Harinderjit Singh

23-gauge vitrectomy in 100 eyes: short-term visual outcomes and complications.

Purpose: To report the short-term outcomes and complications of patients undergoing 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless pars plana vitrectomy. Methods: Retrospective, consecutive, noncomparative case series in which 100 eyes of 100 patients underwent elective 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for a variety of surgical indications. All patients were examined on postoperative day 1 and then approximately 1 and 4 weeks later. Demographic and ophthalmic data were recorded. Results: Fifty-two men and 48 women (mean age = 65 years) were observed for a mean of 26 weeks. Mean preoperative visual acuity was 20/842 and mean final postoperative visual acuity was 20/429. Postoperative visual acuity improved in 68% of patients, worsened in 16%, and remained unchanged in 16%. Mean preoperative intraocular pressure was 15 mmHg and mean postoperative intraocular pressure at final visit was 14 mmHg. No sutures were required to close sclerotomies and no intraoperative complications were observed, though one eye required conversion to 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy during silicone oil removal. Postoperative complications included retinal detachment, cataract progression, vitreous hemorrhage, persistent macular hole, new macular hole, phthisis, posterior capsular opacification, and severe chemosis. Conclusions: Twenty-three-gauge pars plana vitrectomy demonstrates short-term visual outcomes and complication rates that are comparable to those reported with 20- and 25-gauge systems.

Surgical treatment of extensive peripapillary choroidal neovascularization in elderly patients.

Purpose To report the visual outcomes and complications of surgical removal of extensive peripapillary choroidal neovascularization (PPCNV) in elderly patients. Design Retrospective review. Participants Seventeen consecutive eyes of 17 patients older than age 55 undergoing PPCNV resection. Methods Retrospective review of eyes undergoing surgical removal of extensive PPCNV via pars plana vitrectomy. Main Outcome Measures Preoperative and postoperative Snellen visual acuity. Results The mean age of patients was 76.9 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 29.8 months. In 6 of 17 eyes, the PPCNV was extrafoveal; in two eyes, it was juxtafoveal; and in nine eyes, it was subfoveal. The cause of CNV was idiopathic (nine eyes), age-related macular degeneration (six eyes), presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (one eye), and inflammation (one eye). All eyes were ineligible for laser treatment by MPS criteria. In eyes with extrafoveal CNV, the preoperative Snellen visual acuity ranged from 20/25 to 20/300, and the final visual acuity ranged from 20/40 to 20/800. The two eyes with juxtafoveal CNV had preoperative visual acuities of 20/125 and 20/300, and both had a postoperative acuity of 20/200. Eyes with subfoveal CNV had a range of preoperative visual acuity from 20/125 to 20/800, whereas the final visual acuity ranged from 20/30 to hand motions. Four of the nine eyes with subfoveal lesions had improved visual acuity. Overall, the final visual acuity was stable or improved in six eyes and worsened in 11 eyes. CNV recurrence was noted in four eyes and required reexcision, laser photocoagulation, or both. Surgical complications included retinal detachment (two eyes), retinal hole and epiretinal membrane (one eye), cystoid macular edema (two eyes), and subsequent cataract extraction (four eyes). Conclusions Surgical removal of extensive PPCNV in the elderly does not often yield improvement or stabilization of visual acuity. However, 6 of 17 patients had stable or improved visual acuity.

Vitreal penetration of oral moxifloxacin in humans.

Purpose: To investigate the vitreal penetration of moxifloxacin after oral administration. Design: Prospective, nonrandomized clinical series. Methods: Twenty-four patients (mean age = 62.8 years) undergoing elective pars plana vitrectomy were assigned to a dosing group: control (n = 3), which received no medication; single-dose (n = 11), which received one 400 mg oral dose of moxifloxacin 3 hours before surgery; and five-dose (n = 10), which received one 400 mg dose on each of the 4 days preceding surgery and a fifth dose 3 hours before surgery. Vitreous samples were obtained and analyzed. Results: Control, below quantifiable levels; single-dose, 0.572 ± 0.239 μg/mL; and five-dose, 1.200 ± 0.645 μg/mL. Conclusions: Five doses of oral moxifloxacin lead to higher intravitreal drug concentrations than single-dose administration. Both regimens, however, achieve levels that exceed the MIC90 of many bacteria implicated in postoperative endophthalmitis.

Ranibizumab 0.3 mg for Persistent Diabetic Macular Edema After Recent, Frequent, and Chronic Bevacizumab: The ROTATE Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of 0.3 mg ranibizumab (Lucentis; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA) in eyes with persistent diabetic macular edema (DME) after recent, chronic, and frequent bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA). PATIENTS AND METHODS Open-label, prospective study of 0.3 mg ranibizumab for eyes with persistent DME after bevacizumab. Thirty eyes randomized to a sustained group or a pro re nata (PRN) dosing group. RESULTS The mean change in ETDRS best-corrected visual acuity from baseline to 1 year was +6.7 letters in the sustained group, +6.4 letters in the PRN group, and +6.5 letters overall. There was an overall mean reduction of 116 µm from baseline central subfield thickness at 1 year, with -92 µm and -127 µm decreases in the sustained and PRN groups, respectively. Adverse events included two deaths; one patient with multiple cardiopulmonary comorbidities, myocardial infarction, stroke, osteomyelitis; and mild posterior subcapsular cataracts in two eyes. CONCLUSION Ranibizumab 0.3 mg demonstrated improved visual and anatomic outcomes in patients with persistent DME following bevacizumab. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016;47:1030-1037.].

Intravitreal Aflibercept for Neovascular Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy in a Predominantly Non-Asian Population: RIVAL Results

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE To evaluate safety and efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept (Eylea; Regeneron, Tarrytown, NY) injection (IAI) for the treatment of neovascular polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in a predominantly non-Asian population. PATIENTS AND METHODS This was an open-label, prospective, unmasked, nonrandomized clinical trial. Twenty eyes with neovascular PCV received monthly 2.0 mg IAI for 3 months followed by mandatory IAI every 2 months for 12 months. RESULTS The mean change in ETDRS best-corrected visual acuity from baseline to 1 year was +11 letters in the treatment-naïve group, +5 letters in the treatment non-naïve group, and +9 letters overall. There was an overall mean reduction of 70 µm from baseline central subfield thickness (CST) at 1 year. Patients received a mean of 6.2 mandatory and 0.7 additional IAI injections overall during the course of 1 year. No serious ocular adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION At 1 year, neovascular PCV in a predominantly non-Asian population treated with IAI demonstrated favorable visual, anatomic, and safety outcomes. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2017;48:34-44.].

Endolaserless Vitrectomy with Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection (IAI) for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR)-Related Vitreous Hemorrhage (LASER LESS TRIAL)

Purpose: For proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) eyes not requiring vitrectomy, Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Protocol S and the CLARITY trial demonstrated better visual function and anatomical outcomes with less proliferative and diabetic macular edema consequences in the antivascular endothelial growth factor groups compared to the panretinal photocoagulation groups. Intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) may represent a useful therapy with vitrectomy for PDR-related vitreous hemorrhage (VH) as a viable alternative to intraoperative endolaser during vitrectomy. We will determine the safety and efficacy when aflibercept is used for PDR-related VH with endolaserless vitrectomy. Methods: Evaluation of endolaserless vitrectomy and 2 mg IAI for PDR-related VH. Eyes receive 1 preoperative and intraoperative IAI followed by randomization to a q8week group receiving 4 postoperative q4week IAI followed by q8week IAI or q16week group receiving 2 postoperative q4week IAI followed by q16week IAI. Main Outcome Measures: Herein, we present pooled safety and efficacy outcomes through 4 months. Results: Twenty-one of 24 eyes were randomized. Preoperative average visual acuity (VA) was 36 letters (20/200). At 4-month follow-up, 18 of 21 randomized eyes showed an average VA of 72 letters (20/40) with an average visual gain of 38 (range, 0-84 gain) letters. Average optical coherence tomography (OCT) central subfield thickness (CST) at 1-month postoperative follow-up was 311 µm. Average OCT CST at 4-month follow-up was 272 µm (average thinning of 38 µm). No significant short-term ocular or systemic adverse events were observed through 4 months. Conclusions: Endolaserless vitrectomy with IAI for PDR-related VH demonstrates short-term safety with significant VA improvement.