Tube-Shunt Bleb Pathophysiology, the Cytokine Story.

Purpose: To define tube bleb-pathophysiology, outlining factors that may play a major role in the ultimate success or failure of the bleb. Methods that may be used to advance success of these blebs are discussed.

Materials And Methods: The study describes the importance of tube shunt bleb pathophysiology, including the role of cytokines, relating to bleb failure or success.

Long-term comparison using Ex-PRESS glaucoma shunt in black and white patients.

Objective: To compare clinical outcomes, including patterns of failure, using the Ex-PRESS glaucoma shunt, in black and white patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Design: Retrospective comparative study.

Participants: Sixty-three eyes of 50 black patients and 44 eyes of 34 white patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines in glaucomatous aqueous and encysted Molteno implant blebs and their relationship to pressure.

Purpose: To ascertain the presence of additional pro-inflammatory cytokines in glaucomatous aqueous, and their relationship with IOP.

Methods: To quantify the levels of 23 pro-inflammatory cytokines, and correlate levels with IOP, aqueous humor samples were analyzed from 23 eyes with open angle glaucoma (OAG) undergoing glaucoma filtration procedures, and from 24 Molteno blebs during the hypertensive phase. Control aqueous was derived from 13 eyes without glaucoma undergoing cataract removal.

Supra-tenon capsule placement of original Molteno vs Molteno 3 tube implants in black patients with refractory glaucoma: a single-surgeon experience.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of supra-Tenon capsule placement of original Molteno vs Molteno 3 tube implants (Molteno Ophthalmic, Dunedin, New Zealand) in black patients with refractory glaucoma.

Methods: A retrospective study comparing the efficacy of supra-Tenon capsule placement of the original Molteno tube implant (130-mm(2) plate size) with the newer Molteno 3 tube implant (175-mm(2) plate size). Original Molteno tube implants were placed into 17 eyes and Molteno 3 tube implants into 27 eyes.

What is new after 40 years of glaucoma implants.

Forty years ago, Molteno introduced the prototype of the present day long tube implant. Since then, modifications in size and shape and introduction of valve system have taken place. Aqueous has been shown to contain proinflammatory substances that have been shown to influence the thickness of the bleb wall, and the hypertensive phase has been seen with the implants.

Cardiopulmonary bypass has minimal effects on the pharmacokinetics of fentanyl in adults.

Background: Although fentanyl has been widely used in cardiac anesthesia, no complete pharmacokinetic model that has assessed the effect of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and that has adequate predictive accuracy has been defined. The aims of this investigation were to determine whether CPB had a clinically significant impact on fentanyl pharmacokinetics and to determine the simplest model that accurately predicts fentanyl concentrations during cardiac surgery using CPB.

Methods: Population pharmacokinetic modeling was applied to concentration-versus-time data from 61 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting using CPB.