Early-Phase Perceptions of COVID-19's Impact on Ophthalmology Practice Patterns: A Survey from the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic affected medical practice worldwide due to interventions to prevent spreading. Its effect on ophthalmology practices in Latin America has not yet been explored. We aimed to assess the perceptions about the pandemic from countries' ophthalmological national and subspecialty retina societies affiliated to the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO).

Risk of Posterior Capsular Rupture during Phacoemulsification in Patients with the History of Anti-VEGF Intravitreal Injections: Results from the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study (PACORES) Group.

Purpose: To assess the risk for capsular rupture during routine phacoemulsification in patients with a history of anti-VEGF injections and other possible risk modifiers such as treatment patterns, type of anti-VEGF agent, and experience of the surgeon, among others.

Methods: This study reviewed the medical records of 11,129 patients from 7 different hospitals in 5 countries. The study included 939 patients that underwent routine phacoemulsification and had a history of anti-VEGF therapy.

A 24 month follow-up of refractory macular holes treated with an autologous transplantation of internal limiting membrane versus retina expansion technique.

Background: To compare the functional and anatomic outcomes at 24 months of eyes with a primary macular hole that failed to close after a prior surgery and were treated with either an autologous transplantation of internal limiting membrane (AT-ILM) or the retina expansion (RE) technique.

Methods: Retrospective, single center, comparative study of 28 eyes with a macular hole that failed to close after a prior vitrectomy. All eyes had a size of ≥ 500 μm.

Non-contact wide-angled visualization with chandelier-assisted scleral buckling for primary uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

Purpose: To report our experience in non-contact wide-angled visualization with chandelier-assisted scleral buckling (SB) in uncomplicated primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRD).

Methods: Retrospective case series of 282 eyes that underwent non-contact wide-angled visualization with chandelier-assisted SB and were followed for a mean of 13.5 months.

An International Comparison of Baseline Characteristics of Patients Undergoing Initiation of Anti-VEGF Therapy for DME.

Background And Objective: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide. The object of this study is to compare global differences of baseline characteristics of patients undergoing initiation of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for DME.

Patients And Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional study included diabetic patients with foveal-involving retinal edema secondary to DME as documented by fundus exam and optical coherence tomography who were undergoing initiation of intravitreal anti-VEGF drugs.

Preoperative Bevacizumab for Tractional Retinal Detachment in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness and safety of an intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab (IVB) as a preoperative adjunct to small-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) compared with PPV alone in eyes with tractional retinal detachment secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: This prospective, double-masked, randomized, multicenter, active-controlled clinical trial enrolled 224 eyes of 224 patients between November 2013 and July 2015.

New Treatment Modalities for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is considered one of the main causes of severe vision loss in older adults. The neovascular form (nAMD) is an advanced stage, which is responsible for the most severe vision loss. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is at present the main factor that leads to the development of a neovascular membrane and the increased leakage from the membrane to the retina.

Un-explained visual loss following silicone oil removal: results of the Pan American Collaborative Retina Study (PACORES) Group.

Purpose: To report the incidence and clinical features of patients that experienced un-explained visual loss following silicone oil (SO) removal.

Methods: Multicenter retrospective study of patients that underwent SO removal during 2000-2012. Visual loss of ≥2 lines was considered significant.

INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY: Results From the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group (PACORES) at 24 Months of Follow-up.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) on retinal neovascularization in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods: Retrospective multicenter interventional case series. A chart review was performed of 81 consecutive patients (97 eyes) with retinal neovascularization due to PDR, who received at least 1 IVB injection.

ANATOMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES OF SYMPTOMATIC IDIOPATHIC VITREOMACULAR TRACTION: A Natural History Study From the Pan American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

Purpose: To describe the natural history of eyes with symptomatic idiopathic vitreomacular traction (VMT).

Methods: Retrospective multicenter study of 168 eyes with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings consistent with idiopathic VMT. All eyes were graded according to SD-OCT findings.

Intravitreal bevacizumab for diabetic macular oedema: 5-year results of the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study group.

Background/aims: To report the long-term anatomical and functional outcomes of patients with centre-involved diabetic macular oedema (DME) treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB).

Methods: Retrospective case series. Patients diagnosed with centre-involved DME that were treated with at least one injection of 1.

INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION: 5-Year Results of The Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

Purpose: To report the long-term anatomical and functional outcomes of patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB).

Methods: Retrospective case series. Patients diagnosed with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration that were treated with at least 1 intravitreal injection of 1.

Outcomes of cataract surgery in diabetic patients: results of the Pan American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the visual and anatomical outcomes after cataract surgery in diabetic patients with different intraoperative therapeutic strategies.

Methods: The research design comprised of a multicentric, retrospective, interventional study conducted at 6 centers in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela. We included 138 diabetic patients with at least 6-month follow-up following phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation.

Efficacy and tolerability of fixed-combination brinzolamide/timolol in Latin American patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension previously on brimonidine/timolol fixed combination.

Introduction: Fixed-combination glaucoma medications are commonly used to achieve target intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction in patients uncontrolled with monotherapy; however, ocular discomfort associated with eye drops can decrease adherence. This study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of twice-daily fixed-combination brinzolamide 1%/timolol 0.5% (BRINZ/TIM-FC) in Latin American patients transitioned from fixed-combination brimonidine 0.

Intravitreal bevacizumab plus grid laser photocoagulation or intravitreal bevacizumab or grid laser photocoagulation for diffuse diabetic macular edema: results of the Pan-american Collaborative Retina Study Group at 24 months.

Purpose: To evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes at 24 months in patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema treated with primary intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) plus grid laser photocoagulation (GLP) or primary IVB alone or GLP alone.

Methods: Retrospective, interventional, comparative, multicenter study. We included in this analysis 141 eyes of 120 patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema treated with primary IVB alone (Group A), 120 eyes of 94 patients with GLP therapy (Group B), and 157 eyes of 104 patients treated with IVB plus GLP (Group C).

Intravitreal Bevacizumab (Avastin) for Diabetic Retinopathy: The 2010 GLADAOF Lecture.

This paper demonstrates multiple benefits of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) on diabetic retinopathy (DR) including diabetic macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) at 24 months of followup. This is a retrospective multicenter interventional comparative case series of intravitreal injections of 1.25 or 2.

Endophthalmitis after pars plana vitrectomy: results of the Pan American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

Purpose: To determine the incidence of endophthalmitis after 20-, 23-, and 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomies (PPVs).

Methods: Retrospective comparative case series of consecutive patients who underwent 20-, 23-, or 25-gauge PPV at 11 centers from Latin America between 2005 to 2009. Pars plana vitrectomy cases were identified through a search of the billing records of each institution.

Comparison of two doses of intravitreal bevacizumab as primary treatment for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion: results of the pan American collaborative retina study group at 24 months.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the injection burden, central macular thickness (CMT), and change in best-corrected visual acuity after injecting 1.25 mg or 2.5 mg bevacizumab as needed in patients with primary macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion.

Intravitreal Bevacizumab (Avastin(®)) for Diabetic Retinopathy at 24-months: The 2008 Juan Verdaguer-Planas Lecture.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains the major threat to sight in the working age population. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a manifestation of DR that produces loss of central vision. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a major cause of visual loss in diabetic patients.

Comparison of two doses of intravitreal bevacizumab as primary treatment for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusions: results of the Pan American Collaborative Retina Study Group at 24 months.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the injection burden, central macular thickness (CMT), and change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after injecting 1.25 mg or 2.5 mg of bevacizumab as needed in patients with primary macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.

Primary intravitreal bevacizumab for diffuse diabetic macular edema: the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group at 24 months.

Purpose: To report the 24-month anatomic and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) response after primary intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, Inc., San Francisco, CA; 1.25 or 2.