Visual Acuity Prior to Cataract Surgery and Risk of Retinal Detachment - A Population-Based Study

Purpose

To analyze preoperative visual acuity before cataract surgery regarding the risk of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) after cataract surgery.

Methods

The preoperative visual acuity in an observational cohort study of patients undergoing cataract surgery in Skåne, southern Sweden, during 2015-2017 was analyzed with data retrieved from the Swedish National Cataract Register. This was then cross-referenced with patients undergoing surgery for retinal detachment at the Skåne University Hospital in Lund from 2015 to 2020. The main outcome was the risk-benefit ratio of measuring preoperative visual acuity before cataract surgery and the risk of RRD.

Results

The mean visual acuity in the whole study group (N=58,624), expressed as LogMAR, was 0.40 ± 0.32 (SD). In the group with RRD (n=298), the mean visual acuity was 0.44 ± 0.36 (p=0.07). In the subgroups of RRD, those aged <60 years 0.49 ± 0.44 (p=0.07), aged <60 years and axial length (AL) >25 mm 0.42 ± 0.38 (p=0.68), and in those aged <60 years, AL >25 mm and male sex 0.44 ± 0.39 (p=0.53). However, there is considerable variations in visual acuity of the various groups and in the high-risk group with RRD aged <60 years with AL>25 mm, 15% had a visual acuity of 0.8 or better in the operated eye.

Conclusion

There must be strong indications for performing cataract surgery in those with a high risk of retinal detachment, and the patient must be given adequate information on the risk of retinal detachment.

Development of appropriateness criteria for hip arthroscopy in patients with femoroacetabular impingement

INTRODUCTION

The use of hip arthroscopy as a treatment for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has increased exponentially in recent years without robust evidence or consensus about the patients who benefit from it.

OBJECTIVE

To develop explicit criteria for the appropriate indication of hip arthroscopy in FAI.

METHOD

A panel of experts was formed with 11 traumatologists following the RAND/UCLA method to identify the appropriateness criteria for hip arthroscopy in patients with FAI. The panel made independent evaluations of each indication using a nine-point adequacy scale, then met face-to-face to vote using an iterative discussion process. The influence of the variables on the final score was studied using multinomial logistic regression models. The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was used to summarize the results in the form of decision trees.

RESULTS

Twenty-three point four percent of the 192 scenarios evaluated in the face-to-face meeting was considered appropriate (40% agreement), 26.6% uncertain and 50% inappropriate (75% agreement). The most influential variables in considering the use of arthroscopy appropriate were: joint symptoms compatible with shock test, duration of symptoms, functionality, age and Hip Outcome Score (HOS) scale.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed an explicit set of criteria for the appropriate use of hip arthroscopy in FAI using the RAND/UCLA method, providing a tool that would identify patients who are potential candidates for surgical treatment using arthroscopic hip surgery.

Over-diagnosis and over-treatment in Ophthalmology: A review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

To determine if the pernicious effects of over-diagnosis and over-treatment have been studied in the most common ocular diseases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Bibliographic search conducted in PubMed.

RESULTS

The search algorithm used retrieved 29 articles related with the topic. Most of them address the issue tangentially. Only 4 of them address the problem directly. One of them focuses on the problem of over-diagnosis and over-treatment in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The remaining 3 focus on the problem of over-diagnosis and over-treatment in glaucoma.

CONCLUSION

The ophthalmology community has thought very little about the detrimental effects of over-diagnosis and over-treatment.

[Clinical practice variation in cataract surgery]

PURPOSE

Cataract surgery rates have dramatically increased in the last two decades. However, clinical practice variation in cataract surgery has not been thoroughly studied. The aim of this review is to analyze clinical practice variation, including the causes and consequences of this phenomenon. Then, its role in health care planning and health care quality is focused, emphasizing the importance of reducing it and providing several practical strategies to accomplish it.

RECENT FINDINGS

The latest researches are presented in this article. They identify the development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines as the best tool to standardize care processes.

CONCLUSION

Managing unwarranted or unwanted variation would improve quality of care and may lead to a significant saving in health care spending.