Impact of removing soft contact lenses 1 day versus 1 month before surgery on the outcomes of microkeratome laser in situ keratomileusis.

Purpose: To compare the outcomes, safety, efficacy, and predictability of microkeratome laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) 24 h and one month or more after removing soft contact lenses.

Setting: ULTRALASIK Eye Center, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Methods: The patients were divided based on the time of discontinuation of the soft contact lenses before LASIK (Group 1 at 24 h and Group 2 at one month or longer), and the two groups were well matched.

Femtosecond-assisted LASIK flaps resistant to lift secondary to corneal epithelial defects: Case reports and ex vivo studies.

Purpose: To evaluate why epithelial defects created before femtosecond laser ablation result in laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) flaps resistant to lift.

Setting: Boston Eye Group, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA.

Design: Case reports and ex vivo studies.

Surgical adhesives in ophthalmology: history and current trends.

Tissue adhesives are gaining popularity in ophthalmology, as they could potentially reduce the complications associated with current surgical methods. An ideal tissue adhesive should have superior tensile strength, be non-toxic and anti-inflammatory, improve efficiency and be cost-effective. Both synthetic and biological glues are available.

Accuracy of Visual Estimation of LASIK Flap Thickness.

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of surgeons' visual estimation of LASIK flap thickness when created by a femtosecond laser by comparing it to ultrasound measurements.

Methods: Surgeons were asked to visually estimate the thickness of a femtosecond flap during the procedure. Total corneal thickness was measured by ultrasound pachymetry prior to the procedure and the stromal bed was similarly measured after flap lifting.

EFFICACY OF INTRAVITREAL RANIBIZUMAB INJECTIONS IN THE TREATMENT OF VITREOUS HEMORRHAGE RELATED TO PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab injections in proliferative diabetic retinopathy associated with vitreous hemorrhage (VH).

Methods: A prospective study including patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy who presented with persistent VH. Vitreous hemorrhage was graded into mild, moderate, and severe.

Safety and Efficacy of Sequential Intracorneal Ring Segment Implantation and Cross-linking in Pediatric Keratoconus.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and visual outcome of intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation followed by cross-linking in pediatric keratoconus patients.

Design: Retrospective interventional case series.

Methods: This retrospective study included pediatric patients (aged ≤14 years) with keratoconus and poor corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) that underwent ICRS implantation and cross-linking (CXL).

Choroidal tuberculoma as a presenting sign of tuberculosis.

Choroidal tuberculoma is a rare ocular form of tuberculosis (TB) that raises both a diagnostic and a therapeutical challenge, especially when occurring without other manifestations of the disease. This study reports the case of a 27-year-old woman who had a unilateral drop of vision (20/100) with ocular pain. Her fundus examination revealed an elevated juxtapapillary choroidal mass measuring 892 µm in diameter, as calculated by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and associated with a serous retinal detachment involving the macula.

Corneal Resistance to Keratolysis After Collagen Crosslinking With Rose Bengal and Green Light.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the resistance to degradation by collagenase A of corneas that have been crosslinked with Rose Bengal and green light (RGX).

Methods: The ex vivo crosslinking procedure was performed on enucleated rabbit corneas. Corneas were deepithelialized after applying 30% alcohol.

Risk factors for loss of epithelial flap integrity in laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy surgery.

Purpose: To evaluate risk factors leading to loss of epithelial flap integrity in laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK).

Setting: Boston Eye Group, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA.

Design: Retrospective case study.

Acute Corneal Hydrops 3 Years after Intra-corneal Ring Segments and Corneal Collagen Cross-linking.

This case report describes a 15-year-old male with allergic conjunctivitis and keratoconus, who underwent uneventful intra-corneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation and corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in the right eye. During the follow-up periods, the patient was noted to have several episodes of allergic conjunctivitis that were treated accordingly. At the 2 years postoperatively, he presented with another episode of allergic conjunctivitis and progression of keratoconus was suspected on topography.

Corneal Infection Therapy with Topical Bacteriophage Administration.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen in bacterial keratitis, a vision-threatening disease. Although the incidence of S. aureus keratitis varies worldwide, the increasing trend of resistance to certain antibiotics makes this condition an important, global, healthcare concern.

An Update on the Safety and Efficacy of Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking in Pediatric Keratoconus.

Keratoconus is a degenerative disease that affects adolescents and young adults and presents with variable thinning and conical deformation of the corneal apex. The resultant irregular astigmatism can progress to levels that can significantly affect everyday activities and overall quality of life. Therefore, stopping the progression of the disease is an essential part in managing patients with keratoconus.

Safety and efficacy of femtosecond laser-assisted arcuate keratotomy to treat irregular astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty.

Purpose: To determine the refractive efficacy, predictability, stability, and complication rate of Intralase femtosecond laser-assisted astigmatic keratotomy (AK) for irregular astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP).

Setting: Ophthalmology Department, Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, France.

Design: Retrospective case series.

[Screening of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy in Lebanese population using retinography and SD-OCT: The role of telemedicine].

Purpose: Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are nowadays a major public health threat. The aim of this study is the screening of DR and diabetic maculopathy (DM) in a primary medical care center in Lebanon. We study also the interest of retinography and of SD-OCT in a telemedicine screening program.

Safety and Visual Outcome of Visian Toric ICL Implantation after Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking in Keratoconus: Up to 2 Years of Follow-Up.

Purpose. To evaluate the long-term safety and clinical outcome of phakic Visian toric implantable collamer lens (ICL) insertion after corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in progressive keratoconus. Methods.

Extensive superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis in Graves' disease: case report and mini-review of the literature.

Background: Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis (SLK) is characterized as an inflammation of the superior bulbar conjunctiva with predominant involvement of the superior limbus and adjacent epithelial keratitis.

Methods: A 51-year-old woman, with a history of medically controlled Graves' disease was seen with an extensive SLK involving 5 mm of the superior cornea.

Results: Total remission was observed with topical steroids (DXM).

Effect of hemodialysis on visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and macular thickness in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hemodialysis (HD) on visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and central foveal thickness (CFT) in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Materials And Methods: Forty-nine eyes from 49 chronic kidney-disease patients were analyzed. Causes of chronic kidney disease included diabetes mellitus (n=9 patients), hypertensive nephrosclerosis (n=15 patients), and other causes (n=25 patients).

Non-topography-guided PRK combined with CXL for the correction of refractive errors in patients with early stage keratoconus.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and clinical outcome of combined non-topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for the treatment of mild refractive errors in patients with early stage keratoconus.

Methods: A retrospective, nonrandomized study of patients with early stage keratoconus (stage 1 or 2) who underwent simultaneous non-topography-guided PRK and CXL. All patients had at least 2 years of follow-up.

Non-topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy for the correction of residual mild refractive errors after ICRS implantation and CXL in keratoconus.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of non-topography-guided photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for the treatment of residual mild refractive errors 6 months after sequential intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation and corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in stable keratoconus.

Methods: This retrospective study included 17 eyes of 14 patients with mild to moderate keratoconus. The ICRS implantation and CXL were performed sequentially with a 4-week interval and non-topography-guided PRK was performed at least 6 months after CXL.

Gamma-irradiated corneas as carriers for the Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis: advantages and outcomes in a surgical mission setting.

Purpose: The Boston keratoprosthesis (KPro) is the most commonly used KPro worldwide. There are limited data on the outcomes when irradiated corneas are used as KPro carriers. We report a retrospective analysis of corneal transplantations performed in a regular surgical mission setting in Beirut, Lebanon, using the Boston KPro type 1 and gamma-irradiated carrier corneas, and we describe visual outcomes, complications, and retention percentage.

New technique of intracorneal ring segments suturing after migration.

Purpose: To describe a new technique for suturing of the intracorneal ring segments to stabilize it in the proper location and to prevent recurrent displacement of the ring.

Methods: Two patients with recurrent ring segment migration toward the incision were treated with this new surgical technique between 2010 and 2013. The first case had Intacs ring (Addition Technology, Fremont, CA) and migration occurred 2 months after implantation.