December 2017

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Bains U, Hoguet A. Aqueous Drainage Device Erosion: A Review of Rates, Risks, Prevention, and Repair. Semin Ophthalmol 2017;:1-10.Abstract
Aqueous drainage device tube erosions require prompt intervention to prevent endophthalmitis. As the use of drainage devices in glaucoma surgery continues to increase, recognizing and managing tube erosions is a pertinent issue. This review provides a comprehensive overview of tube erosions, including the rates of erosion with various types of patch grafts, the risk factors associated with erosion, and approaches to repair in order to counsel and treat our patients to prevent endophthalmitis.
Bouffard MA, Prasad S. Advances in Neuro-Ophthalmic Imaging. Semin Neurol 2017;37(5):566-579.
Bowe T, Rahmani S, Yonekawa Y. Endoscopic Vitrectomy for Microcornea, Posterior Megalolenticonus, Persistent Fetal Vasculature, Coloboma Syndrome. Ophthalmology 2017;124(12):1742.
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Costela FM, Kajtezovic S, Woods RL. The Preferred Retinal Locus Used to Watch Videos. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2017;58(14):6073-6081.Abstract
Purpose: Eccentric viewing is a common strategy used by people with central vision loss (CVL) to direct the eye such that the image falls onto functioning peripheral retina, known as the preferred retinal locus (PRL). It has been long acknowledged that we do not know whether the PRL used in a fixation test is also used when performing tasks. We present an innovative method to determine whether the same PRL observed during a fixation task was used to watch videos and whether poor resolution affects gaze location. Methods: The gaze of a group of 60 normal vision (NV) observers was used to define a democratic center of interest (COI) of video clips from movies and television. For each CVL participant (N = 20), we computed the gaze offsets from the COI across the video clips. The distribution of gaze offsets of the NV participants was used to define the limits of NV behavior. If the gaze offset was within this 95% degree confidence interval, we presumed that the same PRL was used for fixation and video watching. Another 15 NV participants watched the video clips with various levels of defocus blur. Results: CVL participants had wider gaze-offset distributions than NV participants (P < 0.001). Gaze offsets of 18/20 CVL participants were outside the NV confidence interval. Further, none of the 15 NV participants watching the same videos with spherical defocus blur had a gaze offset that was decentered (outside the NV confidence interval), suggesting that resolution was not the problem. Conclusions: This indicates that many CVL participants were using a PRL to view videos that differed from that found with a fixation task and that it was not caused by poor resolution alone. The relationship between these locations needs further investigation.
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Eichler FS, Swoboda KJ, Hunt AL, Cestari DM, Rapalino O. Case 38-2017. A 20-Year-Old Woman with Seizures and Progressive Dystonia. N Engl J Med 2017;377(24):2376-2385.
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Flaxman SR, Bourne RRA, Resnikoff S, Ackland P, Braithwaite T, Cicinelli MV, Das A, Jonas JB, Keeffe J, Kempen JH, Leasher J, Limburg H, Naidoo K, Pesudovs K, Silvester A, Stevens GA, Tahhan N, Wong TY, Taylor HR, of the of Study VLEGGBD. Global causes of blindness and distance vision impairment 1990-2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2017;5(12):e1221-e1234.Abstract
BACKGROUND: Contemporary data for causes of vision impairment and blindness form an important basis of recommendations in public health policies. Refreshment of the Global Vision Database with recently published data sources permitted modelling of cause of vision loss data from 1990 to 2015, further disaggregation by cause, and forecasts to 2020. METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we analysed published and unpublished population-based data for the causes of vision impairment and blindness from 1980 to 2014. We identified population-based studies published before July 8, 2014, by searching online databases with no language restrictions (MEDLINE from Jan 1, 1946, and Embase from Jan 1, 1974, and the WHO Library Database). We fitted a series of regression models to estimate the proportion of moderate or severe vision impairment (defined as presenting visual acuity of <6/18 but ≥3/60 in the better eye) and blindness (presenting visual acuity of <3/60 in the better eye) by cause, age, region, and year. FINDINGS: We identified 288 studies of 3 983 541 participants contributing data from 98 countries. Among the global population with moderate or severe vision impairment in 2015 (216·6 million [80% uncertainty interval 98·5 million to 359·1 million]), the leading causes were uncorrected refractive error (116·3 million [49·4 million to 202·1 million]), cataract (52·6 million [18·2 million to 109·6 million]), age-related macular degeneration (8·4 million [0·9 million to 29·5 million]), glaucoma (4·0 million [0·6 million to 13·3 million]), and diabetic retinopathy (2·6 million [0·2 million to 9·9 million]). Among the global population who were blind in 2015 (36·0 million [12·9 million to 65·4 million]), the leading causes were cataract (12·6 million [3·4 million to 28·7 million]), uncorrected refractive error (7·4 million [2·4 million to 14·8 million]), and glaucoma (2·9 million [0·4 million to 9·9 million]). By 2020, among the global population with moderate or severe vision impairment (237·1 million [101·5 million to 399·0 million]), the number of people affected by uncorrected refractive error is anticipated to rise to 127·7 million (51·0 million to 225·3 million), by cataract to 57·1 million (17·9 million to 124·1 million), by age-related macular degeneration to 8·8 million (0·8 million to 32·1 million), by glaucoma to 4·5 million (0·5 million to 15·4 million), and by diabetic retinopathy to 3·2 million (0·2 million to 12·9 million). By 2020, among the global population who are blind (38·5 million [13·2 million to 70·9 million]), the number of patients blind because of cataract is anticipated to rise to 13·4 million (3·3 million to 31·6 million), because of uncorrected refractive error to 8·0 million (2·5 million to 16·3 million), and because of glaucoma to 3·2 million (0·4 million to 11·0 million). Cataract and uncorrected refractive error combined contributed to 55% of blindness and 77% of vision impairment in adults aged 50 years and older in 2015. World regions varied markedly in the causes of blindness and vision impairment in this age group, with a low prevalence of cataract (<22% for blindness and 14·1-15·9% for vision impairment) and a high prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (>14% of blindness) as causes in the high-income subregions. Blindness and vision impairment at all ages in 2015 due to diabetic retinopathy (odds ratio 2·52 [1·48-3·73]) and cataract (1·21 [1·17-1·25]) were more common among women than among men, whereas blindness and vision impairment due to glaucoma (0·71 [0·57-0·86]) and corneal opacity (0·54 [0·43-0·66]) were more common among men than among women, with no sex difference related to age-related macular degeneration (0·91 [0·70-1·14]). INTERPRETATION: The number of people affected by the common causes of vision loss has increased substantially as the population increases and ages. Preventable vision loss due to cataract (reversible with surgery) and refractive error (reversible with spectacle correction) continue to cause most cases of blindness and moderate or severe vision impairment in adults aged 50 years and older. A large scale-up of eye care provision to cope with the increasing numbers is needed to address avoidable vision loss. FUNDING: Brien Holden Vision Institute.
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Gaier ED, Rizzo JF, Miller JB, Cestari DM. Focal Capillary Dropout Associated With Optic Disc Drusen Using Optical Coherence Tomographic Angiography. J Neuroophthalmol 2017;37(4):405-410.Abstract
Optic disc drusen may be a cause of visual field defects and visual loss. The mechanism by which this occurs is unclear. We report a patient who developed decreased vision in the right eye and was found to have a heavy burden of superficial optic disc drusen. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) confirmed focal retinal nerve fiber layer thinning that corresponded with the distribution of drusen. OCT angiography, with superficial laminar segmentation, showed focal capillary attenuation overlying the most prominent drusen. These findings demonstrate alterations in the superficial retinal capillary network associated with optic disc drusen.
Greiner JV, Lindsay ME, Kenyon KR, Herman JP, Reddy CV. Meesmann epithelial corneal dystrophy: recurrence following photorefractive keratectomy. Can J Ophthalmol 2017;52(6):e211-e213.
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Haleem MS, Han L, van Hemert J, Li B, Fleming A, Pasquale LR, Song BJ. A Novel Adaptive Deformable Model for Automated Optic Disc and Cup Segmentation to Aid Glaucoma Diagnosis. J Med Syst 2017;42(1):20.Abstract
This paper proposes a novel Adaptive Region-based Edge Smoothing Model (ARESM) for automatic boundary detection of optic disc and cup to aid automatic glaucoma diagnosis. The novelty of our approach consists of two aspects: 1) automatic detection of initial optimum object boundary based on a Region Classification Model (RCM) in a pixel-level multidimensional feature space; 2) an Adaptive Edge Smoothing Update model (AESU) of contour points (e.g. misclassified or irregular points) based on iterative force field calculations with contours obtained from the RCM by minimising energy function (an approach that does not require predefined geometric templates to guide auto-segmentation). Such an approach provides robustness in capturing a range of variations and shapes. We have conducted a comprehensive comparison between our approach and the state-of-the-art existing deformable models and validated it with publicly available datasets. The experimental evaluation shows that the proposed approach significantly outperforms existing methods. The generality of the proposed approach will enable segmentation and detection of other object boundaries and provide added value in the field of medical image processing and analysis.
Hunter DG, Yonekawa Y, Shah AS, Dagi LR. Central serous chorioretinopathy following medial transposition of split lateral rectus muscle for complete oculomotor nerve palsy. J AAPOS 2017;21(6):517-518.
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Junk AK, Chen PP, Lin SC, Nouri-Mahdavi K, Radhakrishnan S, Singh K, Chen TC. Disinfection of Tonometers: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology 2017;124(12):1867-1875.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of various disinfection methods for reusable tonometer prisms in eye care and to highlight how disinfectants can damage tonometer tips and cause subsequent patient harm. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted last in October 2016 in the PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases for original research investigations. Reviews, non-English language articles, nonophthalmology articles, surveys, and case reports were excluded. RESULTS: The searches initially yielded 64 unique citations. After exclusion criteria were applied, 10 laboratory studies remained for this review. Nine of the 10 studies used tonometer prisms and 1 used steel discs. The infectious agents covered in this assessment include adenovirus 8 and 19, herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and 2, human immunodeficiency virus 1, hepatitis C virus, enterovirus 70, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. All 4 studies of adenovirus 8 concluded that after sodium hypochlorite (dilute bleach) disinfection, the virus was undetectable, but only 2 of the 4 studies found that 70% isopropyl alcohol (e.g., alcohol wipes or soaks) eradicated all viable virus. All 3 HSV studies concluded that both sodium hypochlorite and 70% isopropyl alcohol eliminated HSV. Ethanol, 70% isopropyl alcohol, dilute bleach, and mechanical cleaning all lack the ability to remove cellular debris completely, which is necessary to prevent prion transmission. Therefore, single-use tonometer tips or disposable tonometer covers should be considered when treating patients with suspected prion disease. Damage to tonometer prisms can be caused by sodium hypochlorite, 70% isopropyl alcohol, 3% hydrogen peroxide, ethyl alcohol, water immersion, ultraviolet light, and heat exposure. Disinfectants can cause tonometer tips to swell and crack by dissolving the glue that holds the hollow tip together. The tonometer tip cracks can irritate the cornea, harbor microbes, or allow disinfectants to enter the interior of the tonometer tip. CONCLUSIONS: Sodium hypochlorite (dilute bleach) offers effective disinfection against adenovirus and HSV, the viruses commonly associated with nosocomial outbreaks in eye care. Tonometer prisms should be examined regularly for signs of damage.
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Kaufman AR, Nosé RM, Lu Y, Pineda R. Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation after previous descemetorhexis without endothelial keratoplasty. J Cataract Refract Surg 2017;43(11):1471-1475.Abstract
A 58-year-old woman with bilateral Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy presented with predominantly central guttata in the left eye causing visually significant stromal edema. A 4.0 mm descemetorhexis without endothelial keratoplasty was performed. At the 6-week follow-up, the central cornea had cleared completely and the central endothelial cell density (ECD) was 541 cells/mm2. The central corneal clearing remained stable for 2 years after the procedure; however, vision declined because of a visually significant cataract in the left eye. Uneventful phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation was performed with a target refraction of -0.50 diopters. At 1.5 months postoperatively, the uncorrected distance visual acuity was 20/20 with a manifest refraction of -0.25 -0.25 × 60 and the central ECD was 2373 cells/mm2 (increased from 1471 cells/mm2 prior to phacoemulsification). Cataract surgery by phacoemulsification years after descemetorhexis without endothelial keratoplasty appears to be well-tolerated, with good clinical and predictive refractive outcomes.
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Liu Y, Kam WR, Fernandes P, Sullivan DA. The Effect of Solithromycin, a Cationic Amphiphilic Drug, on the Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Meibomian Gland Epithelial Cells. Curr Eye Res 2018;43(6):683-688.Abstract
PURPOSE: We previously discovered that azithromycin (AZM) acts directly on immortalized human meibomian gland epithelial cells (IHMGECs) to stimulate their lipid and lysosome accumulation and overall differentiation. We hypothesize that this phospholipidosis-like effect is due to AZM's cationic amphiphilic drug (CAD) nature. If our hypothesis is correct, then other CADs (e.g., solithromycin [SOL]) should be able to duplicate AZM's action on IHMGECs. Our purpose was to test this hypothesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IHMGECs were cultured in the presence of vehicle or SOL (2, 10, or 20 µg/ml) for up to 7 days under proliferating or differentiating conditions. Positive (epidermal growth factor and bovine pituitary extract for proliferation; AZM for differentiation) and negative (vehicle) controls were included with the experiments. IHMGECs were evaluated for cell number, neutral lipid content, and lysosome accumulation. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that SOL induces a rapid and dose-dependent increase in the accumulation of neutral lipids and lysosomes in HMGECs. The lysosomal effects were most prominent with the 10 and 20 µg/ml doses, and occurred earlier (i.e., 1 day) with SOL than with the AZM (10 µg/ml) control. The effects of SOL and AZM on IHMGEC differentiation were essentially the same after 3 days of culture. SOL did not influence the proliferation of HMGECs during a 7-day time period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support our hypothesis that SOL, a CAD, is able to reproduce AZM's impact on lysosome and lipid accumulation, as well as the differentiation, of HMGECs. The effect of SOL on lysosome appearance was faster than that of AZM.
Lundgren P, Athikarisamy SE, Patole S, Lam GC, Smith LE, Simmer K. Duration of anaemia during the first week of life is an independent risk factor for retinopathy of prematurity. Acta Paediatr 2018;107(5):759-766.Abstract
AIM: This study evaluated the correlation between retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), anaemia and blood transfusions in extremely preterm infants. METHODS: We included 227 infants born below 28 weeks of gestation at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, Australia, from 2014-2016. Birth characteristics and risk factors for ROP were retrieved, and anaemia and severe anaemia were defined as a haemoglobins of <110 g/L and <80 g/L, respectively. Logistic regression was used for the analysis. RESULTS: Retinopathy of prematurity treatment was needed in 11% of cases and the mean number of blood transfusions (p < 0.01), and mean number of weeks of anaemia (p < 0.001) and of severe anaemia (p < 0.05), had positive associations with ROP cases warranting treatment. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the best-fit model of risk factors included anaemic days during first week of life, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.46% and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.16-1.83 (p < 0.05), sepsis during the first 4 weeks of life (OR 3.14, 95% CI 1.10-9.00, p < 0.05) and days of ventilation (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The duration of anaemia during the first week of life was an independent risk factor for ROP warranting treatment and preventing early anaemia may decrease this risk.
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Mikolajczak J, Zimmermann H, Kheirkhah A, Kadas EM, Oberwahrenbrock T, Muller R, Ren A, Kuchling J, Dietze H, Prüss H, Paul F, Hamrah P, Brandt AU. Patients with multiple sclerosis demonstrate reduced subbasal corneal nerve fibre density. Mult Scler 2017;23(14):1847-1853.Abstract
BACKGROUND: Many studies in multiple sclerosis (MS) have investigated the retina. Little, however, is known about the effect of MS on the cornea, which is innervated by the trigeminal nerve. It is the site of neural-immune interaction with local dendritic cells reacting in response to environmental stimuli. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effect of MS on corneal nerve fibres and dendritic cells in the subbasal nerve plexus using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). METHODS: We measured the corneal nerve fibre and dendritic cell density in 26 MS patients and matched healthy controls using a Heidelberg Retina Tomograph with cornea module. Disease severity was assessed with the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, Expanded Disability Status Scale, visual acuity and retinal optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: We observed significant reduction in total corneal nerve fibre density in MS patients compared to controls. Dendritic cell density was similar in both groups. Reduced total nerve fibre density was associated with worse clinical severity but not with previous clinical trigeminal symptoms, retinal neuro-axonal damage, visual acuity or disease duration. CONCLUSION: Corneal nerve fibre density is a promising new imaging marker for the assessment of disease severity in MS and should be investigated further.
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Ousler GW, Rimmer D, Smith LM, Abelson MB. Use of the Controlled Adverse Environment (CAE) in Clinical Research: A Review. Ophthalmol Ther 2017;6(2):263-276.Abstract
The many internal and external factors that contribute to the pathophysiology of dry eye disease (DED) create a difficult milieu for its study and complicate its clinical diagnosis and treatment. The controlled adverse environment (CAE®) model has been developed to minimize the variability that arises from exogenous factors and to exacerbate the signs and symptoms of DED by stressing the ocular surface in a safe, standardized, controlled, and reproducible manner. By integrating sensitive, specific, and clinically relevant endpoints, the CAE has proven to be a unique and adaptable model for both identifying study-specific patient populations with modifiable signs and symptoms, and for tailoring the evaluation of interventions in clinical research studies.
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Park-Windhol C, Ng YS, Yang J, Primo V, Saint-Geniez M, D'Amore PA. Endomucin inhibits VEGF-induced endothelial cell migration, growth, and morphogenesis by modulating VEGFR2 signaling. Sci Rep 2017;7(1):17138.Abstract
Angiogenesis is central to both normal and pathologic processes. Endothelial cells (ECs) express O-glycoproteins that are believed to play important roles in vascular development and stability. Endomucin-1 (EMCN) is a type I O-glycosylated, sialic-rich glycoprotein, specifically expressed by venous and capillary endothelium. Evidence has pointed to a potential role for EMCN in angiogenesis but it had not been directly investigated. In this study, we examined the role of EMCN in angiogenesis by modulating EMCN levels both in vivo and in vitro. Reduction of EMCN in vivo led to the impairment of angiogenesis during normal retinal development in vivo. To determine the cellular basis of this inhibition, gain- and loss-of-function studies were performed in human retinal EC (HREC) in vitro by EMCN over-expression using adenovirus or EMCN gene knockdown by siRNA. We show that EMCN knockdown reduced migration, inhibited cell growth without compromising cell survival, and suppressed tube morphogenesis of ECs, whereas over-expression of EMCN led to increased migration, proliferation and tube formation. Furthermore, knockdown of EMCN suppressed VEGF-induced signaling as measured by decreased phospho-VEGFR2, phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-p38-MAPK levels. These results suggest a novel role for EMCN as a potent regulator of angiogenesis and point to its potential as a new therapeutic target for angiogenesis-related diseases.
Pineles SL, Kraker RT, VanderVeen DK, Hutchinson AK, Galvin JA, Wilson LB, Lambert SR. Atropine for the Prevention of Myopia Progression in Children: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology 2017;124(12):1857-1866.Abstract
PURPOSE: To review the published literature on the efficacy of topical atropine for the prevention of myopic progression in children. METHODS: Literature searches were last conducted in December 2016 in the PubMed database with no date restrictions, but were limited to studies published in English, and in the Cochrane Library database without any restrictions. The combined searches yielded 98 citations, 23 of which were reviewed in full text. Of these, 17 articles were deemed appropriate for inclusion in this assessment and subsequently were assigned a level of evidence rating by the panel methodologist. RESULTS: Seventeen level I, II, and III studies were identified. Most of the studies reported less myopic progression in children treated with atropine compared with various control groups. All 8 of the level I and II studies that evaluated primarily myopic progression revealed less myopic progression with atropine (myopic progression ranging from 0.04±0.63 to 0.47±0.91 diopters (D)/year) compared with control participants (myopic progression ranging from 0.38±0.39 to 1.19±2.48 D/year). In studies that evaluated myopic progression after cessation of treatment, a rebound effect was noted. Several studies evaluated the optimal dosage of atropine with regard to myopic progression, rebound after treatment cessation, and minimization of side effects. Lower dosages of atropine (0.5%, 0.1%, and 0.01%) were found to be slightly less effective during treatment periods of 1 to 2 years, but they were associated with less rebound myopic progression (for atropine 0.01%, mean myopic progression after treatment cessation of 0.28±0.33 D/year, compared with atropine 0.5%, 0.87±0.52 D/year), fewer side effects, and similar long-term results for myopic progression after the study period and rebound effect were considered. The most robust and well-designed studies were carried out in Asian populations. Studies involving patients of other ethnic backgrounds failed to provide sufficient evidence of an effect of atropine on myopic progression. CONCLUSIONS: Level I evidence supports the use of atropine to prevent myopic progression. Although there are reports of myopic rebound after treatment is discontinued, this seems to be minimized by using low doses (especially atropine 0.01%).
Poon LY-C, Solá-Del Valle D, Turalba AV, Falkenstein IA, Horsley M, Kim JH, Song BJ, Takusagawa HL, Wang K, Chen TC. The ISNT Rule: How Often Does It Apply to Disc Photographs and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Measurements in the Normal Population?. Am J Ophthalmol 2017;184:19-27.Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine what percentage of normal eyes follow the ISNT rule, and whether ISNT rule variants may be more generalizable to the normal population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Setting: Institutional setting. STUDY POPULATION: Total of 110 normal subjects. OBSERVATION PROCEDURES: Neuroretinal rim assessments from disc photographs and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The percentages of subjects that obeyed the ISNT rule and its variants. RESULTS: The ISNT rule is only valid for 37.0% of disc photograph rim assessments and 43.8% of RNFL measurements. Deviation of the nasal sector from the expected ISNT pattern was a major cause for the ISNT rule not being obeyed for both rim and RNFL assessments. Specifically, 10.9% of subjects had wider nasal rims than the inferior rims, 29.4% had wider nasal rims than the superior rims, 14.7% had narrower nasal rims than the temporal rims, and 42.9% had thinner nasal RNFLs compared to the temporal quadrant. Exclusion of the nasal quadrant from the ISNT rule significantly increased the validity of ISNT variant rules, with 70.9% and 76.4% of disc photographs following the IST rule and the IS rule, respectively. Similarly, for RNFL thickness, 70.9% and 71.8% of patients followed the IST and IS rule, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The ISNT rule is only valid for about a third of disc photographs and less than half of RNFL measurements in normal patients. ISNT rule variants, such as the IST and IS rule, may be considered, as they are valid in more than 70% of patients.
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Sanguansak T, Morley KE, Morley MG, Thinkhamrop K, Thuanman J, Agarwal I. Two-Way Social Media Messaging in Postoperative Cataract Surgical Patients: Prospective Interventional Study. J Med Internet Res 2017;19(12):e413.Abstract
BACKGROUND: Social media offers a new way to provide education, reminders, and support for patients with a variety of health conditions. Most of these interventions use one-way, provider-patient communication. Incorporating social media tools to improve postoperative (postop) education and follow-up care has only been used in limited situations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and efficacy of two-way social media messaging to deliver reminders and educational information about postop care to cataract patients. METHODS: A total of 98 patients undergoing their first eye cataract surgery were divided into two groups: a no message group receiving usual pre- and postop care and a message group receiving usual care plus messages in a mobile social media format with standardized content and timing. Each patient in the message group received nine messages about hand and face hygiene, medication and postop visit adherence, and links to patient education videos about postop care. Patients could respond to messages as desired. Main outcome measures included medication adherence, postop visit adherence, clinical outcomes, and patients' subjective assessments of two-way messaging. The number, types, content, and timing of responses by patients to messages were recorded. RESULTS: Medication adherence was better in the message group at postop day 7, with high adherence in 47 patients (96%, 47/49) versus 36 patients (73%, 36/49) in the no message group (P=.004), but no statistically significant differences in medication adherence between the groups were noted at preop and postop day 30. Visit adherence was higher at postop day 30 in the message group (100%, 49/49) versus the no message group (88%, 43/49; P=.03) but was 100% (49/49) in both groups at postop day 1 and 7. Final visual outcomes were similar between groups. A total of 441 standardized messages were sent to the message group. Out of 270 responses generated, 188 (70%) were simple acknowledgments or "thank you," and 82 (30%) responses were questions that were divided into three general categories: administrative, postop care, and clinical issues. Out of the 82 question responses, 31 (11%) were about administrative issues, 28 (10%) about postop care, and 23 (9%) about clinical symptoms. All the messages about symptoms were triaged by nurses or ophthalmologists and only required reassurance or information. Patients expressed satisfaction with messaging. CONCLUSIONS: Two-way social media messaging to deliver postop information to cataract patients is feasible and improves early medication compliance. Further design improvements can streamline work flow to optimize efficiency and patient satisfaction.

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