Purpose: To report our experience using a Tenon cyst autograft in the management of tube exposure post Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation. Methods: This is a retrospective case series. Results: Four patients who underwent tube exposure repair using Tenon cyst autograft were identified in our tertiary care center. The duration between initial AGV implantation and tube exposure ranged between 3 and 36 months with a mean of 16 months (±14.35 mo). All patients were followed postoperatively for a range of 4 to 24 months with a mean of 11.75 months (±9.03 o) and all remain exposure free at last follow-up. Conclusion: The use of a Tenon cyst autograft for the surgical repair of a tube exposure is valuable, as it involves using autologous scar tissue that is available in eyes that have undergone AGV implantation. The patch autograft is technically easy to harvest, and represents a significantly lower cost when compared with other available options.

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Purpose To assess the short and long-term changes in Visual Field (VF) Mean Deviation (MD), Visual Field Index (VFI), and intraocular pressure (IOP) after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) in glaucomatous eyes. Materials and methods Interventional, prospective case series. Patients with glaucoma, who required cataract surgery were included. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic assessment and Visual Fields. FLACS was performed in all patients by a single experienced surgeon. IOP was measured during surgery immediately before and after pretreatment suction docking. Changes from baseline in VF MD and VFI, IOP, visual acuity (VA), and number of glaucoma medications were evaluated up to one-year follow-up. Results Fourteen eyes of 11 patients were included. Eighty-five percent were female, with a mean age of 74.2 ± 7.9 years. Nine (64.3%) and 5 (35.7%) were diagnosed with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), respectively. We found a slight IOP reduction after the docking phase during FLACS in both glaucoma subtype groups. No significant changes in visual field mean deviation (MD) and visual field index (VFI) were found from baseline to 12 months after surgery in both groups. A significant reduction in IOP values was found in all cases from baseline up to one year follow up. No significant changes were observed in BCVA and number of topical glaucoma medications after one year in both groups. Conclusion In our patients, there was an IOP reduction immediately after suction docking FLACS pretreatment. Mean IOP at final follow-up showed a reduction from baseline. There was no change in VF MD and VFI from baseline to final one-year follow-up. FLACS appears to be well tolerated in early and moderate glaucoma and appears to be a safe tool for glaucoma patients undergoing cataract surgery. Similar results to traditional surgery can be obtained with the advantages of femtosecond laser precision.

AimTo determine the glaucoma specialists’ preferences for the different brands of topical glaucoma medications available in Mexico.Materials and methodsA web-based survey was sent to 150 board-certified glaucoma specialists in Mexico, with 14 questions related to brand preferences for all glaucoma medications available in Mexico. Participants were asked to select each glaucoma medication class by brand and to state the factors leading to their choice.ResultsData from 111 (74%) glaucoma specialists were collected. Imot (timolol 0.5%; Sophia, Mexico) was the preferred brand for the beta-blockers (BB) class by 71% (n = 79) of the participants. Azopt (brinzolamide 1%; Alcon Lab, US) was the preferred carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) by 54% (n = 60) of the glaucoma specialists. Lumigan (bimatoprost 0.01% and 0.03%; Allergan Inc., U.S.) was the first choice for the prostaglandin analogues (PGAs) in 62% (n = 70) of the answers. The most frequently prescribed alpha-agonist (AA) was Agglad (brimonidine 0.2%; Sophia Lab, Mexico) in 44% (n = 49) of the answers. Medication accessibility (31%), cost (29%), and recommended dose (23%) were the three main factors influencing the glaucoma specialists’ preferences.ConclusionMedication cost and accessibility, as well as posology, remain the main factors influencing brand preferences among glaucoma doctors. In our professional opinion, the therapeutic effect must be the leading factor when prescribing topical medications in the daily practice, so that patients receive the best treatment option.Clinical significanceThis survey provides an understanding of the decision-making process when prescribing glaucoma medications by glaucoma specialists in a Latin American developing country. Ideally, patient treatment should be individualized and aimed to achieve the best results possible for their specific condition.How to cite this article: Lazcano-Gomez G, Alvarez-Ascencio D, Haro-Zuno C, Turati-Acosta M, Garcia-Huerta M, Jimenez-Arroyo J, Castañeda-Diez R, Castillejos-Chevez A, Gonzalez-Salinas R, Dominguez-Dueñas F, Jimenez-Roman J. Glaucoma Medication Preferences among Glaucoma Specialists in Mexico. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2017;11(3):97-100.

BackgroundWe aim to describe the short-term effect of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) in intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity (VA), number of hypotensive medications, and visual fields (VF) in glaucomatous eyes.MethodsSingle-center consecutive case series study included patients with a previous glaucoma diagnosis that needed cataract surgery alone or combined with incisional glaucoma procedure. IOP was measured during surgery immediately before and after pretreatment docking with an indentation tonometer. Changes in visual acuity (VA), IOP, number of medications, and VF were evaluated with a 90 day follow up.ResultsTwenty-seven eyes of 27 patients were included. Mean patient age was 70 years, 70% (n = 19) were female. Glaucoma diagnoses were: twelve patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, 13 with angle-closure glaucoma, and 2 with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. Twenty-one patients underwent cataract surgery alone and 6 combined with an incisional glaucoma procedure (trabeculectomy or glaucoma drainage device implantation). We found no significant differences between pre-docking IOP (17.59 mmHg ± 6.25 SD) and post-docking IOP (17.23 mmHg ± 7.74 SD) p = 0.7. No surgical complications were recorded. The 90-day postoperative follow up revealed no changes from baseline regarding VF mean deviation, mean IOP, and the number of glaucoma medications decreased in both groups.ConclusionFLACS appears to perform well in the short-term in eyes with glaucoma undergoing cataract surgery alone or with an incisional glaucoma procedure. Comparable outcomes to manual phacoemulsification were obtained regarding IOP, VA, and postoperative period evolution.Clinical SignificanceSafety and efficacy of FLACS have not been properly studied in the glaucoma population, we present a case series with different glaucoma diagnoses who underwent FLACS alone or with an incisional glaucoma procedure.