Teleglaucoma Initiative at a Veterans Affairs Hospital: Pilot Safety Data and Early Experience.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety, reliability, and efficacy of telemedicine in delivering tertiary subspecialty glaucoma care (herein referred to as teleglaucoma) to the veteran patient population. DESIGN: Prospective case series. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty patients being referred for glaucoma subspecialist opinion participated in the pilot safety study. One hundred eighteen patients participated in the secondary study of the acceptability and service efficacy of teleglaucoma. METHODS: In the pilot study, safety was assessed by determining interobserver and intraobserver consistency (Krippendorff's α). This compared an in-person assessment by a glaucoma subspecialist with the remote assessment of 2 other glaucoma subspecialists (electronic health record alone reviewed). In the secondary study, teleglaucoma was implemented whereby testing and eye examination were carried out remotely by an optometrist or comprehensive ophthalmologist, and the clinical decision was made by the glaucoma subspecialist on review of the electronic health record alone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In the pilot study, interobserver and intraobserver consistency in making a diagnosis and treatment plan (acceptable, ≥ 0.80 Krippendorff's α). In the secondary study, patient satisfaction measured by survey, wait time for teleglaucoma opinion versus wait time for in-person opinion, and time spent on teleglaucoma consultations. RESULTS: Interobserver and intraobserver consistency showed an α of 0.86 and 0.92, respectively, for diagnosis, and 0.86 and 0.85, respectively, for treatment plan. In the secondary study, patient satisfaction was 4.55 of 5.00 (5 = maximum satisfaction; range, 3.28-4.93). Improved consultation lead time was demonstrated, with the median time for a doctor to respond to an electronic consultation being 3 days, versus 43 days for an in-person visit. Teleglaucoma also demonstrated positive benefits to the health care system by reducing the time doctors spent reviewing each patient's case (history, examination findings, imaging results, visual fields; 19 minutes for teleglaucoma consultation vs. 31 minutes for in-person evaluation). CONCLUSIONS: Decisions regarding diagnoses and treatment plans between in-person consultation and the teleglaucoma program showed high reliability. Patient satisfaction was high. Additional benefits were observed in wait time for subspecialty glaucoma opinion, efficient allocation of the doctor's time, and fiscal benefit to the health care system.

Combined phacoemulsification and trabectome for treatment of glaucoma.

Ab interno trabeculectomy with the trabectome is a microincisional glaucoma surgery modality with an electrosurgical device to ablate the trabecular meshwork and inner wall of Schlemm canal to restore conventional outflow along its physiological route, thereby decreasing intraocular pressure. The device was approved by the FDA in 2004 and has since gained widespread use. Trabectome can be performed on its own or combined with cataract surgery for the treatment of ocular hypertension or advanced glaucoma with similar intraocular pressure reduction. It can be used after failed classical glaucoma surgeries and in narrow angles. Postoperative average intraocular pressure is independent of preoperative pressure and can be expected to be near 15 mm Hg with a theoretical minimum close to episcleral venous pressure. In combination with tube shunts, low intraocular pressures can be achieved during the hypertensive phase and long term. Although early postoperative hyphema is common, complications are rare and similar to those seen in cataract surgery, resulting in a safety profile that is favorable compared to older glaucoma surgeries. Aqueous angiography that is under development will allow anatomically targeted ablation.

Microvascular flap reconstruction by otolaryngologists: prevalence, postoperative care, and monitoring techniques.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Microvascular "free flap" transplants have become the preferred method of reconstruction for a great variety of complicated head and neck defects. As recently as 10 years ago, having a microvascular surgeon within a department of otolaryngology was the exception rather than the rule, whereas it is our impression that today most academic programs have one or more microvascularly trained head and neck surgeons. Among microvascular surgeons, postoperative care and management regimens vary greatly. Through informal conversations, we discerned that some surgeons take a very aggressive approach to monitoring, perhaps including prolonged stays in an intensive care setting with implanted Doppler devices to monitor flap blood flow and intravenous administration of dextran or other pharmaceutical projects. Others report that patients are quickly discharged from the hospital after just aspirin and subcutaneous heparin for a few days. Some physicians perform "flap checks" hourly, whereas others have residents check only once daily. DESIGN/METHODS: We surveyed academic otolaryngology-head and neck surgery departments that sponsor residency programs in the United States to 1) determine the prevalence of microvascular trained otolaryngologists within training programs and 2) assess variations in postoperative and monitoring regimens. RESULTS: We found that on average, 12.2% of otolaryngologists per department perform free flap transplants, and 71.6% of microvascular trained surgeons continue to do free flaps. The surgeons self reported a 96.4% average success rate and a 6.88% return rate to the operating room for complications. Monitoring methods used included flap color (used by 79.4% of surgeons), Doppler signal (79.4%), pin prick and bleeding rate (67.6%), capillary refill (61.8%), skin surface temperature (11.8%), and implanted Doppler (8.8%). Anticoagulants used included aspirin (used by 76.5% of microvascular surgeons), low-molecular-weight dextran (35.3%), and subcutaneous heparin (26.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Microvascular training has become commonplace in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery training programs, with more than one in eight of these academic physicians reporting microvascular training. There was no self-reported difference in flap failure rates on the basis of postoperative care and monitoring regimen. The results of this survey suggest that a simplified consensus postoperative regimen can be recommended.