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Purpose: To study the changing trends in the morphology of cataracts at a tertiary eye care center in South India due to COVID-19 pandemic-related national lockdown. Methods: A retrospective study conducted at a tertiary eye care center in Andhra Pradesh state of South India, which included 1724 patients (1753 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery at our center during April 2019–July 2019 (1298 eyes of 1271 patients) and April 2020–July 2020 (455 eyes of 453 patients). Factors studied included preoperative lens status, associated phacodonesis or subluxation, pupil size, other eye lens status, associated retinal problems, glaucoma, and complications during surgery. Postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), corneal clarity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and disc status at postoperative day 1, 1 week, and 1-month visits were compared. Results: A significantly lower proportion of nuclear sclerosis (decreased from 83.2% in last year before lockdown to 55.2% during lockdown) and significantly higher proportions of mature, brown, or black cataract and phacomorphic, phacolytic, or Morgagnian cataract (increased from 15.5% in last year before lockdown to 43.8% during lockdown) were observed. The proportion of small-incision cataract surgery decreased significantly (from 63.2% to 57.4%), whereas the proportion of phacoemulsification increased significantly (from 35.9% to 41.5%) during lockdown as compared to last year. A significantly higher proportion of eyes with small pupils and association with retinal pathology were also observed during the lockdown. Conclusion: During the national lockdown, there was a shift from nuclear sclerosis grade toward mature, brown, black grade of cataracts. In addition, the proportion of small-incision cataract surgery decreased significantly whereas the proportion of phacoemulsification increased significantly during the lockdown. More number of cataracts with small pupils and associated retinal pathology were observed during the lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study impact of COVID-19 related national lockdown on care of corneal transplantation patients at a tertiary eye centre in Andhra Pradesh state of South India.Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted at tertiary eye care centre in Andhra Pradesh state of South India, included 109 patients who underwent keratoplasty(full thickness or partial thickness) at our centre and who came for follow-up visit after lockdown. Factors such as type, indication, number of keratoplasties in the operated eye, and unusual clinical outcomes identified during visit after the lockdown, were studied. Uncorrected visual acuity, best corrected visual acuity, clarity of graft, graft-host junction apposition, intactness of sutures, intraocular pressure and disc status were compared on visits made before and after lockdown.Results: During lockdown, 77.1% patients were properly using medications that was significantly (P = 0.0003) lower than that of before the lockdown (90.8%). After the lockdown, 82.3% patients were using medications properly that was comparable (P = 0.11) to that of during the lockdown (77.1%). The proportion of eyes with clear grafts and intact sutures decreased significantly after lockdown. The unusual outcomes observed after the lockdown were graft failure (36.7%), graft edema (11%), graft infiltrate(5.5%), phthysis bulbi (1.85%) and edematous graft cleared in eyes 3.7% eyes.Conclusion: We noted significant drop in usage of medications from 91% before lockdown to 77% during lockdown and maintained at 83% after lockdown. Edematous grafts increased from 41% before lockdown to 54% after the lockdown. Intactness of sutures decreased from 82% before lockdown to 69% after lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]