Background and Objective: Corneal neurotization is a novel surgical technique used to restore corneal sensation in patients with neurotrophic keratopathy. Neurotrophic keratopathy is a disorder characterized by dysfunction of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve, which provides sensory innervation to the cornea. Without sensation, the cornea is at risk of infection, ulceration, perforation, and ultimately, vision loss. Corneal neurotization has emerged as an innovative technique to reinnervate anesthetized corneas by transferring a healthy donor nerve to the affected eye around the corneoscleral limbus. As the field of corneal neurotization rapidly grows, there is a need to synthesize the existing body of literature on corneal neurotization and identify important areas for further research. In this review, we will discuss neurotrophic keratopathy and its current management strategies, followed by an overview of corneal neurotization techniques, outcomes, surgical considerations, and future directions. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar searches were conducted to retrieve and analyze relevant original papers and reviews on neurotrophic keratopathy and corneal neurotization up until April 2022.Key Content and Findings: Currently, numerous techniques for corneal neurotization exist, including direct nerve transfers, as well as indirect neurotization via interposition nerve grafts. So far, corneal neurotization has been shown to be highly successful in restoring corneal sensation, improving visual acuity,and improving corneal epithelial health. To date, there have been no significant differences in outcomes between direct versus indirect neurotization techniques, different donor nerves, or autologous versus allogeneic interposition grafts. However, there is some evidence that corneal neurotization procedures may be more successful in pediatric patients.Conclusions: Corneal neurotization shows great promise in treating neurotrophic corneas and represents the first management option to date that addresses the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of neurotrophic keratopathy by restoring corneal sensation. As the use of corneal neurotization continues to broaden, additional studies will become important to compare techniques in a systematic manner, with larger sample sizes, as well as standardized outcome measures and follow-up time.
Background and Objective: Ocular surface disease (OSD) is a common yet often overlooked consideration in the management of patients with glaucoma. Although there have been several review articles summarizing the relationship between glaucoma medications and OSD, there is a relative absence of such articles on the effects of glaucoma surgical treatments. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the relationship of glaucoma management and OSD, with an emphasis on surgical considerations.Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Review searches were performed using the following search terms: ocular surface, dry eye, minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS), trabeculectomy,glaucoma medications. The titles and abstracts from those searches were screened for relevance to our review topics. Publications were included if the subjects included glaucoma patients, and if ocular surface outcomes were described. Non-English papers were excluded.
Key Content and Findings: Topical glaucoma medications frequently cause adverse effects on the ocular surface, both through direct action of the medications themselves as well as through toxicity from their associated preservatives. Optimization of the ocular surface may improve medication compliance rates.Traditional surgical treatments for glaucoma, such as trabeculectomy, can exacerbate OSD by disrupting the ocular surface but can also reduce the need for chronic medications. Optimization of ocular surface health is imperative in reducing trabeculectomy complication rates, while also potentially reducing the need for trabeculectomy in patients that are able to achieve intraocular pressure control through improved drop tolerability. The introduction of MIGS represents a promising alternative to existing therapies and has been shown to alleviate the overall medication burden. It would be reasonable to assume that decreasing the medication burden could reduce OSD prevalence and severity. However, more research is needed to directly assess the extent of improvement seen after MIGS.Conclusions: A comprehensive understanding of the importance of OSD in medical and surgical management of glaucoma is essential in optimizing patient care and improving outcomes.
Abstract: Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries among the elderly today. The volume of cataract surgeries has dramatically increased in the past few decades due to technological advancements leading to decreased morbidity, better overall outcomes, and increased expectation for correction of refractive error and spectacle independence after cataract surgery. The number of cataract surgeries is expected to continue to rise with the increase of the elderly population. Thus, accurate predictions of intraocular lens (IOL) power and the ability to correct for any postoperative refractive errors are critical. Despite the improved ability of cataract surgeons to accurately calculate IOL power, postoperative refractive errors still do occur due to various reasons such as imperfect preoperative measurements, toric-lens misalignment, and existing or surgically-induced astigmatism. The aim of this article is to review the various surgical options, including intraocular and corneal refractive surgical approaches, to correct post-operative refractive errors after cataract surgery.