Purpose: To assess the surgical and refractive outcomes of a new technique of sutureless scleral fixation (SSF) using a single-piece foldable acrylic intraocular lens (IOL) (Carlevale). Setting: Department of Translational Surgery and Medicine, Ophthalmology, University of Florence, Careggi, Florence, Italy. Design: Prospective observational case series. Methods: Thirty-two eyes of 32 patients with aphakia, dislocated IOL, or subluxated lens who underwent SSF with a novel single-piece hydrophilic acrylic IOL were studied. Preoperative and postoperative refractive status and complications during and after surgery were recorded. The IOL tilt was evaluated using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Results: Twenty-two eyes were IOL/bag luxations, 9 were aphakia, and 3 were subluxated crystalline lens. Mean preoperative corrected distance visual acuity was 0.46 ± 0.29 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) and improved to 0.13 ± 0.12 logMAR (P < .05) at the 8-month follow-up, with a predictive error spherical equivalent of −0.24 ± 0.81 diopters (D); the IOL tilt was 2.08 ± 1.19 degrees. One patient (3.1%) experienced transient cystoid macular edema, and 1 (3.1%) experienced vitreous hemorrhage; pigment dispersion with AS-OCT findings of reverse pupillary block was found in 2 (6.2%) eyes. IOL dislocation, conjunctival erosion, and plug externalization were not observed in any eye during the follow-up. Conclusions: SSF using the novel IOL could be a viable option for the management of aphakia, lens subluxation, and IOL–bag complex dislocation with unique characteristics of stability. The advantages of this technique were the absence of haptic manipulation, self-centration, and firm fixation of the IOL.

Purpose: To report a new surgical technique involving a human amniotic membrane patch (hAM) to solve a serous macular detachment associated with optic nerve head pit. Methods: Three eyes of three patients affected by macular detachment associated with optic nerve head pit were enrolled. A 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy were performed. hAM patch was implanted inside the optic nerve pit; air was used as endotamponade. The patients were instructed to maintain face-down position for the first days after surgery. Results: The subretinal fluid gradually resolved during 6 months of follow-up, and visual acuity improved to 20/25 at the sixth month after surgery. We did not observe a recurrence of subretinal fluid during the 6 months of follow-up. No postoperative complications were reported during the follow-up. Conclusion: Implant of the hAM may be effective to repair optic disk pit maculopathy. All the cases were successful with encouraging visual acuity recovery.

Purpose: To assess the occurrence of peripheral vitreoschisis-induced vitreous cortex remnants (p-VCRs) in primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) and investigate whether the presence of p-VCRs results in a greater risk of RD recurrence, secondary to Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR) development after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Methods: Patients who underwent PPV for primary rhegmatogenous RD between January 2016 and December 2018 were included. The presence of residual p-VCRs was confirmed intraoperatively using triamcinolone acetonide (TA). Patients with p-VCRs were divided into two groups: Group A comprised of patients who underwent PPV without p-VCR removal, while Group B included patients who underwent PPV with p-VCR removal. Results: Four hundred-thirteen eyes with evidence of p-VCR were analyzed. Two-hundred-twenty-three eyes underwent PPV without VCR removal (Group A), while 190 eyes underwent PPV with p-VCR removal (Group B). Primary anatomical success was 91.5% in the Group A and 95.4% in the group B. Retinal re-detachment due to PVR occurred in 17 (7.6%) eyes in Group A and in four (2.1%) eyes in Group B within the first 3 months (p = 0.01). Among group A, in 11 eyes, there was a diffuse posterior PVR grade C, while six eyes were focal PVR grade C. In Group B, we observed four retinal re-detachment due to focal PVR grade C. Conclusion: The presence of p-VCRs seems to be associated with a higher incidence of PVR development and might also result in more complex RD recurrence, this suggests the need for more aggressive VCRs removal during the first surgery.

Recently, the use of the human amniotic membrane (hAM) has been extended to treat retinal disorders, such as macular holes that failed to close and retinal tears. The hAM has demonstrated the induction of a recovery process of the external retinal layers involving the external limiting membrane (ELM) and the ellipsoid zone (EZ). After that, the application of the hAM for retinal pathologies was extended to large macular tears, high myopic retinal detachment associated with MH, paravascular tears, serous macular detachment associated with optic pit, complicated retinal detachment and advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The hAM has shown a potential in repairing retinal tissue through a regeneration process. This review aims to highlight the use of the hAM in various vitreo-retinal surgical fields, and to confront it with other cutting-edge surgical techniques used to treat challenging vitreo-retinal pathologies.

Purpose: To report the surgical outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and sutureless scleral fixation (SSF) using Carlevale Lens (Soleko) combined procedure to solve corneal failure and aphakia in vitrectomized eyes and discuss eventual advantages of this new approach. Methods: Two patients underwent primary wound repair and pars plana vitrectomy after a penetrating ocular trauma and were referred to the author’s clinic. The PKP and SSF-Carlevale lens implantation were performed under retrobulbar anesthesia. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded, intraocular lens positioning was evaluated using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and endothelial cell density was determined using an endothelial microscope. Both patients completed 12 months follow-up. Results: The surgery was performed without intraoperative complications. After 1 month, the lens was fixed well, and the graft showed no sign of rejection. At the last visit after 12 months, the corneal graft remained transparent with good endothelial cell density in both cases; conjunctival scarring or inflammation and plugs externalization did not occur during follow-ups. Best-corrected visual acuity was 4/10 Snellen in the first case, while in the second case, we witnessed a limited visual recovery of 1/20 Snellen due to retinal issues. Conclusion: We report the feasibility of secondary IOL implantation using Carlevale with penetrating keratoplasty. The relative of ease of Carlevale lens implantation through the transscleral plugs reduces the open globe length resulting in a safer procedure, especially for vitrectomized eyes.