Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is the most common complication of cataract surgery. It causes a gradual deterioration of visual acuity, which would otherwise improve after a successful procedure. Despite recent advances in ophthalmology, this complication has not been eradicated, and the incidence of PCO can be as high as 10%. This article reviews the literature concerning the pathomechanism of PCO and examines the biochemical pathways involved in its formation and methods to prevent this complication. We also review the reported tests performed in cell cultures under laboratory conditions and in experimental animal models and in ex vivo human lens capsules. Finally, we describe research involving human eyes in the clinical setting and pharmacological methods that may reduce the frequency of PCO. Due to the multifactorial etiology of PCO, in vitro studies make it possible to assess the factors contributing to its complications and search for new therapeutic targets. Not all pathways involved in cell proliferation, migration, and contraction of the lens capsule are reproducible in laboratory conditions; moreover, PCO in humans and laboratory animals may be additionally stimulated by various degrees of postoperative reactions depending on the course of surgery. Therefore, further studies are necessary.

Cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures worldwide. Patients usually experience strong negative emotions, such as fear and anxiety. A systematic review of the recent literature regarding the emotional states experienced during cataract surgery under local anaesthesia was performed based on the PubMed and Scopus databases. The objective of this review was to determine the causes and frequency of fear and anxiety, as well as methods for improving intraoperative experience and supporting the patient prior to surgery. Anxiety is mainly caused by fear of the surgery itself, fright of pain, and loss of vision. Abstaining and visual sensations experienced during cataract surgery also increased the preoperative anxiety. Women and hypochondriacs showed higher levels of anxiety. The greatest intensity of negative emotions occurred on the day of the cataract surgery. Patients operated on both eyes experienced greater fear and anxiety before the operation of the first eye surgery. In order to reduce patients’ negative experiences, pharmacological sedation, preoperative education and counselling, manual massage immediately before surgery, and listening to music during surgery are used. Taking this information into consideration allows the introduction of effective methods of eliminating the patient’s negative feelings in connection with cataract surgery, which leads to an improvement in the results of the operation and an increase in the patients’ sense of satisfaction and quality of life.

Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide. It is an insidious disease with a multifactorial pathogenesis. Despite progress in treatment methods, prevention and lifestyle modifications may be useful in slowing the progression of this disease. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the influence of diet, oxidative stress, and disturbances in blood serum levels of nutrients on the incidence and severity of glaucoma based on scientific reports on the role of nutrition in the pathogenesis and course of glaucoma. This paper presents an analysis of the above issues; however, further research is required to develop this topic. Future clinical trials are needed to assess the influence of nutrition and to develop nutritional management strategies for patients with glaucoma.

Background. Differential diagnosis and follow-up of small anterior segment tumors constitute a particular challenge because they determine further treatment procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the UBM (ultrasound biomicroscopy) and AS-OCT (anterior segment optical coherent tomography) in distinguishing different types of anterior segment lesions. Methods. It was a retrospective, noncomparative study of case series of 89 patients with the suspicion of anterior segment tumor referred to the Ophthalmology Clinic, Medical University of Białystok, Poland, between 2016 and 2020. UBM was used to assess tumor morphology including height, location, and internal and external features. In cases in which UBM did not provide enough data, the AS-OCT images were analyzed. The data on demographics, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and rate of complications were also collected. Patients were followed up from 1 to 48 months. Results. The mean observation period was 26.61 ± 16.13 months. Among the patients, there were 62 women and 27 men at a mean age of 55.59 ± 19.48 (range: from 20 to 89 years.) The types of tumors were cysts (41%), solid iris tumors (37.1%), ciliary body tumors (7.9%), peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS 3.4%), corneal tumors (4.5%), and others (5.6%). Patients with cysts were younger than patients with solid iris tumor (p=0.002). Women had a cyst as well as solid iris tumor more frequently than men, but less often a ciliary body tumor (p<0.05). The horizontal size of tumor was positively correlated with patients’ age (r_s = 0.38 and p=0.003) and negatively correlated with visual acuity (r_s = −0.42 and p=0.014). During the 4 years of diagnosis, only 2.2% of lesions exhibited growth (growth rate of 0.02 mm per year). Among 15 cases in which visualization with UBM was not satisfactory (mostly iris nevi), AS-OCT was helpful in diagnosis of 13 patients. Conclusions. Both UBM and AS-OCT are effective methods in detection and diagnosis of tumors of the anterior eye segment, but in some cases, AS-OCT adds additional value to the diagnosis. Many lesions can be managed conservatively because they did not demonstrate growth during 4 years of the follow-up period.

This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among ophthalmology residents in Poland. An online, self-administered, anonymous survey was distributed among Polish ophthalmology residents in early 2021. Of 126 residents who completed the survey, 71.4% indicated that they would get vaccinated, 17.5% were unsure, and 11.1% would refuse vaccination. Married respondents with children (p = 0.036) and respondents living with their families (p = 0.310) were more likely to accept vaccination, believing that the vaccine is effective (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively), and fearing for themselves (p = 0.031 and p = 0.023, respectively) or their families (p = 0.032 and 0.055, respectively) getting infected. Respondents who contracted COVID-19 often reported the expected relief in sanitization (p = 0.011) as their reason for vaccination, and the previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (p = 0.050) as their reason for not vaccinating. Unmarried residents and residents living alone often declared that they were waiting for the effectiveness and long-term complications of the vaccine to be assessed (p = 0.005, both). Residents living with their families were significantly less likely to report COVID-19 as the reason for refusing vaccination (p = 0.022). In conclusion, most ophthalmology residents expressed a willingness to get vaccinated. Marital status and cohabitants affect vaccination acceptance. People with COVID-19 have different reasons for accepting or refusing vaccination. Medical authorities should persuade citizens more to vaccinate.

Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is a rapidly expanding category of surgical glaucoma treatment options that offer a superior safety profile compared with traditional approaches for reducing intraocular pressure. However, MIGS may cause corneal endothelial cell loss; therefore, it has been receiving increasing attention. This systematic review aimed to evaluate and compare the rate and degree of corneal endothelial loss after MIGS. First, this paper presents an overview of the theoretical effectiveness of MIGS, the fundamental aspects regarding the roles of endothelial cells, and the effect of cataract surgery on the quality and count of endothelial cells. Further, we detail the various surgical techniques involved in MIGS, the development of these techniques over the time, and clinical aspects to consider with respect to the endothelial cell count. We discuss in detail the COMPASS-XT study, which was based on data collected over 5 years, reported that withdrawal of the CyPass Micro-Stent (Alcon Laboratories) yielded increased corneal endothelial cell loss. Generally, MIGS procedures are considered safe, with the incidence of complications ranging from 1% to 20% depending on the surgery type; however, there is still need for studies with longer follow-up. Thus, an adequate count of endothelial cells in the central cornea portion is recommended as necessary for candidate patients for MIGS.