Purpose To assess the prevalence of the antibiotics resistant conjunctival bacteria in order to adapt our cataract surgery prophylaxis to the new prophylaxis techniques.

Purpose To report 1‐year treatment outcomes of P50 EX‐PRESS implant versus nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) with Esnoper V2000 combined with phacoemulsification. Design Randomized, prospective and multicentre clinical trial. Methods Settings: Six clinical centres. Population: Patients 54–89 years of age without previous filtering surgery with cataract and glaucoma who required lower levels of intraocular pressure (IOP). Interventions: Phaco‐EX‐PRESS P50 or Phaco‐NPDS with Esnoper V2000, both groups with mitomycin C (0.2 mg/ml for 2 min). Main outcome measures: IOP, complete success rate (IOP: ≥6 and ≤18 mmHg), visual acuity, use of medical therapy and systematic assessment of complications and postoperative interventions. Results A total of 98 eyes were enrolled, including 50 in the EX‐PRESS group and 48 in the NPDS group. At 12 months, IOP (mean ± SD) was 13.9 ± 3.3 mmHg in EX‐PRESS group and 13.3 ± 3.6 mmHg in NPDS group (p = 0.38). Success rate was 75% and 80% in EX‐PRESS and NPDS groups, respectively (p = 0.53). The number of glaucoma medications (mean ± SD) was 0.2 ± 0.55 in EX‐PRESS group and 0.17 ± 0.44 in NPDS group (p = 1.00). The total number of complications was 66 in 35 subjects in EX‐PRESS group and 39 in 23 subjects in NPDS group (p = 0.02). The incidence of more than one complication was n = 13 (26%) versus n = 9 (18.8%) in EX‐PRESS and NPDS groups, respectively (p = 0.38). The total number of required postoperative interventions was 59 and 26 in EX‐PRESS and NPDS groups, respectively (p = 0.01). Visual acuity was similar in both groups at month 12 (p = 0.13). Surgical time (mean ± SD) was 52.6 ± 13.6 min in EX‐PRESS group and 63.3 ± 19.4 min in NPDS group (p = 0.01). Conclusion Phaco‐EX‐PRESS surgery had similar success rate compared to Phaco‐NPDS during 1 year of follow‐up. Both procedures were associated with similar IOP reduction and use of additional medical therapy at 12 months. EX‐PRESS surgery required more postoperative interventions and had more complications, but needed less surgical time compared to NPDS.

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(1) Background: After filtering surgery, bleb morphology is an indicator of the factors that may determine the final intraocular pressure (IOP). The present study aimed to evaluate and compare filtering bleb characteristics after combined cataract and glaucoma surgery. (2) Methods: We conducted a prospective multi-center randomized trial. Eyes with glaucoma and cataract were randomly assigned to either phacoemulsification and filtration surgery with an EX-PRESS implant (Alcon) or non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) with an ESNOPER implant (AJL). The bleb characteristics were assessed with the Moorfields bleb grading system at months 1 and 12 of follow-up, and the relationship with IOP was analyzed. (3) Results: There were significant changes in bleb appearance between the assessments at month 1 and month 12. The changes in bleb appearance were more evident in the EX-PRESS group. The central area in the EX-PRESS group decreased from 2.9 at month 1 to 2.4 at month 12 (p = 0.014). Bleb height in the EX-PRESS group decreased from 2.3 at month 1 to 1.8 at month 12 (p = 0.034). The vascularity of the central area in the NPDS group decreased from 1.8 at month 1 to 1.3 at month 12 (p = 0.02). The maximal bleb area was inversely related (r = −0.39; p = 0.03) to the IOP in the NPDS group at month 1. Vascularity in the central area was directly related (r = 0.39; p = 0.01) to a higher IOP in the EX-PRESS group at month 1. Vascularity in the central area (r = 0.56; p < 0.001) and maximal area (r = 0.37; p = 0.012) at month 1 was directly related to a higher IOP in the EX-PRESS group at month 12. (4) Conclusions: More intense vascularity at month 1 was related to a higher final IOP in the EX-PRESS group. Larger blebs were associated with a lower IOP in the NPDS group.

Purpose To compare the ETDRS macular thicknesses (MT), the ganglion cell complex plus inner plexiform layer thicknesses (GCC) and the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses between patients with Friedreich ataxia (FA) and age‐matched healthy individuals. Methods Seven FA patients and 19 age‐matched controls were prospectively selected. All participants underwent a neurological evaluation, a comprehensive ophthalmological assessment and imaging with spectral domain Cirrus OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). Both eyes were included, left eyes were converted to a right eye format. The OCT parameters were compared between groups with the Mann‐Whitney U test. A p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results Mean age was 44.73 ± 11.9 and best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.97 ± 0.1 for the control group, while mean age was 37.85 ± 10.2 years and BCVA was 0.76 ± 0.2 for the AF group. The central macular thickness was similar in both groups, but the macular thicknesses of the inner ring of the ETDRS grid, except the temporal area, were reduced in FA ataxia compared to healthy controls. The nasal and inferior thicknesses of the outer ring were also lower in AF patients. All the GCC measurements and the RNFL thicknesses around the optic disc, except the eight clock‐hour position, were decreased in FA individuals. Conclusions In AF patients, the macular, GCC and RNFL thicknesses were lower than in healthy controls, presumably because of the loss of the ganglion cells. More studies are needed to evaluate the changes in the retina due to AF.