Nonsupine positioning is preferred by patients over face-down positioning and provides an equivalent closure rate in 25- and 23-gauge macular hole surgery.

Purpose: Strict face-down positioning after macular hole surgery is very difficult for most patients. Our study seeks to determine if alleviated positioning (avoidance of supine positioning) has equivalent successful closure rates when compared with face-down positioning. A patient survey was also performed to determine patient preference.

Povidone-iodine contact time and lid speculum use during intravitreal injection.

Purpose: To determine the time necessary for 5% povidone-iodine (PI) to cause a significant reduction in colony-forming units and whether a lid speculum increases the conjunctival flora.

Methods: This was a prospective randomized study of 131 eyes undergoing intravitreal injection. Conjunctival samples were collected in a prospective protocol at three points before intravitreal injection: (1) no intervention (baseline), (2) after placement of a lid speculum, and (3) after treatment with 5% PI.

Visual outcome and risk factors for light perception and no light perception vision after vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: To assess the visual outcome following vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy compared with previous studies; to evaluate risk factors for light perception (LP) and no light perception (NLP) vision after diabetic vitrectomy.

Design: Retrospective medical record review.

Methods: The charts of 100 consecutive patients who underwent vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy between November 1, 1997, and November 30, 1998, were reviewed.

An association between central serous chorioretinopathy and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Purpose: To explore a clinically observed association between central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) DESIGN: A retrospective case-control study.

Participants And Controls: Sixty-nine consecutive patients diagnosed with CSC were compared with a control group of 55 non-CSC patients.

Methods: The records of 69 patients with CSC were retrospectively reviewed and compared with the records of 55 controls.

Sheathotomy to decompress branch retinal vein occlusion: a matched control study.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of arteriovenous sheathotomy surgery to decompress branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, comparative interventional trial with concurrent control group.

Participants: Twenty eyes with decreased visual acuity secondary to BRVO who underwent vitrectomy and surgical decompression by means of arteriovenous sheathotomy were compared with 20 control eyes (10 observation and 10 laser treated).

Retinochoroidal collateral veins protect against anterior segment neovascularization after central retinal vein occlusion.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that retinochoroidal collateral veins (RCVs), or alternatively, retinociliary or optociliary shunts/collaterals/veins or opticociliary anastomoses, act protectively against the development of anterior segment neovascularization (ASN) following central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Design: Case-control retrospective medical record review of patients with CRVO.

Patients: We identified 107 patients with CRVO, of whom 34 had developed ASN, by reviewing their medical records.