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Pamela L Nguyen,1 Jose Amezcua Moreno,1 Diep Tran,1 Kathleen McHugh,2,3 Fasika A Woreta,1 Megan E Collins,1,4 Cindy X Cai1,5 1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Shepherd’s Clinic, Baltimore, MD, USA; 3Primary Care, MedStar Medical Group, Columbia, MD, USA; 4Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; 5Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, Department of Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Cindy X Cai, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA, Tel +1-410-502-2789, Fax +1-410-367-2495, Email ccai6@jhmi.eduPurpose: To characterize the baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients seen through the Free Diabetic Screening (FDS) program, a free diabetic retinopathy screening program for uninsured patients, in the ophthalmology resident clinic at the Wilmer Eye Institute.Patients and Methods: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study included uninsured patients ≥ 18 years with diabetes mellitus seen through the FDS clinic from 2013 to 2023. Data extraction was performed using manual chart review of the first FDS visit, and automated extraction of the data warehouse related to all other office visits. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics at presentation, treatments, and follow-ups were collected.Results: A total of 422 patients were included in this study (mean age 52 years; 59% female; 47% Hispanic; 49% Spanish as primary language). One-third of patients had some form of diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema, and 12% had vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy at presentation. In all, nearly 10% of patients were referred for further specialty care, and 71% of these patients completed at least one follow-up visit. The majority of patients (55%) returned for care as recommended and were followed for a mean length of 200 weeks and 10 office visits.Conclusion: The FDS clinic provided much needed diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment for uninsured patients in Baltimore City and surrounding areas. This study highlights the need for strong integration between initial screening and downstream services, as nearly 10% of patients require further sub-specialty intervention or care.Keywords: uninsured, free clinic, diabetic retinopathy, health disparities

Abdelhalim A Awidi,1 Jiawei Zhao,2 Ximin Li,1 Fatemeh Rajaii,1 Meleha Ahmad,3 Adrianna Jensen,4 Fasika A Woreta1 1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Plastic Surgery Department, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; 3Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; 4Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department, Pacific Center for Oculofacial and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, San Francisco, CA, USACorrespondence: Fasika A Woreta, Ophthalmology Department, Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA, Tel +1 410 955 5650, Email fworeta1@jhmi.eduPurpose: To investigate the etiology and demographic associations of patients presenting with eyelid lacerations to a US level 1 trauma center emergency department (ED).Patient and Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients with eyelid lacerations presenting to the ED at a single level 1 trauma center was performed. Eyelid lacerations were categorized as simple eyelid lacerations, eyelid lacerations with eyelid margin involvement, and eyelid lacerations with nasolacrimal system involvement. Data on demographics and clinical characteristics were analyzed.Results: A total of 303 eyelid laceration cases were identified, 56% were simple eyelid lacerations, followed by 24% with nasolacrimal involvement and 20% involving the eyelid margin. Sixty percent of animal bites/scratches resulted in a nasolacrimal system involving laceration, most commonly affecting children. Falls were the most common etiology in children and patients over the age of 60. Black patients, patients presenting with concomitant ophthalmic injuries, and those with Medicaid insurance were more likely to have an assault etiology (p < 0.05 for all).Conclusion: Falls were the most common etiology for eyelid lacerations in children and the elderly, while assault was the most common in adults. Identifying the most common etiology by demographic factors can help raise awareness regarding targeted prevention strategies for high-risk populations.Keywords: eyelid lacerations, ocular trauma, eye injury, emergency department

Brittany C Tsou,1 Kerry Smith,1 Rahul Shah,1 Fasika A Woreta,1 S Swaroop Vedula,2 Shameema Sikder1 1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Shameema Sikder, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA, Tel +1-240-482-1108, Email ssikder1@jhmi.eduPurpose: To estimate the opportunity cost to attending surgeons of teaching residents cataract surgery in the operating room.Patients and methods: Operating room records at an academic teaching hospital from July 2016 to July 2020 were analyzed in this retrospective review of cases. Cases were identified using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 66982 and 66984 for cataract surgery. Outcomes measured include operative time and work relative value units (wRVUs). Cost analysis was performed using the generic 2021 Medicare Conversion Factor.Results: Of 8813 cases, 2906 (33.0%) included resident involvement. For CPT 66982 cases, median (interquartile range (IQR)) operative time was 47 (22) minutes with resident involvement and 28 (18) minutes without (p< 0.001). For CPT 66984 cases, median (IQR) operative time was 34 (15) minutes with resident involvement and 20 (11) minutes without (p< 0.001). Median wRVUs was 78.5 (20.9) with resident involvement and 61.0 (14.4) without (p< 0.001) which converted to an opportunity cost (IQR) per case of &dollar;1393.72 (&dollar;1055.63). Among cases involving residents, median operative time was significantly higher during the first and second quarters (p< 0.001) and for every quarter when compared to cases performed by attendings only (p< 0.001).Conclusion: Teaching cataract surgery in the operating room is associated with a considerable opportunity cost for attending surgeons.Keywords: cataract surgery, resident involvement, opportunity cost, relative value units

Zain Hussain,1 Asher Khan,2,3 Asad Loya,4 Kaushal Shah,5 Fasika A Woreta,6 Kamran M Riaz2 1University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; 3College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; 5Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, OK, USA; 6Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Kamran M Riaz, Dean McGee Eye Institute/University of Oklahoma, 608 Stanton L Young Blvd, Suite 313, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA, Tel +1-405-271-1095, Fax +1-405-271-3680, Email Kamran-Riaz@dmei.orgPurpose: To investigate the association between early lifetime substance use on the development of severe visual acuity impairment or blindness on a national level.Methods: National Survey of Drug Use and Health data was used to identify cases of substance use before 18 years of age, within the past year, and cases of self-reported blindness or visual impairment. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression with time-dependency was performed to evaluate odds of visual impairment influenced by 16 substances separated into three classes: prescription, non-prescription, and illicit drugs. Adjusted variables of interest included gender, marital status, race, level of education, total family income, poverty level, population density, and history of chronic disease.Results: 55,824 total responses were analyzed with 2577 (4.6%) cases of self-reported blindness or significant visual impairment. All early-use substance categories, including prescription, non-prescription, and illegal substances, were significantly associated with self-reported VI (OR 2.068, CI 1.451– 2.949, p< 0.001; OR 1.352, CI 1.227– 1.489, p< 0.001); OR 1.211, CI 1.086– 1.352, p< 0.001), respectively). Non-prescription substances displayed parallel significances amongst all constituents (alcohol, cigarettes, inhalants, and marijuana) (OR=1.227, CI 1.12– 1.344, p< 0.001; OR 1.363, CI 1.243– 1.495, p< 0.001; OR 1.418, CI 1.134– 1.774; OR 1.388, CI 1.27– 1.518, p< 0.001, respectively). Univariable and multivariate analysis revealed several significant demographical and clinical adjustors.Conclusion: Early lifetime use of all three classes of substances is associated with enhanced odds of subsequent visual impairment or blindness. Several readily available and commonly used substances have a greater risk. These findings may help clinicians and public health agencies in mitigation ventures including education, prevention, and rehabilitation efforts.Keywords: substance use, ophthalmology, vision loss

Adrianna D Jensen,1 Kamil Taneja,1,2 Meleha T Ahmad,1,3 Fasika A Woreta,1 Fatemeh Rajaii1 1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USACorrespondence: Fatemeh Rajaii, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee 505, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA, Tel +1-410-955-1112, Fax +1-410-614-9987, Email frajaii1@jhmi.eduPurpose: To determine the incidence, characteristics, and costs associated with orbital hemorrhages presenting to US EDs.Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective, longitudinal study of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, 2006 to 2018. Medical records from patients presenting to participating hospital-owned EDs and diagnosed with primary or secondary orbital hemorrhage were examined to determine incidence, demographics, clinical characteristics, mechanism, disposition and related risk factors, and costs.Results: From 2006 to 2018, an estimated 20,762 US ED visits included an orbital hemorrhage diagnosis. Most primary diagnosis patients were elderly (35%) and male (51%), and incidence increased from 1.1 (95% CI: 0.8– 1.4) to 3.1 per million (95% CI: 2.5– 3.7, p < 0.0001). Fall was the most common mechanism (21.6%), particularly among the elderly (39.9%). Fall-related diagnoses increased from 0.03 (95% CI: − 0.01– 0.07) to 1.0 per million (95% CI: 0.7– 1.3, p < 0.0001), while overall falls increased by only 7%. Assault-related orbital hemorrhage increased from 0.1 (95% CI: 0.0– 0.2) to 0.6 per million (95% CI: 0.4– 0.7, p < 0.0001), while overall assaults decreased by 22%. Annual total ED costs increased from &dollar;463,220 (95% CI: 233,993– 692,446) to &dollar;6,117,320 (95% CI: 4,665,403– 7,569,237, p < 0.001). Inpatient admission was uncommon (9.0%), but related costs totaled &dollar;18.9 million (95% CI: 13.3– 24.5). Odds of admission were lower in fall- and objects-related injuries and higher with certain concurrent injuries.Conclusion: Orbital hemorrhages are becoming more frequent and costly. A disproportionately large increase in fall- and assault-related diagnoses highlights the need for targeted injury prevention strategies to reduce cost and morbidity.Keywords: orbital trauma, ocular trauma, epidemiology, cost

Sarah C Miller,1 Prajna Meeralakshmi,2 Michael J Fliotsos,3 Grant A Justin,4 Yoshihiro Yonekawa,5 Ariel Chen,1 Annette K Hoskin,6,7 Richard J Blanch,8– 10 Kara M Cavuoto,11 Rebecca Low,12 Ximin Li,1,13 Matthew Gardiner,14 TY Alvin Liu,1 Ankoor S Shah,14 James D Auran,15 Rupesh Agrawal,12,16– 18 Fasika A Woreta1 On behalf of The International Globe and Adnexal Trauma Epidemiology Study (IGATES)1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA; 4Vitreoretinal Surgery Service, Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC, USA; 5Wills Eye Hospital, Mid Atlantic Retina, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 6Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 7Lions Eye Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; 8Academic Department of Military Surgery and Trauma, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, England; 9University Hospitals Birmingham, NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, England; 10Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England; 11Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; 12Department of Ophthalmology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore; 13Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; 14Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA; 15Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, USA; 16Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore; 17Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; 18Duke NUS Medical School, SingaporeCorrespondence: Fasika A Woreta, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA, Tel +410-961-2868, Fax +410-614-9632, Email fworeta1@jhmi.edu Rupesh Agrawal, Department of Ophthalmology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Duke NUS Medical School, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore, Tel +6563571000, Email Rupesh_agrawal@ttsh.com.sgPurpose: Hyphema is a sequela of ocular trauma and can be associated with significant morbidity. Management of this condition is variable and can depend on individual institutional guidelines. We aimed to summarize current practices in hyphema management across ophthalmological institutions worldwide.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted across North America, Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia from August 2020 to January 2021. The survey assessed the existing practices in the management of hyphema at each institution.Results: For layered hyphema, topical steroids were routinely administered by 34 (of 36 respondents, 94.4%) institutions, of which prednisolone was the preferred choice (n = 32, 88.9%). Topical cycloplegics were used at 34 (94.4%) institutions. No institution reported routine use of antifibrinolytics. Head elevation was the most deployed procedure to promote hyphema reabsorption (n = 31, 86.3%), followed by partial bed rest (n = 21, 58.3%). The majority of institutions (n = 25, 69.4%) did not routinely pursue admission for hyphema patients, although 75.0% of institutions (n = 27) scheduled follow-up visits within 48 hours of presentation. Additionally, few institutions performed routine sickle cell trait testing for patients presenting with hyphema (n = 6, 16.7%). The decision to perform anterior chamber washout varied and was often based on intraocular pressure and the speed of hyphema resolution.Conclusion: Unanimity of international institutions on hyphema management is lacking. As it stands, many current interventions have unconvincing evidence supporting their use. Evidence-based guidelines would be beneficial in guiding decision-making on hyphema management. Additionally, areas of consensus can be used as foundations for future standard of care investigations.Keywords: current practices, hyphema, trauma, sickle cell, anterior segment

Grant A Justin,1,2 Mohammed Soleimani,3 Sidra Zafar,4 Kasra Cheraqpour,5 Catherine Green,6 Mohammad Moin,7 N Venkatesh Prajna,8 Karl C Golnik,9 Fasika A Woreta4 1Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC, USA; 2Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; 3Department of Ocular Trauma and Emergency, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 4Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; 5Department of Eye Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 6Glaucoma Unit, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; 7Department of Ophthalmology, Amee ud Din Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan; 8Department of Cornea and Refractive Eye Services, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India; 9Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati, The Cincinnati Eye Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USACorrespondence: Grant A Justin, Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC, USA, Tel +1 609-468-2468, Email grant.a.justin@gmail.comBackground/Aims: To produce an internationally developed rubric to assess surgical competency in open globe management.Methods: An international expert panel of seven ophthalmologist educators developed a standardized competency-based rubric. The steps to perform an open globe repair were outlined. Based on a modified Dreyfus model, the experts agreed on the steps of surgery and certain global indices. They then assigned descriptors for the competency expected of a novice, beginner, advanced beginner, and competent surgeon. The tool was then vetted by another panel of ten ophthalmologists. The main outcome measure was the final version of the tool as agreed upon by the expert review panel.Results: The steps of open globe repair and key global indices were established. Descriptive wording for each step and global indices for novice, beginner, advanced beginner, and competent surgery were listed. All the expert comments were integrated to establish face and content validity.Conclusion: This standardized rubric to evaluate resident competency should be used globally in training programs to assess open globe repair surgical skills. Using a modified Dreyfus model, four different levels of training competency were defined allowing a non-biased, objective, numerical and simple assessment.Keywords: open globe, resident education, surgical competency

Mya Abousy,1 Andy Schilling,1 Mary Qiu,2 Grant A Justin,3 Fatemeh Rajaii,1 Ximin Li,1 Fasika A Woreta1 1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USACorrespondence: Fasika A Woreta, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA, Email fworeta1@jhmi.eduPurpose: To describe ophthalmology resident experience with ophthalmic trauma cases in the U.S. Methods: We analyzed Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) case log data and de-identified case logs from US ophthalmology residency programs for residents graduating in 2018. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes documented as “Globe Trauma” and trauma-related “Oculoplastic and Orbit” codes including lid lacerations and lateral canthotomies were analyzed.Results: 38 residency programs provided case logs (response rate: 32.2%). Residents performed an average of 7.24± 4.37 open globe repairs, 8.66± 6.94 lid laceration repairs, 0.49± 1.4 orbital fracture repairs, 1.22± 1.81 lateral canthotomies, and 0.28± 0.69 anterior chamber washouts as primary surgeon. On average, the most logged “Globe Trauma” procedure was open globe repair as primary surgeon. The more common trauma-related “Oculoplastic and Orbit” procedure was lid laceration repair as primary surgeon. 42.8% of residents did not log any lateral canthotomy procedures. Medium programs performed significantly more canthotomies than large programs (F(2166) = 6.35, p = 0.002), and large programs performed significantly more orbital fracture repairs than small and medium programs (F(2166) = 4.45, p = 0.013).Conclusion: Significant variation in globe trauma volume exists across programs. ACGME guidelines require a minimum of four globe trauma procedures for graduation, but procedures like anterior chamber paracentesis count towards this requirement. Open globe repairs, simple lid lacerations, and lateral canthotomies are basic skills every graduating resident should be competent in. Updating ACGME case log requirements for ophthalmic trauma and increasing opportunities for wet lab simulations may assist in ensuring graduating ophthalmology residents’ competency in performing these procedures.Keywords: globe trauma, ACGME, education, residency, surgical education

Michael J Fliotsos,1 Donovan Stephen Reed,2 Gregory Giles,3 Adam HH Altman,2 Joseph A Santamaria,2 Sidra Zafar,1 Darrel K Carlton,3 Anthony J Johnson,3 Brett W Davies,2 Gary L Legault,3,4 Fasika A Woreta,1 Grant A Justin3,4 1Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Wilford Hall Eye Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; 4Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USACorrespondence: Michael J FliotsosWilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USATel +1-260-409-7314Email michael.fliotsos@yale.eduPurpose: To describe the frequency and type of eye injuries in fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition.Methods: Fight result data were collected from the Nevada Athletic Commission database from 2001 to 2020. Any fighters in a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) contest with an eye injury were included. Main outcome measures included frequency and rate of eye injuries per fight and the types of eye injuries. Secondary outcome measures were gender, laterality, decision type, and length of no-contact recommended.Results: Of the 256 MMA events in the database, 187 events (73.3%) had at least one eye injury. Of a total 2208 fights at these events, there were 363 fighters who sustained 369 eye injuries, with the yearly rate of eye injuries per 100 fighters ranging from 2.56 to 12.22. The most common injuries were eyebrow and eyelid lacerations (n=160, 43%), lacerations around the eye (n=98, 27%), and orbital fractures (n=62, 17%). Most eye injuries were right sided (n=197, 53.3%) and the majority of fighters with eye injuries lost their match (n=228, 62.8%). Fifty-seven fighters were recommended for further ophthalmology clearance after the match. The most common reasons for recommended ophthalmology follow-up was orbital fracture (n=25, 44%) and retinal injury (n=7, 12%). Forty-three fighters received no-contact requirements relating to their injury for an average of 8.9 weeks (range 1– 24 weeks).Conclusion: Ophthalmic injuries in professional MMA were prevalent, were most often lacerations surrounding the eye, and often accompanied the fighter losing their match.Keywords: ophthalmic trauma, eye trauma, mixed martial arts, boxing, MMA, combat sports

Yesha S Shah,1 Angela Y Zhu,1 Sidra I Zafar,1 Daniel Sarezky,1 Ximin Li,2 TY Alvin Liu,1 Mira M Sachdeva,1 Fasika A Woreta1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Fasika A WoretaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 N. Wolfe St., Wilmer B-29, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USATel +1 410 955-8265Fax +1 410 614-9632Email fworeta1@jhmi.eduPurpose: To evaluate the outcomes of a 4-point scleral-fixated foldable Akreos AO60 intraocular lens (IOL) insertion using Gore-Tex suture performed by trainees under supervision of a single attending surgeon.Methods: Retrospective chart review for 53 eyes of 50 patients whose surgery was performed by trainees under supervision of a single surgeon between 2015 and 2018 at a tertiary care hospital (Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, MD). Indications for surgery, preoperative risk factors, and intraoperative techniques were analyzed. Outcome measures included final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), change in BCVA, difference between expected and final spherical equivalent (SE), and postoperative complications.Results: Mean patient age was 62.8 years (range 26.9 to 88.4). The most common indication for surgery was IOL dislocation (59.6%) due to trauma in 21 cases (40.4%) and pseudoexfoliation in 6 (11.5%). Combined pars plana vitrectomy was performed simultaneously in 46 cases (88.5%). Mean BCVA improved from 20/100 to 20/40 (p < 0.001). The difference between expected and final SE was within 1.0 D in 28 cases (53.8%). Postoperative hypotony occurred in 12 eyes (21.2%) on day 1; all were resolved at last follow-up. Postoperative cystoid macular edema (CME) occurred in 20 cases (38.5%); 11 (21.2%) persisted through last follow-up.Conclusion: Scleral-fixation of Akreos AO60 IOL in absence of capsular support can be performed by trainees under supervision and results in effective visual rehabilitation. Postoperative CME occurred at a higher rate than previously reported in the literature. Future studies should assess the rates of postoperative complications amongst different techniques of secondary IOL fixation performed by trainees to determine which is the safest.Keywords: secondary IOL, scleral-fixated IOL, scleral-sutured IOL, Akreos, clinical outcomes

Tahreem Mir,1 Mustafa Iftikhar,2 Natalie Seidel,2 Michelle Trang,2 Morton F Goldberg,2 Fasika A Woreta2 1Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; 2Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Fasika A WoretaWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Wilmer B29, Baltimore, MD 21287, USATel +1 410-955-5650Fax +1 410-614-8496Email fworeta1@jhmi.eduPurpose: To report the clinical characteristics, complications, and outcomes of hyphema in patients with sickle cell trait (SCT).Design: Retrospective case series.Methods: Medical records of SCT patients (confirmed by hemoglobin electrophoresis) presenting with hyphema at the Wilmer Eye Institute over 10 years (January 2008 through December 2017) were reviewed in detail. Data were collected regarding etiology, demographics, clinical course and management. Main outcome measures included intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuity (VA).Results: A total of 14 black patients (males: 57%; median age: 20 years) were included in the study with a median follow-up of 4 months (range: 1 week to 6 years). Ten patients had traumatic hyphema with a mean presenting VA of approximately 1.10 logMAR (Snellen equivalent=20/250) and a mean presenting IOP of 40 mmHg. Nine of them required medical intervention to lower IOP, and six of them ultimately required surgical intervention, primarily in the form of anterior chamber paracentesis and/or washout. The mean time to achieve IOP control was 3 days, and the mean final VA was approximately 0.10 logMAR (Snellen Equivalent=20/25). Four patients had non-traumatic hyphema with a mean presenting VA of approximately 1.8 logMAR (Snellen equivalent=20/1260) and a mean presenting IOP of 31 mmHg. Three of them required medical intervention to lower IOP, and two of them ultimately required surgical intervention. Overall, seven patients underwent anterior chamber washout, six needed an anterior chamber paracentesis to lower the IOP, two required tube shunt placement procedures and one patient underwent a trabeculectomy. The mean time to achieve IOP control was 5 days, and the mean final VA was approximately 0.80 logMAR (Snellen equivalent=20/125).Conclusion: Patients with SCT are likely to develop elevated IOP in the setting of hyphema, with a majority requiring one or more surgical interventions to achieve IOP control.Keywords: hyphema, sickle cell trait, elevated intraocular pressure

Angela C Gauthier, Oluseye K Oduyale, Michael J Fliotsos, Sidra Zafar, Nicholas R Mahoney, Divya Srikumaran, Fasika A Woreta Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USACorrespondence: Fasika A WoretaWilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USATel +1 410-961-2868Fax +1 410-614-9632Email fworeta1@jhmi.eduPurpose: To investigate the frequency of primary versus secondary eye removal, frequency of enucleation versus evisceration, and characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing these procedures after presenting with severe ocular trauma.Patients and Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with severe eye trauma necessitating enucleation or evisceration between 2010 and 2018.Results: There were 92 eyes from 90 patients included in our study. Twenty-seven percent of eyes underwent primary removal (n=25, 14 enucleation, 11 evisceration), while 73% of eyes underwent secondary removal (n=67, 50 enucleation, 17 evisceration). The mean patient age was 45.2 years (range 4.2– 92.6); primary enucleation/evisceration patients were older on average than secondary eye removal patients [53.8 years (range 15.9– 91.2) versus 42.2 years (range 4.2– 91.6 years), p=0.04]. A median of 34 days passed between ED presentation and secondary enucleation/evisceration. Before undergoing secondary enucleation/evisceration, patients underwent a median of one ocular procedure (range 0– 14) for various complications of trauma including orbital infection, choroidal or retinal tear or detachment, and wound dehiscence. Open globe injury repairs comprised 43 of the 92 total procedures (47%) performed prior to secondary enucleation/evisceration. Secondary enucleations/eviscerations required a median of seven clinic visits compared to two clinic visits required after primary surgeries (p< 0.01). 10.7% of all patients (n=10) had at least one implant-related complication following enucleation/evisceration, with all but one of these patients being in the secondary enucleation/evisceration group.Conclusion: Primary enucleation or evisceration was performed in 27% of all eye removals, and enucleation was performed in 69.6% of all eye removals. Future research is warranted to determine if primary eye removal may be appropriate and when to consider enucleation versus evisceration.Keywords: evisceration, enucleation, open globe repair, traumatic eye injury

Stephanie B Engelhard,1 Sherveen S Salek,2 Grant A Justin,3 Austin J Sim,4 Fasika A Woreta,5 Ashvini K Reddy6,7 1Department of Ophthalmology, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Kaiser Permanente Washington, Silverdale, WA, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA; 5Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; 6Athena Eye Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA; 7Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USACorrespondence: Ashvini K ReddyDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Health Science Center, 5282 Medical Drive #610, San Antonio, TX 78229, USATel +1 210-780-7595Fax +1 210-780-3157Email drreddy@athenaeyeinstitute.comObjective: To report and analyze the causes and outcomes of malpractice litigation in ophthalmic trauma.Methods: The Westlaw® database was reviewed for ophthalmology litigation in the United States between 1930 and 2014. All ophthalmic trauma cases were included and compared to non-traumatic ophthalmology malpractice cases.Results: Forty-four ophthalmic trauma cases were included. Of these cases, 90.9% of ophthalmic trauma plaintiffs were male compared to 54.8% of plaintiffs in ophthalmology as a whole (P=< 0.001); 34.1% of cases involved minor plaintiffs compared to 6.4% in ophthalmology as a whole (P=< 0.001). Cases involving minors were more likely to be resolved in favor of the plaintiff than cases involving adult plaintiffs (53.3% vs 37.9%); however, this was not found to statistically significant (P=0.35). Overall, 54.5% of cases were resolved in favor of defendants; 40.9% of cases were resolved via jury trial with 50.0% resulting in payments to plaintiffs compared to the 29.6% rate of plaintiff verdicts in ophthalmology as a whole. Open globe injuries represented 61.4% of cases; 55.6% of these cases had intraocular foreign bodies and 37.0% developed endophthalmitis. Most cases (63.6%) alleged insufficient intervention. Of these cases, 31.8% of cases involved surgical or procedural claims, and 4.5% involved medical claims only.Conclusion: Males and minors were overrepresented among plaintiffs in ocular trauma litigation. Most cases involved open globe injuries, often complicated by retained intraocular foreign bodies and endophthalmitis. Analysis of malpractice litigation in ophthalmic trauma calls attention to commonly litigated scenarios to improve clinical practice and to inform risk management.Keywords: malpractice, litigation, risk, trauma, intraocular foreign body, open globe, orbital fracture, endophthalmitis

Sidra Zafar, Xinyi Chen, Shameema Sikder, Divya Srikumaran, Fasika A Woreta Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA Purpose: To assess outcomes of resident-performed small incision cataract surgery (SICS) at a single academic institute and to determine the availability of SICS-oriented educational resources in residency programs across the USA. Patients and methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients who underwent SICS performed by postgraduate year 4 residents between January 2014 and January 2018 at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA. Postoperative visual acuity, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications were the main outcomes measured. In addition, a survey was administered to all ophthalmology residency program directors in the USA to assess the presence of SICS-related content in their surgical training curriculum. Results: Twenty-two eyes of 17 patients underwent planned resident-performed SICS, mainly for white cataracts. Intraoperative complications occurred in two (9.1%) eyes. The most common postoperative complication was transient increased intraocular pressure (two eyes, 9.1%). Mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was approximately 20/4,000. The large majority (95.2%) of eyes experienced improved BCVA following SICS, with a mean postoperative BCVA of 20/138 over an average follow-up of 4.2 months. Forty-seven programs responded to the survey (40.1% response rate). Residents were trained in SICS in 66.7% of these programs. However, more than half of all the programs did not have SICS-oriented educational resources available for residents. Conclusion: Resident-performed SICS was found to be a safe and effective technique for cataract management. Considering the limited surgical volume for SICS in the USA, training programs might instead consider implementing SICS-oriented content in their surgical curriculum, including wet labs. Keywords: resident, cataract, mature, SICS, surgical training

Keratoconus is a progressive eye disorder primarily affecting individuals in adolescence and early adulthood. The ectatic changes in the cornea cause thinning and cone-like steepening leading to irregular astigmatism and reduced vision. Keratoconus is a complex disorder with a multifaceted aetiology and pathogenesis, including genetic, environmental, biomechanical and cellular factors. Environmental factors, such as eye rubbing, UV light exposure and contact lens wearing, are associated with disease progression. On the cellular level, a complex interplay of hormonal changes, alterations in enzymatic activity that modify extracellular membrane stiffness, and changes in biochemical and biomechanical signalling pathways disrupt collagen cross-linking within the stroma, contributing to structural integrity loss and distortion of normal corneal anatomy. Clinically, keratoconus is diagnosed through clinical examination and corneal imaging. Advanced imaging platforms have improved the detection of keratoconus, facilitating early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. Treatment strategies for keratoconus are tailored to disease severity and progression. In early stages, vision correction with glasses or soft contact lenses may suffice. As the condition advances, rigid gas-permeable contact lenses or scleral lenses are prescribed. Corneal cross-linking has emerged as a pivotal treatment aimed at halting the progression of corneal ectasia. In patients with keratoconus with scarring or contact lens intolerance, surgical interventions are performed., (© 2024. Springer Nature Limited.)

Purpose: To assess postoperative endophthalmitis (POE) rates and risk factors after secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation for preoperative aphakia and IOL exchange combined with or without vitrectomy., Setting: Medicare fee for service (FFS) beneficiaries, United States., Design: Retrospective study., Methods: Medicare FFS beneficiaries who underwent IOL exchange or secondary IOL implantation for preoperative aphakia between January 1, 2011 - November 19, 2022 were identified. POE rates were calculated overall and separately for each surgical category - secondary IOL for aphakia versus IOL exchange, with subsets for concurrent anterior or posterior vitrectomy. Multi-variate analysis of potential risk factors was implemented., Results: 97,152 patients were included. The 42-day POE rates for secondary IOL implantation for aphakia and for IOL exchange were 0.35% and 0.28% overall, 0.31% and 0.30% when combined with posterior vitrectomy, and 0.84% and 0.42% with anterior vitrectomy. The risk of POE increased when secondary IOL surgery was combined with anterior vitrectomy compared to no vitrectomy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.849; p<0.001) and with higher Charlson comorbidity indexes compared to 0: 1-2 (aOR 1.495; p=0.01), 3-4 (aOR 1.591; p=0.01), 5-6 (aOR 1.617; p=0.046), ≥7 (aOR 3.290; p<0.001). Risk was decreased for IOL exchange compared to secondary IOL implantation for preoperative aphakia (aOR 0.783; p=0.04)., Conclusion: The overall POE rate for all secondary IOL surgeries was 0.31% during the 11-year period. We hypothesize that absence of the posterior capsular barrier would explain the higher POE rates compared with cataract surgery, especially if a concurrent vitrectomy was performed with the secondary IOL procedure., (Copyright © 2024 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS.)

Purpose: When severe retinal and corneal injury occur together, a temporary keratoprosthesis (TKP) is often a last resort to allow posterior segment visualization to enable vitreoretinal surgery, followed by a penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) which can restore corneal clarity in a single operation. We aimed to assess visual outcomes following combined PKP and vitreoretinal surgery with the use of a TKP for cases of ocular trauma., Design: A systematic literature review was performed following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023423518)., Methods: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, ISRCTN registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to 27 April 2023. Randomized and nonrandomized studies assessing visual outcomes after combined vitreoretinal surgery and PKP with the use of a TKP after ocular trauma were eligible for inclusion. Outcomes included change in best corrected visual acuity, corneal graft survival and retinal reattachment at final follow up. Proportional meta-analysis was used to estimate the overall rate of the primary outcomes. Risk of bias for nonrandomized studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for case series., Results: A total of 19 studies met inclusion criteria reporting a total of 352 eyes. All studies were retrospective and nonrandomized with follow up times ranging from 6 to 91 months, with at least 79% of outcomes reported after 6 months. After combined surgery the rate of corneal graft survival was 52% (95% CI 0.41-0.62; I 2 60%) successful retinal attachment was 79% (95% CI 0.73-0.84; I 2 0%). and improved visual acuity, when compared to no change or decrease in visual acuity, was 45% (95% CI 0.32-0.59; I 2 66%)., Conclusion: Patients with severe injury affecting the anterior and posterior segments have very limited treatment options. This systematic review found that when combined vitreoretinal surgery and PKP with a TKP are performed, approximately half of corneal grafts survive, anatomically successful retinal reattachment is likely, and a similar proportion of patients benefit in terms of improved visual acuity, compared to their preoperative function. This systematic review of the available literature may help inform surgeons of the benefits of using a TKP for cases of ocular trauma., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Topic: The timing of primary repair of open-globe injury is variable in major trauma centers worldwide, and consensus on optimal timing is lacking., Clinical Relevance: Surgery is the mainstay of open-globe injury management, and appropriate timing of surgical repair may minimize the risk of potentially blinding complications such as endophthalmitis, thereby optimizing visual outcomes., Methods: A systematic literature review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews identifier, CRD42023442972). The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, and ISRCTN registries and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception through October 29, 2023. Prospective and retrospective nonrandomized studies of patients with open-globe injury with a minimum of 1 month of follow-up after primary repair were included. Primary outcomes included visual acuity at last follow-up and the proportion of patients with endophthalmitis. Certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach., Results: Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria, reporting a total of 8497 eyes. The most common injury types were penetrating and intraocular foreign body (IOFB). Meta-analysis found that primary repair less than 24 hours after open-globe injury was associated with 0.30 odds of endophthalmitis compared with primary repair conducted more than 24 hours after trauma (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.79; I 2  = 95%; P = 0.01). No significant difference was found in reported visual outcomes between patients whose open-globe injuries were repaired more than, compared with less than, 24 hours after trauma (odds ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.61-1.29; I 2  = 70%; P = 0.52). All included studies were retrospective and nonrandomized, demonstrating an overall low certainty of evidence on GRADE assessment., Discussion: Only retrospective data exist around the effect of timing of open-globe repair, resulting in low certainty of the available evidence. However, this review of current evidence, predominantly including penetrating and IOFB injuries, suggests that primary repair performed less than 24 hours after open-globe injury is associated with a reduced endophthalmitis rate compared with longer delays, consistent with delay to primary repair increasing endophthalmitis risk., Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate trends associated with email communication from potentially predatory publishers to faculty in ophthalmology., Design: Cross-sectional study METHODS: Ophthalmologists (n = 14) from various subspecialties and institutions were recruited to participate. Participants identified unsolicited emails that they had received originating from publishers in May 2021. Information collected included details on email contents and publisher organizations. Trends in communications from predatory publishers were evaluated., Results: Over a 30-day study period, a total of 1813 emails were received from 383 unique publishers and 696 unique journals, with a mean (SD) of 4.73 (2.46) emails received per day per participant. Of the 1813 emails identified, 242 (13%) emails were invitations to conferences, whereas 1440 (80%) were solicitations for article submissions to open-access, pay-to-publish journals. A total of 522 (29.0%) emails were related to ophthalmology, and reference to a prior publication of the participant occurred in 262 emails (14%). Of the 696 unique journals identified, 174 (25%) journals were indexed on PubMed and 426 (61%) were listed on Beall's list. When comparing journals that were listed on PubMed vs those that were not, PubMed indexed journals had a higher impact factor (2.1 vs 1.5, P = .002), were less likely to use "greetings" (76% vs 91%, P < .001), had fewer spelling/grammar errors (40% vs 51%, P = .01), and were less likely to offer rapid publication (16% vs 25%, P = .02)., Conclusions: Unsolicited requests to publish occur frequently and may diminish the quality of the scientific literature. We encourage individuals in ophthalmology to be aware of these trends in predatory publishing., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe recent trends in corneal transplants and patient and surgeon characteristics for corneal transplants that occurred in the Medicare population., Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study using Current Procedural Terminology codes. We identified Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) claims for different types of corneal transplant procedures performed on Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older from 2011 to 2020. Number and types of corneal transplants performed each year and patient and surgeon demographics and characteristics were analyzed., Results: We analyzed 148,981 corneal transplants performed by 2972 surgeons within the study period. Most corneal transplants performed were endothelial keratoplasties (70.1%). Most patients were women (60.3%) and White (85.8%). 18.2% of patients lived in a rural area, whereas only 3.5% of transplants occurred in a rural area and 5% of surgeons practiced in a rural area. Male surgeons represented 77.8% of all surgeons and performed 84.9% of all corneal transplants in the study period. The proportion of corneal transplants performed by female surgeons gradually increased over time, from 12.1% in 2011 to 19.0% in 2020. The proportion of female surgeons also increased from 16.2% in 2011 to 23.8% in 2020. Most surgeons (67%) performed <6 corneal transplants per year., Conclusions: Although the number of female corneal transplant surgeons has increased over time, women remain underrepresented in the surgical workforce. Further investigation should be conducted to identify the underlying reason and address the identified disparities within the landscape of corneal transplantation., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To explore patient and surgeon characteristics for open globe injury repairs (OGRs) and rates of subsequent operations., Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, eyes of patients ≥18 years who underwent OGR among 100% Medicare Fee-For-Service dataset from 2011 to 2020 were included. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes were used to identify OGR. Patient characteristics were reported, and surgeon characteristics were stratified by sex and compared using Chi-square and Student's t-test. Overall rate of subsequent operations was reported, and trends of subsequent operations over time were assessed using Cochrane-Armitage trend test., Results: A total of 16,576 patients with a mean age of 73.89 years (±12.89) underwent OGR. Most patients were White (79.68%, n  = 13,207) and 49.44% ( n  = 8196) were female. More patients resided in a rural area (18.71%; n  = 3102) relative to surgeon location (4.51%, n  = 748; p  < 0.001). A total of 5,898 surgeons performed these OGRs with 77.33% ( n  = 4,561) male and 22.67% ( n  = 1,337) female surgeons. Male surgeons performed most of the OGRs (76.35%, n  = 12,655; p  < 0.001). On average, a surgeon performed a single OGR annually (Mean: 1.08 ± 1.04; Range: 0.11-40). Among all OGRs, 51% (8,452/16,576) had ≥1 subsequent operations in median 29 days (IQR: 10-86), which increased during the last decade from 47% to 51% ( p  = 0.008)., Conclusion: Geographic and workforce disparities in ocular trauma warrant future investigation. Further studies can also assess the reasons for increase in the incidence of subsequent procedures after OGR over time.

Purpose: To compare the associations of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) with visual impairment (VI) before surgical removal of cataracts across 2 health systems in the United States Mid-Atlantic region., Design: Multi-institutional cross-sectional study., Participants: Patients ≥ 65 years of age who underwent cataract surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) and Kaiser Permanente (KP) between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019., Methods: Covariates included patient age, sex, smoking status, surgery laterality, Charlson comorbidity index, and ocular comorbidities. Multivariable generalized estimating equation models were used to examine the association of race, ethnicity, and area deprivation index (ADI) with visual acuity., Main Outcome Measures: Visual acuity before cataract surgery was assessed using logarithm of minimum angle of resolution values. Race, ethnicity, and ADI were the main exposures of interest., Results: At JHH, 11 509 patients (17 731 eyes) were included, whereas KP included 7143 patients (10 542 eyes). After adjusting for covariates, Black patients (β = 0.49), Asian patients (β = 0.83), and Hispanic patients (β = 0.95) were more likely to have worse visual acuity at JHH (P < 0.001 for all) compared with White patients. Similarly, at KP, Black patients (β = 0.56), Asian patients (β = 0.70), and Hispanic patients (β = 0.89) were more likely to have worse visual acuity (P < 0.001 for all) compared with White patients. Compared with those living in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods at JHH, higher ADI quartiles (more deprived) were more likely to have worse visual acuity (β = 0.27 [P < 0.001] for quartile 2; β = 0.40 [P = 0.001] for quartile 3; β = 0.95 [P < 0.001] for quartile 4). No significant association was found between ADI and VI at KP., Conclusions: Among older adults, non-White race or ethnicity was associated independently with VI secondary to cataracts in 2 large health systems in the United States Mid-Atlantic region, after adjustment for ADI. Area deprivation also was associated with VI but only in the JHH system. Our study suggests that non-White patients and those with lower SES are at greater risk of VI secondary to cataracts possibly because of social, structural, and institutional barriers., Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare sociodemographic factors in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with emergent and nonemergent eye-related concerns., Design: Cross-sectional multicenter study., Subjects: 60,677 patients with eye-related concerns who visited EDs at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Wills Eye Hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Johns Hopkins Hospital/Wilmer Eye Institute from January 1, 2019, until December 31, 2019., Methods: Descriptive statistics were performed using Stata, version 17., Main Outcome Measures: (1) Sociodemographic factors associated with emergent diagnoses, (2) visit patterns across ED settings (ie, standard ED vs eye ED), and (3) the most common emergent and nonemergent diagnoses., Results: A total of 60,677 eye-related ED encounters were included in the study, including 22,434 at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, 16,124 at Wills Eye Hospital, 15,487 at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and 6632 at Johns Hopkins Hospital/Wilmer Eye Institute. Most patients had nonemergent diagnoses (56.7%). Males (odds ratio [OR] 1.85, 95% CI 1.79-1.92) were more likely to have an emergent diagnosis than females. Patients with private or employer-based insurance (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.96), Medicare (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72-0.87), and Medicaid (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74-0.89) were all less likely to have an emergent diagnosis than uninsured patients. Those with Veteran or military insurance (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.87-1.34) were equally likely to have an emergent diagnosis compared with uninsured patients. Non-White Hispanic patients (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.12-1.42) were more likely to present with an emergent condition than White patients. Patients seen in the standard ED setting were more likely to have emergent diagnoses than those who visited standalone eye EDs (P < .001). The most common emergent diagnoses were corneal abrasion (12.97%), extraocular foreign body (7.61%), and corneal ulcer (7.06%). The most common nonemergent diagnoses were dry eye (7.90%), posterior vitreous detachment (7.76%), and chalazion (6.57%)., Conclusions: ED setting was associated with the acuity of patient diagnoses. Lack of insurance coverage and non-White Hispanic race or ethnicity were associated with emergent eye-related ED visits. Improving access to ophthalmic care in these populations may reduce the incidence of preventable eye emergencies related to untreated chronic conditions. This combined with measures to redirect nonemergent issues to outpatient clinics may alleviate ED overload., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Ocular trauma is an important cause of monocular blindness worldwide. Injury to the lens after blunt or penetrating trauma is common and can result in vision impairment. Selecting the most appropriate therapeutic approaches depends on factors such as patients' age, mechanism of trauma, and underlying clinical conditions. Early management, especially within childhood, is essential because of the difficulties involved in examination; anatomical variations; as well as accompanying intraocular inflammation, amblyopia, or vitreoretinal adhesions. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive review of the epidemiology and clinical management of traumatic cataract, highlighting the significance of accurate diagnosis and selection of the optimal therapeutic approach., (Copyright © 2024 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS.)

Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine rates of early postkeratoplasty endophthalmitis and identify sociodemographic and medical risk factors in the Medicare population., Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, patients aged 65 years and older undergoing penetrating keratoplasty (PK), endothelial keratoplasty (EK), and anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) from 2016 to 2019 among 100% Medicare Fee-or-Service database were included. Rates of early endophthalmitis within 42 days of keratoplasty were determined using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision-Clinical Modification diagnostic codes. Patient and physician characteristics were compared using x2 tests, and a multivariable logistic regression model was used to evaluate factors associated with endophthalmitis., Results: The overall early endophthalmitis rate after keratoplasty was 0.39% (n = 216/54,822) with a median time to diagnosis of 14 (interquartile range: 5-25) days. Rates by keratoplasty types were 1.31% for cataract surgery combined with PK, 1.13% for PK, and 0.22% for EK. On multivariable analysis, the odds of endophthalmitis were higher for PK [odds ratio (OR): 5.46, 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.98-7.49] and ALK (OR: 5.45, 95% CI, 2.59-11.49) relative to EK. Patients with a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥3 had higher odds of endophthalmitis (OR: 1.82; 95% CI, 1.28-2.58) relative to patients with a CCI of 0. Practices located in the Midwest (OR: 0.59, 95% CI, 0.36-0.96), West (OR 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.93), and Northeast (OR: 0.59 95% CI, 0.35-0.99) had lower odds of reporting endophthalmitis when compared to the South., Conclusions: Patients undergoing PK and ALK and those with a CCI ≥3 had higher odds of endophthalmitis relative to EK and patients without comorbidities, respectively. Practices in the West, Midwest, and Northeast had lower odds of endophthalmitis relative to the South., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe variations in practice patterns for the management of zone 1 open globe injuries among corneal specialists worldwide., Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed using an online survey distributed to members of The Cornea Society. Responses were collected between September 9, 2021, and September 30, 2021., Results: Of 94 responses included in analysis, respondents averaged 18.2 ± 14.5 years of postfellowship experience. Among respondents, 53 (56.4%) were affiliated with an academic institution and 41 (43.6%) with private practice. Ophthalmologists practicing in the United States were significantly more likely to use an eye shield preoperatively (98.5% vs. 85.7%, P = 0.03) and less likely to perform primary lensectomy in cases of lens involvement (40.9% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.002) compared with those practicing outside the United States. Ophthalmologists in practice fewer than 10 years were more likely to administer preoperative systemic antibiotics (91.4% vs. 66.1%, P = 0.006) and tetanus prophylaxis (88.6% vs. 67.8%, P = 0.03), and to obtain preoperative computed tomography scans (85.7% vs. 54.2%, P = 0.002) compared with more senior physicians. Ophthalmologists at academic institutions were more likely to perform preoperative B-scan (30.2% vs. 9.8%, P = 0.02), use general anesthesia (90.6% vs. 70.7%, P = 0.03), and admit for postoperative antibiotics (28.3% vs. 9.8%, P = 0.04), and were less likely to perform surgery overnight (45.3% vs. 70.7%, P = 0.02) compared with private practice physicians., Conclusions: There is significant variation in the practice patterns for the management of zone 1 open globe injuries among corneal specialists, which presents an opportunity to investigate whether certain treatment options lead to better outcomes in these injuries., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Topic: Sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) is a sight-threatening granulomatous panuveitis caused by a sensitizing event. Primary enucleation or primary evisceration, versus primary repair, as a risk management strategy after open-globe injury (OGI) remains controversial., Clinical Relevance: This systematic review was conducted to report the incidence of SO after primary repair compared with that of after primary enucleation or primary evisceration. This enabled the reporting of an estimated number needed to treat., Methods: Five journal databases were searched. This review was registered with International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (identifier, CRD42021262616). Searches were carried out on June 29, 2021, and were updated on December 10, 2022. Prospective or retrospective studies that reported outcomes (including SO or lack of SO) in a patient population who underwent either primary repair and primary enucleation or primary evisceration were included. A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Random effects modelling was used to estimate pooled SO rates and absolute risk reduction (ARR)., Results: Eight studies reporting SO as an outcome were included in total. The included studies contained 7500 patients and 7635 OGIs. In total, 7620 OGIs met the criteria for inclusion in this analysis; SO developed in 21 patients with OGI. When all included studies were pooled, the estimated SO rate was 0.12% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.00%-0.25%) after OGI. Of 779 patients who underwent primary enucleation or primary evisceration, no SO cases were reported, resulting in a pooled SO estimate of 0.05% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.21%). For primary repair, the pooled estimate of SO rate was 0.15% (95% CI, 0.00%-0.33%). The ARR using a random effects model was -0.0010 (in favour of eye removal; 95% CI, -0.0031 [in favor of eye removal] to 0.0011 [in favor of primary repair]). Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations analysis highlighted a low certainty of evidence because the included studies were observational, and a risk of bias resulted from missing data., Discussion: Based on the available data, no evidence exists that primary enucleation or primary evisceration reduce the risk of secondary SO., Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Ophthalmology. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare the performance of a composite citation score (c-score) and its six constituent citation indices, including H-index, in predicting winners of the Weisenfeld Award in ophthalmologic research. Secondary objectives were to explore career and demographic characteristics of the most highly cited researchers in ophthalmology., Methods: A publicly available database was accessed to compile a set of top researchers in the field of clinical ophthalmology and optometry based on Scopus data from 1996 to 2021. Each citation index was used to construct a multivariable model adjusted for author demographic characteristics. Using area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) analysis, each index's model was evaluated for its ability to predict winners of the Weisenfeld Award in Ophthalmology, a research distinction presented by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Secondary analyses investigated authors' self-citation rates, career length, gender, and country affiliation over time., Results: Approximately one thousand unique authors publishing primarily in clinical ophthalmology/optometry were analyzed. The c-score outperformed all other citation indices at predicting Weisenfeld Awardees, with an AUC of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97-1.0). The H-index had an AUC of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.83-0.96). Authors with higher c-scores tended to have longer career lengths and similar self-citation rates compared to other authors. Sixteen percent of authors in the database were identified as female, and 64% were affiliated with the United States of America., Conclusion: The c-score is an effective metric for assessing research impact in ophthalmology, as seen through its ability to predict Weisenfeld Awardees., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.)

Purpose: To assess risk factors for worse visual acuity (VA) outcomes after intraocular lens (IOL) exchange, and the most common postsurgical complications., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Participants: Eyes from patients 18 years of age and older in the IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) that underwent IOL exchange in the United States between 2013 and 2019., Methods: Vision improvement compared with baseline was determined at 1 year after surgery. A multivariable generalized estimating equation model adjusting for demographic factors and baseline vision was used to identify factors associated with VA worse than 20/40 at 1 year., Main Outcome Measures: Visual outcomes and postoperative complications after lens exchange., Results: A total of 46 063 procedures (n = 41 925 unique patients) were included in the analysis. Overall, VA improved from a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 0.53 ± 0.58 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR; Snellen equivalent, 20/70) before surgery to a mean ± SD of 0.31 ± 0.40 logMAR (Snellen equivalent, 20/40) at 1 year. Among eyes with VA recorded at both baseline and 1 year after surgery, 60.5% achieved VA of 20/40 or better at 1 year. Vision of worse than 20/40 at 1 year was associated with greater age (odds ratio [OR], 1.16 per 5-year increase; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.18) and higher logMAR baseline VA (OR, 1.14 per 0.1-logMAR increase; 95% CI, 1.14-1.15), as well as Black or African American (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.68-2.28), Hispanic (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.59-2.08), and Asian (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.21-1.81) race or ethnicity versus White race, Medicaid (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.40-2.25) versus private insurance, smoking history (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11-1.35), and concurrent anterior (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.51-1.81) and posterior (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.41-1.66) vitrectomy versus no vitrectomy. Female sex was associated with better VA at 1 year. At 1 year, epiretinal membrane (10.9%), mechanical lens complication (9.4%), and dislocation of the replacement lens (7.1%) were the most common complications., Conclusions: In this large national cohort, the annual number of IOL exchanges rose steadily over time. Vision improved in 60.2% of patients; worse visual outcomes were associated with greater age, worse baseline vision, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity, Medicaid insurance, smoking, and concurrent vitrectomy. Epiretinal membrane was the most common complication., Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to present the surgical management of a patient with ocular copper deposition associated with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)., Methods: This is a case report of a 44-year-old man with MGUS who presented to us with bilateral diffuse deposition of copper in the cornea and lens., Results: Despite initiating systemic therapy for MGUS, no corneal clearing was observed. A decision was made to proceed with cataract extraction in the left eye given worsening vision. Despite trypan blue staining and a central descemetorhexis, visualization remained too poor to complete phacoemulsification. Pars plana lensectomy and vitrectomy to remove the residual lens material and placement of a posterior chamber intraocular lens in the sulcus with endoillumination was subsequently performed. As vision in the left eye steadily improved postoperatively, cataract surgery was then performed in the right eye. With use of trypan blue, creation of a 6-mm central descemetorhexis, and a retinal light pipe for endoillumination anteriorly to augment visualization, capsulorhexis, phacoemulsification, and insertion of intraocular lens in the bag were completed without difficulty. The patient's vision improved at subsequent follow-ups, reaching a final best-corrected visual acuity of 20/20-1 in the right eye and 20/25-1 in the left eye., Conclusions: Ocular copper deposition is a rare manifestation of MGUS. Cataract extraction is challenging, often requiring advanced techniques. Endoillumination is useful to improve visualization through the dense corneal copper deposition., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine current prescribing patterns for topical or intraocular/periocular anti-inflammatory medications (AIMs) after routine cataract surgery., Setting: kera-net online members., Design: Cross-sectional survey., Methods: An online survey was distributed to subscribers of kera-net, a global online platform sponsored by the Cornea Society. Questions were asked regarding the use of topical or intraocular/periocular AIM after cataract surgery and types of medications prescribed., Results: Of 217 surgeon respondents (23% response rate), 171 (79%) practiced in the United States and 171 (79%) were cornea subspecialists. Most of the respondents (n = 196, 97%) prescribed topical corticosteroids after routine cataract surgery. The most frequently prescribed were prednisolone acetate (n = 162, 83%), followed by dexamethasone (n = 26, 13%), difluprednate (n = 24, 12%), and loteprednol etabonate (n = 13, 7%). Corticosteroids comprised (n = 40, 32%) of total intraocular/periocular injections, with triamcinolone acetonide 10 or 40 mg (n = 19, 47.5%) most commonly used. 23 surgeons (58%) who utilized intraocular/periocular corticosteroids also prescribed topical corticosteroids. Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were prescribed postoperatively by 148 surgeons (73%)., Conclusions: Most surgeons prescribed topical AIM after routine cataract surgery. Many surgeons injected intraocular or periocular AIM while prescribing topical AIM. The diversity of practice patterns may reflect the lack of clear evidence-based guidelines., (Copyright © 2023 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS.)

Purpose: To determine the incidence, characteristics, disposition, and economic burden of emergency department (ED) visits for ophthalmic trauma in the United States (US)., Design: Retrospective study., Methods: The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample was used to calculate and characterize ED visits for ophthalmic trauma in the US from 2009 to 2018. Linear regression was used to estimate trends in annual incidence and mean inflation-adjusted ED charges. Logistic regression was used to assess variables associated with inpatient admission., Results: There were over 7.3 million ED visits for ophthalmic trauma in the US over the 10 years, with an annual incidence of 233 per 100,000 population. Patients were predominantly male (65 %), 21-44 years old (39 %), and from low-income households (56 %). Only 1 % of patients were hospitalized. Older age, male sex, metropolitan teaching hospitals, and trauma centers were associated with significantly higher odds of inpatient admission. The mean inflation-adjusted ED charge per visit more than doubled over the decade ($1,333 to $3,187) with total charges exceeding $14 billion. Superficial injuries (44 %) and eyelid/orbit wounds (20 %) accounted for the majority of visits. Orbital floor fractures (4 %) and open globe injuries (2 %) accounted for a minority of visits but were responsible for most admissions (49 % and 29 %, respectively) and the highest mean ED charge ($7,157 and $6,808, respectively)., Conclusions: Ophthalmic trauma represents an increasingly significant burden to EDs in the US. Preventive efforts should target young males from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Strategies to improve outpatient access and redirect non-urgent injuries may help alleviate costs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare there is no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose  To assess how resident and attending ophthalmologists perceive and evaluate ethically controversial scenarios regarding mentorship, authorship, and ethics compliance that may occur during research involving residents. Methods  An online survey was developed and contained 14 controversial vignettes based on common research scenarios that can occur when conducting research with trainees. The scenarios were designed to capture issues regarding three themes: mentorship, authorship, and compliance with ethical guidelines. Resident and attending ophthalmologists at eight military and civilian academic residency programs in the United States were invited to participate. Respondents used a Likert scale to assess the ethicality of the situations in addition to self-reported demographic characteristics. Results  The response rate was 35.6% (77/216), consisting of 37.7% ( n  = 29) residents and 62.3% ( n  = 48) attendings. More attending ophthalmologists responded than residents ( p  = 0.004). Many respondents identified controversies around compliance (67.3%) and authorship (57.1%) as unethical, whereas situations regarding mentorship were largely viewed as neutral to ethical (68.0%). Responses to two scenarios, one regarding mentorship and one regarding authorship, significantly differed between residents and attendings ( p  = 0.001 and p  = 0.022, respectively). Conclusion  Academic ophthalmologists' perceptions of the ethicality of common research scenarios varied. There is a need for more prescriptive guidelines for authorship and mentorship ethics at all training levels to ensure consistency, fairness, and integrity of research., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None declared., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Topic: This study reports the effect of systemic prophylactic antibiotics (and their route) on the risk of endophthalmitis after open globe injury (OGI)., Clinical Relevance: Endophthalmitis is a major complication of OGI; it can lead to rapid sight loss in the affected eye. The administration of systemic antibiotic prophylaxis is common practice in some health care systems, although there is no consensus on their use., Methods: PubMed, CENTRAL, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Embase were searched. This was completed July 6, 2021 and updated December 10, 2022. We included randomized and nonrandomized prospective studies which reported the rate of post-OGI endophthalmitis when systemic preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (via the oral or IV route) was given. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and ROBINS-I tool were used for assessing the risk of bias. Where meta-analysis was performed, results were reported as an odds ratio. PROSPERO registration: CRD42021271271., Results: Three studies were included. One prospective observational study compared outcomes of patients who had received systemic or no systemic preoperative antibiotics. The endophthalmitis rates reported were 3.75% and 4.91% in the systemic and no systemic preoperative antibiotics groups, a nonsignificant difference (P = 0.68). Two randomized controlled trials were included (1555 patients). The rates of endophthalmitis were 17 events in 751 patients (2.26%) and 17 events in 804 patients (2.11%) in the oral antibiotics and IV (± oral) antibiotics groups, respectively. Meta-analysis demonstrated no significant differences between groups (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-2.12)., Conclusions: The incidences of endophthalmitis after OGI were low with and without systemic antibiotic prophylaxis, although high-risk cases were excluded in the included studies. When antibiotic prophylaxis is considered, there is moderate evidence that oral antibiotic administration is noninferior to IV., Financial Disclosure(s): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Ophthalmology. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report trends in keratoplasty techniques and indications in the United States from 2015 to 2020., Methods: This retrospective review of annual reports from the Eye Bank Association of America assessed domestic corneal graft distribution and surgical indication data for various types of keratoplasty. Trends in procedure volume and indications from 2015 to 2020 were analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage test., Results: The total number of corneal transplants increased from 47,903 in 2015 to 49,143 in 2019, with a decline to 42,257 in 2020, most likely due to COVID-19. Penetrating keratoplasty (PK) volume decreased from 2015 to 2020 (19,160-15,402, 40% to 36.4%, P < 0.001), continuing a trend from the previous decade. Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty as a percentage of all keratoplasty procedures increased (9.8%-27.8%, P < 0.001), whereas Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (47%-33.9%, P < 0.001) and anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) decreased (2.3%-1.2%, P < 0.001).From 2017 to 2020, repeat corneal transplant was the most common specific indication for PK while ectasias/thinnings decreased in prevalence (15.6%-11.5%, P < 0.001). Ectasias/thinnings and endothelial dystrophy remained the leading indications for ALK and endothelial keratoplasty, respectively., Conclusions: From 2015 to 2020, keratoplasty trends in the United States showed a continuation of the decrease in PK and increase in Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty observed in the previous decade. The most common domestic indications from 2017 to 2020 have been repeat corneal graft, endothelial dystrophy, and ectasias/thinnings for PK, EK, and ALK, respectively., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To characterize the most common ophthalmic conditions seen in the emergency department (ED) DESIGN: Cross-sectional study METHODS: This is a multicenter study of 64,988 patients who visited the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Wills Eye Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Hospital/Wilmer Eye Institute from January 1, 2019, until December 31, 2019. Demographic and primary diagnosis data were extracted including gender, age, race, ethnicity, insurance type, and ophthalmology consult status. Descriptive statistics were performed on all data using STATA IC 14 (64-bit)., Results: A total of 64,988 patients with primary ocular diagnoses were seen across all 4 EDs. The majority of patients were White (63.1%), non-Hispanic/Latino (64.8%), and female (52.3%). The most frequently seen age group was 50-64 years (28.6%). The most common diagnoses across all institutions were conjunctivitis (7.91%), corneal abrasions (5.61%), dry eye (4.49%), posterior vitreous detachments (4.15%), chalazions (3.71%), corneal ulcers (3.01%), subconjunctival hemorrhages (2.96%), corneal foreign bodies (2.94%), retinal detachments (2.51%), and glaucoma (2.12%). Specifically, viral conjunctivitis (2283 of 5139, 44.4%) and primary open-angle glaucoma (382 of 1379, 27.7%) were the most frequently seen subtypes of conjunctivitis and glaucoma., Conclusions: The most regularly treated ophthalmic conditions in high-volume EDs tend to be lower acuity diagnoses. To combat ED overcrowding and rising health care costs in the United States, we suggest diverting eye-related ED visits to a specialized eye ED service or same-day eye clinic appointment in addition to expanding education for patients and primary care clinicians., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Importance: Physician-patient concordance in sex and race is associated with improved patient outcomes. Studies have explored diversity among ophthalmology residents and faculty, but to our knowledge, not among ophthalmology fellows., Objective: To assess diversity by sex and race and ethnicity among fellowship applicants in ophthalmology subspecialties and compare match rates by applicants' sex and underrepresented in medicine (URiM) status., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study examined ophthalmology subspecialty fellowship data from the 2021 San Francisco Match., Main Outcomes and Measures: Applicant characteristics were stratified by sex and URiM status and compared using χ2, Mann-Whitney U, and median tests. For applicants who matched, the percentages of female and URiM applicants were compared among the ophthalmic subspecialties. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association of applicant characteristics with their match outcomes., Results: Included in the sample were 537 candidates who applied for an ophthalmology fellowship using the 2021 San Francisco Match; 224 applicants (42.6%) were female, and 60 applicants (12.9%) had URiM status. Females and males had similar match rates (70.5% [n = 158] and 69.2% [n = 209], respectively; P = .74), but females had a higher median (IQR) US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) score (248 [240-258] vs 245 [234-254]; P = .01). The pediatric ophthalmology subspecialty had the highest percentage of female matched applicants (67.5%; 27 of 40 matched applicants), while the retina subspecialty had the highest percentage of males (68.9%; 84 of 122 matched applicants). URiM applicants had lower match rates (55.0%, n = 33) than non-URiM applicants (72.2%, n = 293; P = .007). The URiM applicants had lower median (IQR) scores on the USMLE Step 1 (238 [227-247]) compared with Asian applicants (246 [235-254]) and White applicants (243 [231-252]; P = .04). Additionally, URIM applicants submitted fewer median (IQR) applications (10 [1-23]) than Asian (21 [8-37]) and White (17 [8-32]; P = .001) applicants and completed fewer interviews (median [IQR], 2 [0-11]) than Asian (median [IQR], 12 [3-18]) and White applicants (median [IQR], 8 [1-14]; P = .001). Among matched fellows in each subspecialty, URiM applicants comprised 13.9% (n = 11) in glaucoma, 10% (n = 4) in pediatric ophthalmology, 7.3% (n = 6) in cornea, and 6.6% (n = 8) in retina., Conclusions and Relevance: Ophthalmology subspecialty fellowship match rates were lower for URiM vs non-URiM applicants in 2021. Underrepresentation of females exists in the retina subspecialty, while racial and ethnic differences exist in all ophthalmology subspecialty fellowships examined. Monitoring trends in fellowship diversity over time should help inform where targeted efforts could improve diversity.

Purpose: To investigate the association of social determinants of health (SDOH) factors and cataract-related outcomes disparities., Design: Cross-sectional, with a nationally representative sample., Methods: We used publicly available data from the 2008, 2016, and 2017 National Health Interview Survey data sets. Outcome measures included self-reported prevalence for ever been diagnosed with cataract, vision loss secondary to cataracts, and the likelihood of undergoing cataract surgery. Survey-weighted, multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for age, race and ethnicity, and other relevant covariates, were used to examine the association between SDOH factors and cataract-related outcomes., Results: A total of 81,551 participants were included, who were predominantly between 18 and 44 years of age (49.6%), female (51.7%), and White (74.8%). Multivariable regression models with age as a covariate showed that individuals who were not working were more likely to report having cataracts than those who were working (P < .001). Those who needed but could not afford medical care in the past year were more likely to report vision loss secondary to cataracts than their counterparts (P < .001). Uninsured participants were less likely to report undergoing cataract surgery than those with private insurance (P = .03). Individuals with higher income (poverty-income ratio: 1.00-2.99 vs <1.00) were more likely to report undergoing cataract surgery (P = .04)., Conclusions: Several SDOH factors were associated with disparities in rates of cataract-related outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of ophthalmologists screening for social risks in patients with cataract, as these social factors are important barriers for access to care., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in ophthalmology have received increased attention in recent years. This review will highlight disparities, barriers to workforce diversity, as well as current and future efforts to improve DEI in ophthalmology., Recent Findings: Racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and sex disparities exist in vision health and across many ophthalmology subspecialties. The pervasive disparities result from factors such as a lack of access to eye care. In addition, ophthalmology is one of the least diverse specialties at the resident and faculty level. The lack of diversity has also been documented in ophthalmology clinical trials, wherein participant demographics do not reflect the diversity of the U.S. population., Summary: Addressing social determinants of health including racism and discrimination is necessary to promote equity in vision health. Diversifying the workforce and expanding the representation of marginalized groups in clinical research are also paramount. Supporting existing programmes and creating new ones focusing on improving workforce diversity and reducing eye care disparities are essential to ensure equity in vision health for all Americans., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Sustained-release corticosteroids offer the potential of improved compliance and greater patient convenience for anti-inflammatory treatment after cataract surgery. However, they are substantially more expensive than postoperative corticosteroid eye drops, which have historically been standard care., Objective: To examine the use and cost of sustained-release corticosteroids in patients with Medicare who underwent cataract surgery in the US during the temporary pass-through reimbursement program period., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study examined Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims from beneficiaries with at least 12 continuous months of Medicare enrollment who underwent at least 1 cataract surgery from March 2019 through December 2021. Patients younger than 65 years, those with missing demographic information, those who had more than 1 cataract surgery on each eye, and those who received more than 1 corticosteroid on the day of surgery were excluded. Cataract surgeries with concurrent use of dexamethasone intraocular suspension 9% or dexamethasone ophthalmic insert were identified. Information on surgeon demographic characteristics and costs of surgery and drugs were extracted. Data were analyzed from June 15 to December 4, 2022., Exposure: Use of dexamethasone intraocular suspension 9% or dexamethasone ophthalmic insert during cataract surgery., Main Outcome Measures: Utilization rate and cost of dexamethasone intraocular suspension 9% and dexamethasone ophthalmic insert among Medicare FFS beneficiaries who underwent cataract surgery., Results: A total of 4 252 532 cataract surgeries in Medicare FFS beneficiaries (mean [SD] age, 74.8 [5.8] years; 1 730 811 male [40.7%] and 2 521 721 female [59.3%]) were performed by 12 284 ophthalmologists (8876 male [72.3%], 2877 female [23.4%], and 531 sex unknown [4.3%]). In all, 34 627 beneficiaries (0.8%) received dexamethasone intraocular suspension 9% and 73 430 (1.7%) received a dexamethasone ophthalmic insert; the use of both drugs increased over the study period. The mean (SD) Medicare allowed charges for dexamethasone intraocular suspension 9% and dexamethasone ophthalmic insert were $531.47 ($141.52) and $538.49 ($63.79), respectively., Conclusions and Relevance: Despite offering the potential of improved compliance and greater patient convenience, findings of this study suggest that sustained-release corticosteroid use during cataract surgery was low and associated with cost increases to the health care system vs conventional postoperative eye drops. As these new products must be priced high enough to qualify for the Medicare pass-through program, unreasonable cost may have been a deterrent to their use, suggesting that the current Medicare reimbursement rules may not be appropriate for sustained-release postoperative corticosteroids in cataract surgery.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine national-level trends in early regraft rates and examine patient-level and surgeon-level characteristics associated with early regrafts., Methods: This was a retrospective, cohort study. We identified beneficiaries aged 65 years or older in the 2011 to 2020 Medicare carrier claims data set who underwent Endothelial keratoplasty (EK) and subsequently underwent an early regraft. The incidence of early regraft for each year was calculated and patient-level and surgeon-level characteristics associated with regrafts were examined using a multivariable regression model., Results: Of 114,383 EK procedures, 4119 (3.60%) were followed by an early regraft, with no significant variations in the rates between years ( P = 0.59). Factors associated with higher odds of early regraft were Black compared with White race (OR 1.151; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.018-1.302) and the highest quartile of income versus the lowest quartile (OR 1.120; 95% CI 1.002-1.252). Factors associated with lower odds were female sex (OR 0.889; 95% CI 0.840-0.942), receiving surgery in a hospital-based outpatient department versus an ambulatory center (OR 0.813; 95% CI 0.740-0.894), and having a surgeon with the highest quartile of annual EK volume versus the lowest (OR 0.726; 95% CI 0.545-0.967). Early regraft rates among surgeons ranged from 0% to 58.8% with a median [interquartile range] of 3.13 [0-6.15]., Conclusions: We found no significant increases in the early regraft rates over the past decade in the United States. Patient male sex and Black race, ambulatory surgery center-based location of the surgery, and low surgeon EK volume were associated with early regrafts. Substantial surgeon variability in regraft rates may indicate opportunities for improvement through development of best practices on perioperative management and patient counseling., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To estimate incidence and evaluate demographic risk factors and visual acuity (VA) outcomes of open-globe injuries requiring surgical repair in the IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight)., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Participants: Patients with open-globe injury repairs (OGRs) were identified by Current Procedural Terminology codes (65275, 65280, 65285, 65286, 65235, 65260, and 65265) from 2014 through 2018 in the IRIS Registry., Methods: Logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, United States region, concurrent and subsequent surgeries, and baseline VA., Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes included annual and 5-year incidence rates per 100 000 people and factors associated with OGR, VA better than 20/40, and VA of 20/200 or worse at final follow-up (3-12 months after OGR)., Results: Thirteen thousand seven hundred sixty-six OGRs were identified; 5-year cumulative incidence was 28.0 per 100 000 patients. Open-globe repair was associated with age 21 to 40 years compared with younger than 21 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-1.7]), male sex (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 2.7-2.9), Black versus White race (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4), Hispanic versus non-Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.6-1.8), and South (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3-1.5) and West (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4) versus Midwest regions and associated inversely with Asian versus White race (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.6-0.7). Visual acuity outcomes, analyzed in a subset of 2966 patients with VA data available, showed vision impairment (VA < 20/40) at final follow-up was associated with VA of 20/200 or worse at presentation (20/200 better than 20/40; OR, 11.1; 95% CI, 8.0-15.7), older age (e.g., > 80 years vs. < 21 years; OR, 5.8; 95% CI, 3.2-10.7), and Black versus White race (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.6). Risk factors were similar for VA of 20/200 or worse after OGR. Among the 1063 patients undergoing OGR with VA of 20/200 or worse at presentation, VA did not improve to better than 20/200 at follow-up in 35% of patients (1063/2996)., Conclusions: Our findings bring to light racial disparities in risk of OGR and poor visual outcomes that warrant further exploration., Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references., (Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background  Throughout graduate and postgraduate education, trainees need to gauge the impact of training location on future institutions of practice. Objective  We assessed rates of internal hiring of ophthalmology faculty at academic institutions from their same institution of training. Methods  This was a cross-sectional study. We included 1,246 clinical ophthalmology faculty at the 13 top-ranked institutions listed in the 2021 U.S. News and World Report. Primary, emeritus, adjunct, and affiliate faculty were included. Publicly available information was collected from institutional websites and other online sources. Statistical analyses were conducted using t -tests or Mann-Whitney tests, chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests, and multivariate logistic regression. The main outcome measured was internal hires, defined as faculty who had completed residency and/or fellowship training at their current institution. Results  In total, 47.3% of faculty were internal hires who completed residency or fellowship at the same institution. Among externally trained faculty, 27.7% completed residency and 56.0% completed fellowship at another top 13 programs. Internal hires were more frequently fellowship-trained, had a greater number of publications, and practiced in smaller departments ( p  < 0.001, p  < 0.001, and p  = 0.002, respectively). A greater proportion of internal hires held leadership positions ( p  = 0.012). Faculty practicing in the Midwest or West and with more years since residency graduation were less likely (odds ratio [OR], 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18-0.48; OR, 0.49, 95% CI, 0.31-0.78; OR, 0.98, 95% CI, 0.97-0.99, respectively) to be internal hires. Faculty with non-R01 National Institutes of Health funding were more likely to be internal hires (OR, 1.82, 95% CI: 1.12-2.96). Conclusions  Training institution is key to determining the institution of practice. These results may be beneficial for trainees to consider when selecting a training program., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Dr. Sridhar is a consultant for Alcon, Apellis, Allergan, Dorc, Genentech, Regeneron, and Ocuterra., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Background: Currently, surgical education utilizes a combination of the apprentice model, wet-lab training, and simulation, but due to reliance on subjective data, the quality of teaching and assessment can be variable. The "language of surgery," an established concept in engineering literature whose incorporation into surgical education has been limited, is defined as the description of each surgical maneuver using quantifiable metrics. This concept is different from the traditional notion of surgical language, generally thought of as the qualitative definitions and terminology used by surgeons., Methods: A literature search was conducted through April 2023 using MEDLINE/PubMed using search terms to investigate wet-lab, virtual simulators, and robotics in ophthalmology, along with the language of surgery and surgical education. Articles published before 2005 were mostly excluded, although a few were included on a case-by-case basis., Results: Surgical maneuvers can be quantified by leveraging technological advances in virtual simulators, video recordings, and surgical robots to create a language of surgery. By measuring and describing maneuver metrics, the learning surgeon can adjust surgical movements in an appropriately graded fashion that is based on objective and standardized data. The main contribution is outlining a structured education framework that details how surgical education could be improved by incorporating the language of surgery, using ophthalmology surgical education as an example., Conclusion: By describing each surgical maneuver in quantifiable, objective, and standardized terminology, a language of surgery can be created that can be used to learn, teach, and assess surgical technical skill with an approach that minimizes bias., Key Message: The "language of surgery," defined as the quantification of each surgical movement's characteristics, is an established concept in the engineering literature. Using ophthalmology surgical education as an example, we describe a structured education framework based on the language of surgery to improve surgical education., Classifications: Surgical education, robotic surgery, ophthalmology, education standardization, computerized assessment, simulations in teaching., Competencies: Practice-Based Learning and Improvement., Competing Interests: James T. Handa receives grant funding and royalties from Bayer Pharmaceuticals. He also receives grant funding and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Clover Therapeutics, is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Seeing Medicines, and serves as a consultant for Nano Retina. Nathan Pan-Doh, Shameema Sikder, and Fasika A. Woreta report no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Purpose  To identify the top 100 (T100) cited articles on ophthalmic education and examine trends and areas of focus in ophthalmic education. Methods  A literature search was conducted for articles published between 2011 and 2021 related to ophthalmic education within ophthalmology journals using the ISI Web of Science Core Collection database. The search was performed in June 2022 and was conducted using the search phrase ([educat* OR teach* OR instruct* OR train* OR "medical student*" OR residen* OR fellow* OR undergrad* OR postgrad* OR "faculty" OR "attending"] AND *ophthalm*). Results were analyzed using VOSviewer v.1.6.18 and statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel. Results  The majority of articles were published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery (19%), followed by Ophthalmology (12%), and Eye (12%). Articles were most often published in the year 2013 (15%), followed by 2014 (12%) and 2012 (12%). Articles most commonly originated from English-speaking countries, including the United States (43%), England (14%), Canada (8%), and India (8%). Topics most often examined in ophthalmic education were resident education (51%), medical school education (21%), and surgical training (21%). The most common study types were cohort studies (22%), case series (21%), and prospective trials (16%). There were 16 institutions that produced more than one article in the T100 articles list. Conclusion  The T100 articles on ophthalmic education were primarily U.S. based and focused on resident education, surgical training, and medical school ophthalmic curriculum. Further research into ophthalmic education is warranted to establish evidence-based curricula guidelines., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None declared., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).)

Objective: There is a significant lack of ophthalmologists who self-identify as underrepresented in medicine (URiM) in the physician workforce. Prior literature has revealed bias in traditional metrics for selection relied on by resident programs such as United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) scores, letters of recommendation (LOR), and induction into medical honors societies such as Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). The purpose of this study was to elucidate race-based differences in word usage within ophthalmology residency letters of recommendation that may disproportionately affect URiM applicants., Design: This was a retrospective, cohort study., Setting: This was a multicenter study across the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins, the University of California San Francisco, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill., Participants: San Francisco (SF) Match applications submitted to three ophthalmology residency programs between 2018 and 2020 were reviewed. URiM status, USMLE Step 1 score, and AOA membership were recorded. Letters of recommendation were analyzed using text analysis software. T-tests and chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Frequency of word/summary term usage in letters of recommendation were the main outcome measures., Results: Relative to non-URiM applicants, URiM applicants had lower USMLE Step 1 scores (mean difference=7.0; p<0.001). Non-URiM letters of recommendation were more likely to describe applicants as "dependable" (p=0.009) and highlight "research" (p=0.046). URiM letters were more likely to describe applicants as "warm" (p=0.02) and "caring" (p=0.02)., Conclusions: This study identified potential barriers for URiM ophthalmology residency applicants which can help guide future interventions to increase workforce diversity., (Copyright © 2023 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Medication price transparency tools are increasingly available, but data on their use, and their potential effects on prescribing behavior, patient out of pocket (OOP) costs, and clinician workflow integration, is limited., Objective: To describe the implementation experiences with real-time prescription benefit (RTPB) tools at 5 large academic medical centers and their early impact on prescription ordering., Design: and Participants: In this cross-sectional study, we systematically collected information on the characteristics of RTPB tools through discussions with key stakeholders at each of the five organizations. Quantitative encounter data, prescriptions written, and RTPB alerts/estimates and prescription adjustment rates were obtained at each organization in the first three months after "go-live" of the RTPB system(s) between 2019 and 2020., Main Measures: Implementation characteristics, prescription orders, cost estimate retrieval rates, and prescription adjustment rates., Key Results: Differences were noted with respect to implementation characteristics related to RTPB tools. All of the organizations with the exception of one chose to display OOP cost estimates and suggested alternative prescriptions automatically. Differences were also noted with respect to a patient cost threshold for automatic display. In the first three months after "go-live," RTPB estimate retrieval rates varied greatly across the five organizations, ranging from 8% to 60% of outpatient prescriptions. The prescription adjustment rate was lower, ranging from 0.1% to 4.9% of all prescriptions ordered., Conclusions: In this study reporting on the early experiences with RTPB tools across five academic medical centers, we found variability in implementation characteristics and population coverage. In addition RTPB estimate retrieval rates were highly variable across the five organizations, while rates of prescription adjustment ranged from low to modest., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper: FAW, JIS, BHC, NK and ES were supported by a Donaghue Foundation Greater Value Portfolio research grant relating to this work., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report 1) demographic and clinical characteristics for US patients with keratoconus undergoing deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) or penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and 2) complication rates for the 2 procedures., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 2010 to 2018 health records for patients with keratoconus age younger than 65 years using the IBM MarketScan Database. A multivariable model adjusting for potential confounders was used to determine factors associated with receiving DALK over PK. Rates of complications 90 days and 1 year postoperatively were calculated. For select complications only (repeat keratoplasty, glaucoma surgery, and cataract surgery), Kaplan-Meier survival curves were additionally constructed over a period of up to 7 years., Results: A total of 1114 patients with keratoconus (mean age: 40.5 ± 12.6 years) were included in the analysis. Hundred nineteen received DALK, and 995 received PK. Regional differences exist, with patients in the north central United States having greater odds of receiving DALK than northeastern patients (OR = 5.08, 95% confidence interval, 2.37-10.90). Rates of endophthalmitis, choroidal hemorrhage, infectious keratitis, graft failure, graft rejection, postoperative cataract, glaucoma, or retinal surgery were all low at 90 days and 1 year. Complication rates for DALK and PK were both low beyond 1 year for repeat keratoplasty, cataract, and glaucoma surgery., Conclusions: There are regional differences between DALK and PK utilization rates. In addition, DALK and PK complication rates in this nationally representative sample are low at 1 year and beyond, but further studies are needed to assess whether longer-term complications differ by procedure type., Competing Interests: D. Srikumaran, is a consultant for Alcon which is unrelated to this work. The remaining authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)