Publications by authors named "Fernando Vaz"

Optic neuropathies, such as glaucoma, are some of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. There has been a lot of research for potential therapies that could attenuate and even reduce the impact of the pathological pathways that lead to the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). In recent years, vitamin B (nicotinamide) has gained some interest as a viable option for these neurodegenerative diseases due to its fundamental role in enhancing the mitochondria metabolism of the RGCs.

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Introduction: Single-haptic iris-claw intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation is not an uncommon complication. A few different surgical techniques are available for its refixation but usually involve a more invasive approach. We aim to demonstrate an original and simple approach for refixation of single haptic retropupillary iris-claw IOL subluxations.

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Enantioseparation by the electromigration-based method is well-established and widely discussed in the literature. Electrophoretic strategies have been used to baseline resolve complex enantiomeric mixtures, typically using a selector substance into the background electrolyte (BGE) from capillaries to microchips. Along with developing new materials/substances for enantioseparations, it is the concern about the green analytical chemistry (GAC) principles for method development and application.

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Aim: This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (MPTSCPC) in glaucoma patients, with standard parameters, over a 24-month period.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 61 eyes undergoing MPTSCPC from January 2018 to December 2020 was carried out. Patients received 160 seconds of laser, with settings of 2000 mW/cm and a duty cycle of 31.

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Nitrosamines are carcinogens substances firstly detected in sartans drugs in 2018, leading to new regulations and monitoring programmes that raised the costs and challenges to the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, reliable and cost-effective methods for screening nitrosamines in medicines are highly desirable. Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES), a novel "eco-friendly" alternative to solvents commonly used in microextraction techniques, can meet these requirements.

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Objective: To verify whether access to information about oral hygiene influenced the practices of caregivers of children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus (ZIKV).

Methods: A case series study was developed at the Mens Sana Rehabilitation Center, in the municipality of Arcoverde, Pernambuco, Brazil. The study universe included the mothers of 32 children with microcephaly caused by Zika virus.

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Article Synopsis
  • Burn injuries are a significant issue in low- and middle-income countries, with this study being the first to assess burn scars in rural Mozambique and to validate the Morphological African Scar Contractures Classification (MASCC) tool for determining surgical needs.
  • In a survey of 6,104 participants, 6% reported burn injuries, primarily affecting females and individuals under 25, with many injuries occurring on extremities.
  • The study finds a high prevalence of untreated burn injuries and a need for surgical intervention, as 12% of those assessed would benefit from surgery, highlighting limited access to care in these communities.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to compare the visual quality, refraction results, and safety of two types of implantation surgeries (T-ICL and T-Artiflex) for correcting myopic astigmatism in patients.
  • A total of 312 eyes from different patients were analyzed, with outcomes evaluated before surgery and 12 months after, focusing on visual acuity, efficacy, safety, and corneal astigmatism.
  • Results showed that while both surgeries were effective, T-ICL had better efficacy and safety rankings, and both methods had similar outcomes in correcting astigmatism, with no serious complications reported.
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Objective: to investigate the impact of the severity of microcephaly caused by the Zika virus (MCZ) on tooth eruption and orofacial structures of children.

Design: This case series study developed the research at the Mens Sana Rehabilitation Center, Arcoverde, Brazil. The study included 27 children diagnosed with MCZ.

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Purpose: To analyze the visual and refractive results after secondary IOL implantation using different surgical techniques - iris-claw aphakic IOL through a corneal incision or scleral tunnel, and 3-piece IOL into the ciliary sulcus.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective study including patients that were submitted to secondary IOL implantation from January 2017 to December 2019 at the Department of Ophthalmology of Hospital de Braga, Portugal. We collected demographic data (age, surgical indication, comorbidities, surgical technique, IOL implanted, and intra and postoperative complications) and visual and refractive data [preoperative and 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month postoperative corrected-distance visual acuity (CDVA), spherical equivalent (SE), manifest cylinder, and intraocular pressure].

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Purpose: To evaluate the effect of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy on intraocular lens (IOL) position and anterior segment parameters with a new swept-source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) device (Anterion, Heidelberg Engineering GmbH).

Patients And Methods: A total of 50 eyes from 50 consecutive patients were included. All patients had visually significant posterior capsular opacification (PCO) after uneventful phacoemulsification surgery with manual capsulorhexis and single-piece C-loop acrylic IOL implantation (AcrySof SA60AT) and were treated with Nd:YAG laser.

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Purpose: Amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) has shown promising results as an antifibrotic agent in trabeculectomy. We aimed to evaluate the additional effect of AMT in MMC-augmented trabeculectomy.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the results of the first 12 postoperative months of glaucomatous eyes submitted to Moorfields Safer Surgery Trabeculectomy with MMC alone (non-AMT group) compared to MMC and AMT (AMT group).

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Purpose: To compare visual, refractive and safety outcomes of central-hole posterior chamber collamer phakic intraocular lens implantation for low and moderate-to-high myopia.

Subjects/methods: This retrospective cohort study included 338 eyes submitted to posterior chamber collamer phakic intraocular lens implantation that completed a 12-month postoperative follow-up. Two groups were defined depending on preoperative spherical equivalent: group 1 comprised 106 eyes with manifest spherical equivalent of -6.

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Purpose: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness, safety, and stability of Ferrara-type intrastromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) by manual surgery implantation in patients with keratoconus.

Setting: Ophthalmology Department, Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

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Purpose: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of iris-fixated foldable phakic intraocular lenses (pIOLs) for the management of myopia and astigmatism after 6-year follow-up.

Setting: Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Braga, Portugal.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) in patients with Pseudoexfoliative Glaucoma (PXG) and compare the results with the outcomes of trabeculectomy without MMC in PXG and with MMC in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG). Ninety eyes (76 patients) submitted to trabeculectomy were included in a one-year retrospective study. Fifty-eight eyes with PXG were divided into group 1 (28 eyes) and group 2 (30 eyes), with and without MMC application respectively.

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Introduction: Given the increasing use of electronic devices, and the increasing number of complaints with its use, we intend to evaluate the prevalence of manifestations of dry eye and ocular fatigue in a population of individuals, who use the computer daily to perform all their professional tasks, as well as to correlate these complaints with the number of hours of digital use as well as their possible improvement with behavioural measures and use of tear drops.

Material And Methods: A total of 77 individuals (154 eyes) were evaluated on two separate days with a 1-month interval. They completed two questionnaires: OSDI and PEG Eye Fatigue.

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Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the lamina cribrosa depth and to study the optic nerve in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

Methods: A total of 10 eyes of the patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension with unknown etiology (study group) and 10 eyes of healthy patients without any ophthalmological or neurological pathologies (control group) were included. The subjects were submitted to ophthalmological examination with the evaluation of visual acuity, spherical equivalent, applanation tonometry, pachymetry, axial length, retinography, computerized static perimetry (Humphrey 30-2 SITA-Standard), and OCT Spectralis with enhanced depth image, to calculate the depth of the anterior surface of the lamina cribrosa and to measure the nerve fiber layer thickness of the optic nerve.

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Purpose: To evaluate and compare the changes in refraction and effective intraocular lens (IOL) position between a plate-haptic IOL and a c-loop single-piece IOL after neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy.

Methods: In a prospective study, anterior chamber depth and subjective refraction were measured in 110 pseudophakic eyes from 110 patients, before and 1 month after YAG laser capsulotomy. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the IOL design: group 1 (plate-haptic acrylic hydrophilic AT LISA tri 839MP) and group 2 (c-loop acrylic hydrophobic single-piece AcrySof SA60AT).

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Aim: To determine the relationship between macular thickness (MT) and visual field (VF) parameters, as well as with changes in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension (OH).

Materials And Methods: Cross-sectional statistical analysis of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) compared with several VF parameters (mean defect - MD and loss variance - LV), in a nonrandom sample of 70 eyes from patients with glaucoma or OH. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

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Unlabelled: We report the case of an 83-year-old man who had had cataract surgery in both eyes and was being treated with timolol and dorzolamide in the right eye. Goldmann tonometry was 28 mm Hg in the right eye and 14 mm Hg in the left eye. Biomicroscopy of the right eye revealed pigment dispersion on the corneal endothelium, trabecular meshwork, and intraocular lens (IOL), as well as iris transillumination defects.

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Mozambique, a country in sub-Saharan Africa, has experienced a severe physician shortage for many years, with patients having particularly limited access to surgical care. Medical education and surgical research partnerships formed in 2010 between Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Mozambique and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), is developing potential solutions to the nation’s surgical care crisis. The findings that have emerged from this initiative, which are aimed at scaling up surgical services, will likely have important implications for improving surgical care in Mozambique and other underserved nations.

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Purpose: To report long-term results of the Argus T adjustable system for treatment of post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPI).

Materials And Methods: From October 2007 to August 2008, 37 patients with PPI were included in a prospective, single-arm, multicenter trial of treatment with the Argus T adjustable system (Promedon, Argentina). Preoperative evaluation included urine culture, urethrocystoscopy, urodynamic testing, 24-h pad weight test (PWT) and quality of life questionnaires.

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Background: Surgical care is increasingly recognised as an important component of global health delivery. However, there are still major gaps in knowledge related to access to surgical care in low-income countries. In this study, we compare distances travelled by surgical patients with patients seeking other medical services at a first-level hospital in rural Mozambique.

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