Impact of post-COVID-19 changes in outpatient chronic patients' healthcare-seeking behaviors on medical utilization and health outcomes.

Introduction: This study comprehensively investigates the changes in healthcare utilization among chronic patients with regular outpatient visits to hospitals after the occurrence of Covid-19. The research examines whether patients altered their originally regular medical attendance frequencies due to the pandemic and explores potential negative impacts on the health conditions of those irregular attendees post-pandemic.

Methods: Data for this study were sourced from a database at a medical center in Taiwan.

Adjunctive aspiration technique for the surgical management of deep orbital cavernous hemangioma.

To propose a needle aspiration technique for the surgical removal of orbital cavernous hemangioma. In this retrospective case series, we enrolled 13 patients with orbital cavernous hemangioma, who underwent excisional surgery assisted with needle aspiration technique from June 2013 to April 2022. Preoperative symptoms, clinical examination, and imaging features were recorded.

Morphometric analysis of bony nasolacrimal canal and sinonasal anatomical variations in primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Objective: This study aims to assess morphometric variations in bony nasolacrimal ducts (BNLDs) and sinonasal anatomy in Asian patients with unilateral primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) through computed tomography (CT).

Methods: We enrolled 34 patients with unilateral PANDO who underwent endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, alongside 34 age- and sex-matched control patients without documented epiphora complaints. We compared BNLD and sinonasal parameters on CT images between the affected and unaffected sides of PANDO patients and the control group.

A case study of lean digital transformation through robotic process automation in healthcare.

Under Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system, it's crucial for all healthcare providers to accurately submit medical expense claims to the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) to avoid incorrect deductions. With changes in healthcare policies and adjustments in hospital management strategies, the complexity of claiming rules has resulted in hospitals expending significant manpower and time on the medical expense claims process. Therefore, this study utilizes the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) management approach to identify wasteful and non-value-added steps in the process.

The role of lateral rectus muscle resection for severe esotropia after medial rectus muscle myectomy in Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Purpose: Persistent diplopia after rectus muscle myectomy is not uncommon but challenging in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy. We investigated the role of lateral rectus muscle resection for patients after medial rectus muscle myectomy in Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and collected data from patients with persistent diplopia after medial rectus muscle myectomy for Graves' ophthalmopathy who underwent unilateral or bilateral lateral rectus muscle resection.

An Appraisal of the Preventive Effect of Statins on the Development of Graves' Ophthalmopathy: A Hospital-Based Cohort Study.

Introduction: Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder observed in a substantial proportion of patients with Graves' disease (GD), with debilitating symptoms of disfiguring, periorbital pain, dry eyes, diplopia, and even visual disturbances. Previous studies involving Western populations have noted discrepancies in risk factors for GO. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the risk factors for GO development and the protective effect of statins in newly diagnosed patients with GD in Taiwan.

Supraperiosteal fat repositioning with midface lift in lower eyelid blepharoplasty: an 18-year experience.

Purpose: To assess the clinical outcomes of fat repositioning via supraperiosteal dissection with midface lift for correction of tear trough deformity in a large Asian patient population.

Methods: Retrospectively review 1152 Asian patients who underwent fat repositioning to the supraperiosteal plane with a midface lift between 2005 and 2022. Surgical technique, postoperative course, and complications were recorded.

Long-term outcomes of inferomedial orbital wall decompression in Graves' ophthalmopathy in an Asian population: A 30-year retrospective study.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the long-term outcomes of inferomedial orbital wall decompression (IMOD) in Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO).

Methods: A retrospective review of 422 eyes of 226 patients with GO-related cosmetically disfiguring proptosis (COS), dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON), or exposure keratopathy (EXP) who received IMOD from 1989 to 2020 was conducted. Hertel value (HE) and corrected visual acuity (CVA) were evaluated at baseline and regularly thereafter.

The Changes in Ocular Biomechanical Response Parameters and Intraocular Pressure After Surgical Treatment for Thyroid Eye Disease.

Purpose: To investigate changes in ocular biomechanical response parameters and intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED) undergoing orbital decompression or anterior blepharotomy.

Methods: Eighty-three eyes from 46 patients receiving orbital decompression (the orbital decompression group) and 45 eyes from 28 patients receiving anterior blepharotomy (the anterior blepharotomy group) were retrospectively enrolled from a tertiary center. Corvis ST tonometry was used to assess ocular biomechanical response and biomechanically corrected IOP (bIOP) pre- and postoperatively.

The Role of Interleukin-17A and NLRP3 Inflammasome in the Pathogenesis of Graves' Ophthalmopathy.

The development of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is associated with autoimmune dysfunction. Recent studies have indicated that IL-17A, inflammasomes, and related cytokines may be involved in the etiology of GO. We sought to investigate the pathogenic role of IL-17A and NLRP3 inflammasomes in GO.

Postoperative residual vertical deviation affects quality of life in Asian patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (Graves ophthalmopathy).

Purpose: To evaluate the treatment effect of strabismus surgery for Graves ophthalmopathy in an ethnic Chinese population.

Study Design: A prospective clinical study.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with Graves ophthalmopathy who had undergone strabismus surgery at National Taiwan University Hospital between 2012 and 2013 were consecutively recruited.

Correction: Exploration of biomimetic poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) fibrous scaffolds for corneal nerve regeneration.

Correction for 'Exploration of biomimetic poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) fibrous scaffolds for corneal nerve regeneration' by Tien-Li Ma , , 2022, , 6372-6379, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TB01250B.

Exploration of biomimetic poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) fibrous scaffolds for corneal nerve regeneration.

Poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBG) made biomimetic scaffolds are explored as candidate materials for corneal nerve regeneration and neurotrophic keratopathy treatment. The PBG with built-in neurotransmitter glutamate was synthesized and fabricated into 3D fibrous scaffolds containing aligned fibers using electrospinning. In experiments, primary mouse trigeminal ganglia (TG) cells were used.

The Changes in Optic Nerve after Orbital Decompression Surgery for Thyroid Eye Disease and Case Reports of Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

Purpose: To demonstrate the changes in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) after orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease (TED).

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 52 surgical TED patients, 30 nonsurgical TED patients, and 30 control subjects. Five surgical TED eyes with disc edema were excluded.

An Outperforming Artificial Intelligence Model to Identify Referable Blepharoptosis for General Practitioners.

The aim of this study is to develop an AI model that accurately identifies referable blepharoptosis automatically and to compare the AI model's performance to a group of non-ophthalmic physicians. In total, 1000 retrospective single-eye images from tertiary oculoplastic clinics were labeled by three oculoplastic surgeons as having either ptosis, including true and pseudoptosis, or a healthy eyelid. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained for binary classification.

A deep learning approach to identify blepharoptosis by convolutional neural networks.

Purpose: Blepharoptosis is a known cause of reversible vision loss. Accurate assessment can be difficult, especially amongst non-specialists. Existing automated techniques disrupt clinical workflow by requiring user input, or placement of reference markers.

Simvastatin and ROCK Inhibitor Y-27632 Inhibit Myofibroblast Differentiation of Graves' Ophthalmopathy-Derived Orbital Fibroblasts RhoA-Mediated ERK and p38 Signaling Pathways.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced differentiation of orbital fibroblasts into myofibroblasts is an important pathogenesis of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and leads to orbital tissue fibrosis. In the present study, we explored the antifibrotic effects of simvastatin and ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 in primary cultured GO orbital fibroblasts and tried to explain the molecular mechanisms behind these effects. Both simvastatin and Y-27632 inhibited TGF-β-induced α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, which serves as a marker of fibrosis.

Efficacy and predictability of Muller's muscle-conjunctival resection with different tarsectomy lengths for unilateral blepharoptosis treatment.

Background: To investigate the efficacy and predictability of Muller's muscle-conjunctival resection (MMCR) with different lengths of tarsectomy for the treatment of unilateral mild-to-moderate blepharoptosis.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients who underwent MMCR with tarsectomy for unilateral mild-to-moderate blepharoptosis between January 2016 and December 2019 was performed. Individuals with adequate photographic documentation and good levator function were included.

Simvastatin Inhibits CYR61 Expression in Orbital Fibroblasts in Graves' Ophthalmopathy through the Regulation of FoxO3a Signaling.

Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), which is characterized by orbital tissue inflammation, expansion, and fibrosis, is the ocular manifestation in 25% to 50% of patients with Graves' disease. As the pathology of GO is driven by autoimmune inflammation, many proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines, including TNF-, IL-1, IL-6, and CCL20, are crucial in the pathogenesis of GO to activate the orbital fibroblasts. Cysteine-rich protein 61 (CYR61), which is known to regulate cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration, plays a proinflammatory role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Orbital Compartment Syndrome and Irreversible Blindness Related to Orbital Varix Thrombosis: A Case Report.

Background: Orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is an ocular emergency that can severely threaten the visual potential. The most common etiologies include facial trauma-related orbital wall fractures and postoperative bleeding within the orbit. Nontraumatic cases were also reported sporadically, although they are rare.

Orbital exenteration: A 20-year experience from a tertiary center in Taiwan.

Purpose: To describe the prognostic factors and survival outcomes in patients who underwent orbital exenteration surgery at a tertiary center over a 20-year period.

Methods: This institutional retrospective study reviewed all patients who underwent orbital exenteration between January 1999 and January 2019 at Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital. Patient demographics, tumor site, histopathology, status of surgical margins, additional resection, local recurrence, metastases, survival, and treatment data were recorded.

A 45-year experience of uveal melanoma in Taiwan: Verification of American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system and prognostic factors.

Background/purpose: To verify the staging system of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition for uveal melanoma, and to propose the prognostic factors of uveal melanoma by a 45-year cohort study.

Methods: We collected patients who underwent operation with pathological proof from 1973 to 2017. The demographic data including gender, age, laterality, metastatic pattern, and histopathology type were recorded.

Orbital and ocular adnexal lymphoma: a review of epidemiology and prognostic factors in Taiwan.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical features, prognostic outcomes of patients with orbital and ocular adnexal lymphoma (OALs) in Taiwanese cohort.

Methods: Total 112 patients with OALs were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic information such as age, gender, lymphoma subtype, tumor location and treatment modalities were recorded.