Cystoid macular edema prophylaxis in cataract surgery: A protocol for network meta-analysis.

Objective: Cataracts are the leading cause of global preventable and treatable blindness. Cystoid macular edema (CME) is among the most common complications following cataract surgery. The development of CME impacts patients' quality of life and has economic implications for patients and healthcare systems.

Methodological review to develop a list of bias items for adaptive clinical trials: Protocol and rationale.

Background: Randomized-clinical trials (RCTs) are the gold-standard for comparing health care interventions, but can be limited by early termination, feasibility issues, and prolonged time to trial reporting. Adaptive clinical trials (ACTs), which are defined by pre-planned modifications and analyses that occur after starting patient recruitment, are gaining popularity as they can streamline trial design and time to reporting. As adaptive methodologies continue to be adopted by researchers, it will be critical to develop a risk of bias tool that evaluates the unique methodological features of ACTs so that their quality can be improved and standardized for the future.

Adjuvant Radioactive Iodine Ablation in Tall Cell Subtype Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Tall cell subtype papillary thyroid cancer (TCS-PTC) is associated with aggressive disease features and worse patient outcomes. It remains unclear whether adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation following thyroidectomy is associated with improved survival in TCS-PTC. The purpose of this review and meta-analysis was to determine whether adjuvant RAI was associated with improved survival in patients with TCS-PTC.

Duration of face down positioning following full-thickness macular hole repair: A protocol for a randomized pilot study.

Objective: Full-thickness macular holes (FTMH) are defects in the fovea involving all neural retinal layers. They reduce patients' visual acuity (VA) and impact their quality of life. FTMHs are repaired with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with intraocular gas tamponade and post-operative face-down positioning (FDP).

Impact of COVID-19 on a real-world treat-and-extend regimen with aflibercept for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Objective: To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on injection intervals among patients treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Participants: Patients treated at a single practice using a treat-and-extend regimen with intravitreal aflibercept between December 2018 and April 2021.

Exploring the fragility of meta-analyses in ophthalmology: a systematic review.

Objective: The fragility index (FI) of a meta-analysis evaluates the extent that the statistical significance can be changed by modifying the event status of individuals from included trials. Understanding the FI improves the interpretation of the results of meta-analyses and can help to inform changes to clinical practice. This review determined the fragility of ophthalmology-related meta-analyses.

Pilot and feasibility trials in surgery are incompletely reported according to the CONSORT checklist: a meta-research study.

Objectives: Given the key role that pilot and feasibility (PAF) trials play in addressing the challenges of surgical trials, adequate reporting completeness is essential. Our aim was to assess completeness of reporting and evaluate if the items of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) extension for PAF trials have been reported in surgical PAF trials.

Study Design: This is a metaresearch study reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Subthreshold Compared with Threshold Macular Photocoagulation for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Topic: To compare the efficacy and safety of subthreshold macular laser to conventional focal laser photocoagulation for the treatment of vision loss secondary to diabetic macular edema (DME).

Clinical Relevance: Macular laser remains an important and cost effective treatment option for vision loss secondary to DME. Although anti-VEGF therapy is often first-line, macular laser is of utility in low-resource or remote settings, for patients at risk of loss to follow-up, and for DME not meeting country-specific reimbursement criteria for anti-VEGF therapy.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Use in Guidelines Published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology: A Review.

Topic: We reviewed the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the treatment of ophthalmologic conditions as recommended by the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Clinical Relevance: Patient-reported outcome measures are standardized instruments that provide information regarding a patient's health status or health-related quality of life. Patient-reported outcome measures are increasingly used to inform study end points in ophthalmology studies.

Profile of eye-related emergency department visits in Ontario - a Canadian perspective.

Background: Understanding the epidemiology of ophthalmic presentations to emergency departments can help guide resource allocation, medical education programs, and optimize the patient experience. The purpose of this investigation was to summarize and assess the urgency of ophthalmic presentations in emergency departments (EDs) in Ontario, Canada over a 5-year period.

Methods: This was a multicentered retrospective review of all patient presentations to EDs in Ontario between January 1st, 2012, to December 31st, 2017.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy and retinal non-perfusion in diabetic retinopathy: A meta-analysis of randomised trials.

Purpose: Retinal non-perfusion (RNP) is fundamental to disease onset and progression in diabetic retinopathy (DR). Whether anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy can modify RNP progression is unclear. This investigation quantified the impact of anti-VEGF therapy on RNP progression compared with laser or sham at 12 months.

Role of Positioning after Full-Thickness Macular Hole Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Topic: The importance of postoperative face-down positioning (FDP) to achieve anatomic and functional success after full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) surgery is explored in this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Clinical Relevance: There is considerable variability in clinical practices regarding the need and length of FDP recommended to patients after FTMH surgery. There is also a lack of robust clinical guidelines on the topic.

Treat-and-extend versus alternate dosing strategies with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents to treat center involving diabetic macular edema: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 2,346 eyes.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (Anti-VEGF) agents are the standard of care for diabetic macular edema (CI-DME) with vision loss. They are commonly administered using several treatment protocols, including fixed, pro re nata (PRN) and treat-and-extend (T&E) regimens. Because of the lack of evidence defining an ideal treatment paradigm, we systematically compared T&E with fixed or PRN regimens.

A MULTICENTER REVIEW EVALUATING THE RISK OF RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT POST ENDOPHTHALMITIS: A Canadian Retina Research Network Investigation.

Purpose: To describe the characteristics of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RDs) that developed after endophthalmitis and to provide insight regarding incidence, management, and outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of consecutive patients diagnosed with endophthalmitis at two Canadian institutions and from one surgeon at a third center over a 10-year period.

Results: Three hundred sixteen eyes presented with endophthalmitis of which 32 (10%) were complicated by subsequent RD.

Responsiveness of the HUG-5 in an outpatient clinic: a 12-month randomised feasibility study protocol.

Introduction: Glaucoma is a progressive, chronic condition that can have a significant impact on a patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Validated, disease-specific HRQoL tools such as the Health Utility for Glaucoma (HUG-5) tool and the Glaucoma Quality of Life Questionnaire (GlauQoL-17) can be used to monitor a patient's quality of life. However, the utility of these tools in outpatient clinic practice is not well established.

Publication trends in telemedicine research originating from Canada.

Telemedicine modalities for patient care have seen significant global uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to bibliometrically evaluate the evolution and current landscape of telemedicine literature in Canada. The Scopus database was searched to identify telemedicine publications for which the first or last author had a Canadian institutional affiliation.

The 12- and 24-Month Effects of Intravitreal Ranibizumab, Aflibercept, and Bevacizumab on Intraocular Pressure: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Topic: To investigate the effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy on intraocular pressure (IOP) 12 and 24 months after initiation.

Clinical Relevance: It is unclear whether serial anti-VEGF injections result in sustained IOP increases.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing anti-VEGF agents with each other or with controls for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusions, or diabetic macular edema were included.

Treat-and-extend regimens of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for retinal vein occlusions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To investigate treat-and-extend (T&E) regimens of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy for the treatment of macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusions (RVOs).

Methods: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE and CENTRAL were searched on 25 February 2021. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies and case series were included.