Extraocular and Intraocular Infections Following Strabismus Surgery: A Review

Parental perspectives and concerns regarding exotropia surgery and comparison with clinicians' predictions

PURPOSE

To evaluate parental perspectives and concerns regarding exotropia surgery and compare them with clinicians' predictions of parental responses in Korean pediatric patients with intermittent exotropia.

METHODS

This survey study included the parents of pediatric patients with intermittent exotropia who underwent surgery and clinicians at five hospitals from June 2022 to February 2023, who participated in the Survey of Parental Attitude and Concerns of Exotropia surgery (SPACE) study 1. Parental attitudes and concern about exotropia surgery were assessed using a questionnaire. Clinicians' estimation of each item corresponding to the parental questionnaire was also assessed and compared with parental responses.

RESULTS

A total of 266 parents and 41 clinicians were included. More parents responded that information about surgery was most helpful or most commonly received from clinicians than clinicians estimated (P = 0.001). More parents reported actively communicating with the child about surgery than clinicians estimated (P < 0.001). Parents showed a higher level of concern for general anesthesia and the hospital environment than clinicians thought they would (P = 0.002 and P < 0.001, resp.). In the postoperative follow-up items, parents showed high levels of concern regarding postoperative infection (P < 0.001), conjunctival redness (P = 0.040), persistent overcorrection (P < 0.001), and glasses wearing (P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

Parental perspectives and concerns regarding pediatric intermittent exotropia surgery differed from clinicians' estimations thereof. More parents obtain information on exotropia surgery from clinicians and actively talk about surgery with their child than estimated by clinicians. Parents had a higher level of concern regarding general anesthesia, hospital environment, postoperative infection, conjunctival redness, persistent overcorrection, and glasses wearing compared with clinician estimations.

Application of vitamin A palmitate eye gel and nurse value of Watson's theory of caring in children with dry eye after strabismus surgery: a randomized trial

BACKGROUND

After strabismus surgery, the local swelling of conjunctival wound will affect the uniform distribution of tears on the ocular surface, and the inflammatory reaction will affect the stability of tear film, which will easily lead to iatrogenic dry eye. This study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin A palmitate (VAP) eye gel application in dry eye and the advantages of Watson's theory of caring.

METHODS

Two hundred and forty children with dry eye after strabismus surgery treated in our hospital from September 2018 to September 2020 were selected as the study subjects, and were randomly divided into control group and observation group according to the allocation ratio of 1:1. Watson's theory of care nursing was applied in the observation group, and VAP eye gel was additionally dropped into the eye. Mouse conjunctival goblet cells (GCs) were used to detect the effect of VAP on the growth of GCs. Treatment compliance, improvement of dry eye symptoms [Schirmer I test (SIT), tear film break-up time (BUT), and fluorescent staining (FL) score], inflammatory factor levels in tears, clinical efficacy, and parents' satisfaction were compared.

RESULTS

It was found that VAP eye gel could better promote the proliferation of GCs. After nursing and clinical treatment, the dry eye symptoms were improved in all included children, and improvements in the SIT, BUT, and FL scores were more obvious in the observation group. Watson's theory of care nursing could effectively improve the children's treatment compliance and parents' satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

As a result, the application of VAP eye gel and Watson's theory of care nursing could effectively reduce the occurrence of dry eye after strabismus surgery, and were of great importance for improving the relationship between nurses and patients and building a harmonious hospital.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100049136.

Herpes simplex keratoconjunctivitis in the immediate postoperative period after strabismus surgery

The authors describe the case of bilateral herpes simplex keratoconjunctivitis (HSK) following uncomplicated 7 mm bilateral lateral rectus recessions in a 3-year-old child. The recovery was initially unremarkable, and the standard postoperative drops of dexamethasone and chloramphenicol (non-preservative free) were prescribed. The child presented 8 days postoperatively with fever, right upper lid swelling and ptosis. She was admitted for intravenous antibiotics for suspected pre-septal cellulitis. Over the next 2 days, she deteriorated with bilateral lid involvement. An examination under anesthesia (EUA) revealed bilateral corneal epithelial (dendritic and geographical) ulcers with conjunctival erosions and pseudo membranes prompting a diagnosis of HSK. This was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. The child recovered within 2 weeks after starting oral and topical antiviral medication. This case highlights the importance of EUA in infections not responding to standard treatment. Although HSK is known to occur after topical steroid use and ocular surgery, we were not able to find any other cases in the literature and believe this is the first reported case of bilateral HSK in the immediate postoperative period after strabismus surgery.