Human ; BLINDNESS ; EYE CARE ; OPHTHALMOLOGY

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features of patients with decreased visual acuity (VA) of the dominant eye as compared to that of the amblyopic eye during occlusion therapy. METHODS: The authors analyzed clinical features of 28 patients with VA reversed between the two eyes during occlusion therapy among 500 patients treated with occlusion therapy under the diagnosis of monocular amblyopia. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with strabismic amblyopia (SA), five patients with anisometropic amblyopia (AA) and two patients with combined amblyopia (CA) were enrolled in the present study. Decreased VA of the dominant eye as compared to that of the amblyopic eye occurred 66.75 +/- 83.63 weeks after the onset of occlusion therapy. Reversion of VA between both eyes occurred during amblyopia treatment in 17 patients and during maintenance therapy in 11 patients. The reversed VA was recovered in all patients. The mean duration (MD) of reversed VA was 15.00 +/- 24.43 weeks, and the number of clinic visits (CV) was 4.68 +/- 8.65. In five patients, the MD of reversed VA (59.80 +/- 30.14 weeks, p = 0.016) and the number of CVs (18.40 +/- 14.48, p < 0.001) were significantly longer than those of the other 23 patients (MD of reversed VA: 5.78 +/- 4.04 weeks, number of CV: 1.70 +/- 1.22); those five patients had low compliances and SAs. CONCLUSIONS: Visual acuity was recovered in all patients with decreased VA of the dominant eye as compared to that of the amblyopic eye during occlusion therapy, rapid recovery was observed in most patients except in several patients with low compliance.
Amblyopia ; Ambulatory Care ; Compliance ; Eye ; Humans ; Phenothiazines ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of cyclosporine 0.05% in reduced tear production sign and dry eye symptoms after cataract surgery. METHODS: This hospital-based prospective randomized trial included 43 patients of 83 eyes who underwent phacoemulsification. Tear break-up time, Schirmer's test, corneal and conjunctival stain, and ocular surface disease index were performed for all patients at preoperative 1 day, and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months postoperatively. Group 1 received carboxymethylcellulose 0.5%, group 2 received twice-daily cyclosporine 0.05%, and group 3 did not receive any additional eye drops. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the 3 groups in outcome measures. Two months after cataract surgery, the cyclosporine group showed improved tear break-up time, Schirmer's test I, and corneal and conjunctival staining. CONCLUSIONS: Cyclosporine 0.05% therapy reduced dry eye signs and symptoms after cataract surgery.
Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium ; Cataract ; Cyclosporine ; Eye ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Phacoemulsification ; Prospective Studies ; Tears

For practicing comprehensive approach to health problems, family physicians should see both biomedical aspects and psychosocial aspects of each patient at the same time. Family physicians can hypothesize and intervene effectively the psychosocial aspects of patients through family-centered health care. Genogram, family life cycle, family's resources for stressful life events, and adaptability and cohesiveness of patients' family are the four eyes of family physicians, those enable family physicians to see the family of patients in their health care practice. Family-centered health care in family practice can be achieved by applications of family-related questions to routine health care practice, approaches to the family dynamics in patients with red flags, and family conferences for inpatients and patients with more difficult problems. Family-centered health care is the core practice of comprehensive approach to health problems and an important identity of family medicine.
Congresses as Topic ; Delivery of Health Care ; Eye ; Family Practice ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Physicians, Family

PURPOSE: To assess the safety and efficacy of intracorneal ring segment (Intacs ring) implantation in managing keratoconus. METHODS: This retrospective case series comprised of 11 keratoconic eyes (11 patients) had Intacs ring (Addition Technology, Inc, California, USA) implantation. The main outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity, refraction, keratometry, topography, and pachymetry. Patients were examined before Intacs ring implantation as well as one week, one, three, and six months postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean best corrected visual acuity improved from 0.60+/-0.33 logMAR preoperatively to 0.39+/-0.23 logMAR six months postoperatively (p>0.05) and the mean corneal thickness, from 432.82+/-41.17 micrometer preoperatively to 448.00+/-62.27 micrometer at six months (p>0.05). The mean cylinder improved from -5.36+/-2.70D preoperatively to -2.50+/-1.66D six months postoperatively (p<0.05) and the mean keratometry, from 47.99+/-2.38D to 42.83+/-1.72D at six months (p<0.05). In addition, the mean spherical equivalent improved from -6.64+/-3.49D preoperatively to -3.66+/-3.37D six months postoperatively (p<0.05). One eye had a risk of ring exposure, but the others had no significant complications. CONCLUSIONS: Intacs ring implantation appears to be effective in improving cylinder, spherical equivalent, and keratometry in patients with keratoconus.
California ; Eye ; Humans ; Keratoconus ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To compare and analyze the clinical outcomes after the traditional mini-flap technique and a new modified mini-flap technique for pterygium surgery. METHODS: This is a retrospective, clinical outcome study of 39 eyes that received the existing mini-flap technique from January, 2004 to August, 2005, and 142 eyes that received the modified mini-flap technique from September, 2008 to December, 2010. We analyzed the recurrence rate of each mini-flap technique and the difference between the group that experienced recurrence and the group that did not. We also analyzed the difference between the group that received the mini-flap technique and the group that received the modified mini-flap technique. RESULTS: The recurrence rate of pterygium patients who received the mini-flap technique was 10.3% (4/39). The rate of those who received the modified mini-flap technique was 2.1% (3/142), which is statistically lower (p = 0.040). However, compared from the recurrence rate of 6.1% (3/49) that was reported in 2008, the recurrence rate of the modified mini-flap technique did not show any statistical significance (p = 0.165). From the comparison of demographic factors of the patients in each surgical technique group, in both recurred and not recurred group, the patient group in the modified mini-flap technique group whose pterygium was recurrd was the youngest (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The newly applied modified mini-flap technique is not only a safe method with low recurrence rate compared to the traditional mini-flap technique, but also a reliable surgical technique in both primary and recurred pterygium.
Demography ; Eye ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Pterygium ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Intraocular metastasis is the most common malignancy of the eye. The frequency of intraocular metastasis in all the patients dying of cancer is about 12% and ocular metastases will be detected more frequently in the future because the patients with malignant tumor are now living longer. Intraocular metastasis can cause a serious clinical problem such as blindness. The early recognition and treatment of intraocular metastasis are very important clinical oncologic issues to maintain vision and to maximize the quality of life. However, significance of intraocular metastasis is still under-evaluated for practicing oncologists. External beam radiotherapy is a safe, effective palliative treatment in terms of preserving both the vision and the eye globe.
Blindness ; Eye ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Palliative Care ; Quality of Life ; Vision, Ocular

Eye Diseases ; prevention & control ; Home Care Services ; Humans ; Schools ; Single-Blind Method ; Students ; Urban Population

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of glaucoma after pediatric cataract surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 173 eyes which underwent pediatric cataract surgery from June 1998 to December 2009. The following parameters were ascertained: sex, laterality of cataract, age at diagnosis, age at surgery, cataract type, operation methods, optic capture, axial length (AXL), keratometry, follow-up period, and association of general abnormality. RESULTS: Out of the 173 eyes reviewed, 8.6% were diagnosed with glaucoma. The factors not significantly different in the glaucoma group compared to the non-glaucoma group were sex, laterality of cataract, age at diagnosis, AXL, and keratometry (p > 0.05). The incidence of glaucoma was significantly higher in the aphakic group compared to the pseudophakic group. Young age at surgery, no optic capture, pars plana lensectomy, sulcus IOL implantation, and nuclear type cataract were significantly associated with increased risk of postoperative glaucoma (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with several predictors of postoperative glaucoma which may affect visual acuity may require extensive postoperative care after pediatric cataract surgery.
Cataract ; Eye ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Postoperative Care ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To compare clinical outcomes of a 2.2 mm microcoaxial cataract surgery, using torsional mode and longitudinal mode. METHODS: In this comparative study, patients with bilateral cataract were assigned to get microcoaxial cataract surgery by torsional mode of infiniti in one eye and longitudinal mode of Stellaris(R) in the other eye. Primary outcome measures were US time (UST), cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), mean amount of balanced salt solution (BSS) used and surgical complications. Patients were seen 1, 7, 30, and 60 days after surgery. Postoperative outcome measures were the final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central corneal thickness (CCT), endothelial cell count and surgically induced astigmatism (SIA). RESULTS: The study evaluated 68 eyes of 34 patients (nuclear opalescence (NO)2: 40 eyes, and NO3: 28 eyes). CDE was significantly lower in torsional mode (3.52 +/- 2.93) than in longitudinal mode (6.20 +/- 3.32) (p = 0.001). Torsional mode (60.88 +/- 21.18 ml) had more BSS use than longitudinal mode (34.58 +/- 13.54 ml) (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in postoperative BCVA, CCT change, endothelial change, and SIA (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The torsional mode may provide lower level of phacoemulsification energy than the longitudinal mode and Torsional mode is considered effective and safe phacoemulsification. However the surgical outcomes were not significantly different in 2.2 mm microcoaxial cataract surgery of moderate cataract. So surgeon can choose any phaco machine based on experience and preference.
Astigmatism ; Cataract ; Endothelial Cells ; Eye ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Peroxides ; Phacoemulsification* ; Urea ; Visual Acuity