, in a study from eye banks from the US, BK was the second and keratoconus was the third indication for corneal grafts. The frequency of endothelial lamellar techniques in our institution decreased from 2012 to 2016. This could have been related to both the long time that the patients had to be on a waiting list, which made them unsuitable candidates for this technique, due to stromal fibrosis, and to the fact that surgeons of our institution had less experience with posterior endothelial grafting than with penetrating keratoplasties.

Severe pigment dispersion after iris-claw phakic intraocular lens implantation.

A 23-year-old female patient presented 3 months after the implantation of an Artisan® phakic intraocular lens with a severe depigmentation of the iris and peripheral anterior synechiae. Explantation of the intraocular lens and goniosynechialysis were performed. Eleven months after the explantation appearance of the iris significantly improved. There was no loss of lines of corrected distance visual acuity. Severe pigment dispersion after the implantation of an Artisan® phakic intraocular lens may happen and may require explantation of the lens. Iris depigmentation may improve with time.

[The ametropías: updated review for non-ophthalmologists physicians]. / Las ametropías: revisión actualizada para médicos no oftalmólogos.

Refractive errors are caused by a decoupling of the power of convergence of the eye lens, the cornea and lens, which make the rays reaching the eye to focus and generate an image, and the retina, which is the biological photosensitive screen where the image will be transformed into a nerve impulse. These defects include myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. Presbyopia can also be considered a refractive defect, but of special features, since only affects near vision in patients older than 40 years. By altering the quality of the focused image on the most sensitive area of the retina (the macula), they decrease visual acuity. For their management several options exist, from the use of glasses and contact lenses to surgical correction (refractive surgery). The incidence of certain refractive errors (myopia specifically) has increased in recent decades, some environmental factors related to it have been identified. Some medical management measures have shown a positive effect in controlling its onset and progression.