Prospective Comparison of VisuALL Virtual Reality Perimetry and Humphrey Automated Perimetry in Glaucoma.

Aim And Background: Automated perimetry plays an important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma patients. The purpose of this study is to prospectively determine parity between Humphrey visual field analyzer (HVFA) perimetry (the current gold standard) and the VisuALL virtual reality perimeter (VRP).

Materials And Methods: In this prospective fully paired diagnostic accuracy study, patients with stable, long-term HVFA visual fields (horizontal dots for ≥4 consecutive visits on progression analysis) with preperimetric, mild, moderate, or severe visual field loss were familiarized with the VRP and then tested using its proprietary software.

Rotational extraction of incarcerated iris (REII): a slit lamp technique to reduce incarcerated iris after nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy for glaucoma.

Purpose: Iris incarceration is a complication of glaucoma filtering surgery that often requires surgery. We describe a technique for reduction of incarcerated iris at the slit lamp, dubbed rotational extraction of incarcerated iris (REII). A retrospective analysis of visual function and intraocular pressure (IOP) was done in patients treated with REII after nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy.

Fifty Percent Reduction in Narcotic Use After Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Using Liposomal Bupivacaine.

Objective: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery via a right minithoracotomy (RMT) is a common approach to different valve pathologies, tumor resection, and atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. We studied intraoperative field block using liposomal bupivacaine (LB) in these operations.

Methods: Consecutive 171 minimally invasive RMTs (fourth intercostal space) were studied, and patients in cardiogenic or septic shock, intravenous drug abuse, and those re-explored were excluded ( = 12).

Utility of restaging endoscopic ultrasound after neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer.

Background: Currently, the most accurate staging test for patients with esophageal cancer is endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). At many institutions, patients who have completed neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy for esophageal cancer undergo restaging EUS before proceeding to surgical resection. The benefit of this restaging procedure remains controversial.

Statin use and sex-specific stroke outcomes in patients with vascular disease.

Background And Purpose: Although statins reduce the risk of stroke in patients with coronary heart disease, possible differing effects of statins on stroke outcomes based on sex remain uncertain. We investigated the relationships between statin use and sex-specific stroke incidence, severity, and mortality.

Methods: Data from 3 trials of oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (first and second Sibrafiban versus aspirin to Yield Maximum Protection from ischemic Heart events postacute cOroNary sYndromes [SYMPHONY] and Blockade of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor to Avoid Vascular Occlusion [BRAVO]) were pooled and stroke outcomes compared among 8191 baseline statin users versus 14,752 nonusers.

Cardiac tamponade in the fibrinolytic era: analysis of >100,000 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening complication of acute myocardial infarction (MI). Data on the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of tamponade in patients with acute MI in the fibrinolytic era are limited.

Methods: Data from a combined clinical trials database of ST-segment elevation MI were used to evaluate the incidence of cardiac tamponade, baseline characteristics, and outcomes in patients with and without tamponade.

Differential treatment benefit of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition with percutaneous coronary intervention versus medical therapy for acute coronary syndromes: exploration of methods.

Background: Although many believe that platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors should be used only in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, supporting data from randomized clinical trials are tenuous. The assumption that these agents are useful only in conjunction with percutaneous coronary intervention is based primarily on inappropriate subgroup analyses performed across the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor trials.

Methods And Results: We describe the problems with these analytical techniques and demonstrate that different approaches to the question can result in opposing answers.

Office space planning and design for medical practices: Part 3, Implementation, design, and construction.

The decision to build anew or remodel/add-on to your existing facility can be a tough one. Once that decision is reached, the implementation of design and construction presents many difficult hurdles on the road to achieving a functional office space in a cost effective manner. This article will continue to explore just how a practice goes about that implementation process.