To evaluate the efficacy of the inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique in vitrectomy for macular hole (MH) with retinal detachment (RD) compared with vitrectomy using ILM peeling. A retrospective case series study was performed. Twenty-two eyes of 22 patients who underwent vitrectomy for MH with RD and followed-up more than 12 months after the surgery were included in this study. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent vitrectomy with inverted ILM flap technique or vitrectomy with ILM peeling. Ten patients who had been treated vitrectomy with inverted ILM flap technique, and 12 patients who had been treated vitrectomy with ILM peeling were analyzed. We evaluated changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after surgery, closing rates of MH, and retinal reattachment rates and compared between both groups. MH was closed and RD was reattached postoperatively in 9 eyes (90%) in the inverted ILM flap group. In the ILM peeling group, the MH was closed in 4 eyes (33.3%) and the retinas were reattached in 6 eyes (50%) after surgery. Significant improvement in BCVA after surgery (P = 0.0017) was only found in the inverted ILM flap group. Higher rates of closed MH and retinal reattachment, and small but significant improvement in BCVA were found in the inverted ILM flap group. Based on our data, the inverted ILM flap technique may be useful in vitrectomy for MH with RD.

Intravitreal injection (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the standard treatment modality in various types of retinal diseases. However, endophthalmitis remains the most serious complication. Despite the lack of evidence that antibiotics prevent endophthalmitis, topical antibiotics are still used routinely in Japan. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study by analyzing records from patients who underwent IVI of anti-VEGF agents with or without antibiotic treatment. In the analysis of a total of 147,440 eyes, the incidence of endophthalmitis was 0.007%: 0.005% with no use of antibiotics, 0.009% with antibiotic pretreatment, 0.012% with posttreatment, and 0.005% with pre- and posttreatment. There was no statistically significant difference among the four groups (chi-square test, p = 0.57). Most facilities used masks, sterilized gloves, and drapes. Nine of the 10 eyes that developed endophthalmitis received topical antibiotics, and all infected eyes underwent IVI with aflibercept, not the prefilled syringe delivery system. In four patients who received multiple IVI, the detection of causative bacteria revealed resistance to used antibiotics. Data from this large population, treated with or without antibiotics, suggests that antibiotic prophylaxis does not reduce the rate of endophthalmitis after IVI.

We retrospectively evaluated the long-term surgical outcomes of phacoemulsification combined with a Kahook dual blade (KDB) procedure in Japanese patients with open-angle glaucoma. The primary outcome was surgical success or failure. Surgical failure was indicated by a 18 mmHg (criterion A), IOP > 14 mmHg (criterion B), or requirement for reoperation. Glaucoma medications after surgery and postoperative complications were recorded. Surgical outcomes were compared between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and exfoliation glaucoma (ExG) groups. The probability of success at 36 months postoperation was 52.5% using criterion A and 36.9% using criterion B. Mean IOP decreased significantly from 19.5 ± 6.9 mmHg preoperatively to 11.9 ± 2.7 mmHg at 36 months, and the mean number of glaucoma medications from 2.4 ± 1.4 to 1.6 ± 1.4 (both p < 0.01). IOP spikes were significantly more common in the ExG group (23.7% vs. 9.1%; p = 0.045), as was the need for additional glaucoma surgery (10.5% vs. 1.8%; p = 0.038). A KDB procedure combined with cataract surgery resulted in significant long-term decreases in IOP and the number of glaucoma medications. The complication rate was higher in eyes with ExG. Therefore, these eyes require more careful management after a KDB procedure.

Diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy (DR) including diabetic macular edema (DME) are representative microvascular complications of diabetes. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study analyzing records from patients with DR (132 eyes in 70 patients) and end-stage renal diseases (ESRD) who underwent hemodialysis for the first time. We demonstrated that the central retinal thickness (CRT) values were significantly decreased (p < 0.0001), and the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) values were improved (p < 0.05) at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after hemodialysis initiation, in spite of a lack of specific ocular treatments for DME in 93.2% of eyes. We found a significant positive correlation in the rates of CRT changes between right and left eyes. The CRT reductions were greater in eyes with DME type subretinal detachment than in those with spongelike swelling and cystoid macular edema. The visual outcome gain was associated with the CRT reduction at 12 months in the eyes with good initial BCVA (≧20/50). Hemodialysis induction contributed to functional and anatomical improvements after 1 year, independently of initial laboratory values before the hemodialysis.

Purpose: Microaneurysm (MA) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic macular edema (DME) progression and response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of faricimab, a bispecific antibody against angiopoietin-2 and VEGF, on the number of MAs and their turnover in the treatment of DME. Methods: We included that patients with DME who underwent three monthly injections of faricimab in one eye, with the other eye as control. We examined central retinal thickness (CRT) based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and best-corrected visual acuity. Turnover, including loss and newly formed MAs, and the total number of MAs were counted based on merged images of the OCT map and fluorescein angiography. Results: We enrolled 28 patients with DME. After 3 monthly injections of faricimab, CRT significantly improved, 66.0 ± 16.2% of MAs disappeared, and 6.71 ± 5.6% of new MAs were generated, resulting in total reduction to 40.7 ± 15.2%. In the treated eyes, MA disappearance (P < 0.0001) and turnover (P = 0.007) were significantly greater, and new formation was smaller (P < 0.0001) than in non-treated eyes. The size of the retained MAs decreased after treatment. Microaneurysm turnover was not significantly different between areas with and without edema before treatment. Conclusions: In the process of improving edema in DME with faricimab, MAs shrink and disappear, and formation of MAs are inhibited, resulting in decreased total number of MAs. Intravitreal administration of faricimab suppresses vascular permeability and improves vascular structure.