The Application of Topical Anesthesia Combined with Subconjunctival Anesthesia for Glaucoma Surgery

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility, reliability and analgesia effect of topical anesthesia combined with subconjunctival anesthesia in anti-glaucomatous surgery.Methods: Two hundred and four cases (357 eyes) underwent anti-glaucomatous surgeries under topical anesthesia with 0.5％ Alcaine eye drops combined with subconjunctival anesthesia with 2％ Lidocaine. The analgesic effect was analysed with visual analogue pain scale.Results: Among all of 357 eyes, 62 eyes underwent peripheral iridectomy, 67 eyes underwent simple trabeculectomy, 167 eyes underwent compound brabeculectomy and 12 eyes nonpenetrating trabecular surgery. The effects of anesthesia were as follows: 304 eyes (85.2％) were painless (Grade Ⅰ), 50 eyes (14.0％) were slight painful (Grade Ⅱ), and 3 eyes (0.8％) were more painful (Grade Ⅲ) during surgery. And no severe complications were observed in all the cases during surgery and postoperatively. Amaurosis fugax was not observed in the glaucoma patients at the late stage with narrow vi     

Modified Scleral Flap Incision to Reduce Corneal Astigmatism after Intraocular Lens Implantation

To investigate a simple method during extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation in order to reduce surgically induced corneal astigmatism.Methods: A modified scleral flap incision was used in the extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation and the postoperative changes in conreal astigmatism was observed.Results: The peak value of postoperative corneal astigmatism was 3. 60 D, and the corneal astigmatism regression was 2. 11 D, surgically induced astigmatism was less significant in modified scleral flap incision group than that in conventional limbal incison group (P<0. 05).Conclusions: The modified scleral flap incision is an ideal incision for cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation when phacoemulsifier is not available. Eye Science 1995; 11-. 136-139.     

Paracentral Corneal Dellen： A Rare Sign of Graves Ophthalmopathy

Purpose:To report a rare sign, paracentral corneal dellen that developed in a middleaged female patient with Graves ophthalmopathy.Methods:A paracentral corneal dellen developed in the left eye in a 42-year-old woman who was diagnosed as Graves ophthalmopathy. The patient had remarkable upper eyelid retraction, upper eyelid lag and upward motility restriction. The Graves ophthalmopathy was classified as Grade Ⅳ according to NOSPECS classification.Results:Local artificial tear film and 0.3％ Tobramycin eye drops were administered to both eyes.Twenty-four hours later, the left corneal dellen disappeared.Conclusions:Graves ophthalmopathy can lead to paracentral corneal dellen because of severe upper eyelid retraction and upward motility restriction of the eye in spite of the lack of lagophthalmos. Artificial tear drop and antibiotic eye drop therapy helped even though the patient did not have corneal exposure. Eye Science 2003;19:174-175.     

Oxygen Reverses Deficits of Cognitive Function and Memory and Increased Heart Rate Induced by Acute Severe Isovolemic Anemia

Background: Erythrocytes are transfused to improve oxygen delivery and prevent or treat inadequate oxygenation of tissues. Acute isovolemic anemia subtly slows human data processing and degrades memory, increases heart rate, and decreases self-assessed energy level. Erythrocyte transfusion is efficacious in reversing these effects of acute anemia. We tested the hypothesis that increasing arterial oxygen pressure (Pao2) to 350 mmHg or greater would supply sufficient oxygen to be equivalent to augmenting hemoglobin concentration by 2-3 g/dl and thus reverse the effects of acute anemia.

Methods: Thirty-one healthy volunteers, aged 28 +/- 4 yr (mean +/- SD), were tested with verbal memory and standard, computerized neuropsychologic tests before and twice after acute isovolemic reduction of their hemoglobin concentration to 5.7 +/- 0.3 g/dl. Two sets of tests were performed in randomized order at the lower hemoglobin concentration: with the volunteer breathing room air or oxygen. The subject and those administering the tests and recording the results were unaware which gas was administered. As an additional control for duration of the experiment, 10 of these volunteers also completed the same tests on a separate day, without alteration of hemoglobin concentration, at times of the day similar to those on the experimental day. Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, and self-assessed sense of energy were recorded at the time of each test.

Results: Reaction time for digit-symbol substitution test increased, delayed memory was degraded, mean arterial pressure and energy level decreased, and heart rate increased at a hemoglobin concentration of 5.7 g/dl (all P < 0.05). Increasing Pao2 to 406 +/- 47 mmHg reversed the digit-symbol substitution test result and the delayed memory changes to values not different from those at the baseline hemoglobin concentration of 12.7 +/- 1.0 g/dl, and decreased heart rate (P < 0.05). However, mean arterial pressure and energy level changes were not altered with increased Pao2 during acute anemia.     

Ambulatory Surgery Patients May Be Discharged before Voiding after Short-acting Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia

Background: Voiding before discharge is usually required after outpatient epidural or spinal anesthesia because of concern about bladder overdistention and dysfunction. Shorter duration spinal and epidural anesthesia may allow return of bladder function before overdistention occurs in low-risk patients (those younger than age 70, not having hernia, rectal, or urologic surgery, and without a history of voiding difficulty), and predischarge voiding may not be necessary.

Methods: After institutional review board approval and informed consent, 201 low-risk ambulatory patients were prospectively studied in either a standard or accelerated pathway after undergoing spinal or epidural anesthesia with procaine, lidocaine, 2-chloroprocaine, or less than 7 mg bupivacaine; epinephrine was not used in any anesthetic. Standard pathway patients (n = 70) were required to void before discharge. Accelerated pathway (n = 131) patients were not required to void. (After randomization of an initial 163 patients to one of the two tracks, 38 additional patients were assigned to the accelerated pathway.) If accelerated pathway patients voided, they were discharged when all other discharge criteria were met. If they did not spontaneously void after block resolution, a bladder ultrasound (BUS) was performed. If the BUS indicated a urine volume of less than 400 ml, the patients were discharged and instructed to return to the emergency department if they were unable to void within 8 h of discharge. If the BUS indicated a urine volume of greater than 400 ml, the patients were reassessed in 1 h and were discharged if they could void spontaneously. If they could not void spontaneously, they were catheterized to facilitate discharge. All patients were contacted the next day to assess the return of normal bladder function.

Results: All standard pathway patients voided without difficulty, and were discharged in 153 +/- 49 (SD) min. 62 patients in the accelerated pathway voided spontaneously after resolution of their block and were discharged in 127 +/- 41 min. 46 patients were discharged with a BUS less than 400 ml in 120 +/- 42 min. 23 patients had a BUS greater than 400 ml: of these, 20 patients voided within an hour and were discharged in 162 +/- 45 min. Three were catheterized after 1 h, and were discharged in 186 +/- 61 min. Mean discharge time for all patients in the accelerated pathway was 22 min shorter than the standard pathway (P = 0.002). No patients had difficulty voiding or returned to the hospital for urinary problems. None reported new urologic symptoms.     

Hepatoprotective effects of diethylcarbamazine in acute liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats

This research was carried out to determine a potential role of leukotrienes in the acute hepatotoxicity induced by CC14 in rats. An inhibitor of leukotrienes biosynthesis, diethylcarbamazine (DEC, 25 and 50 mg ·kg-1 ip) exerted hepatoprotective effects, decreasing the activity of alanine aminotransfer-ase in serum and the concentration of liver triglycerides. DEC reduced histological damage of liver evidenced by electron microscopy. The hepatoprotective effects of DEC were dose-dependent. The results favor the role of leukotrienes in CC14 hepatotoxicity.     

Transient Macular Edema after Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis

Purpose: To investigate the macular changes induced by laser in situ keratomileusisc(LASIK) procedure.Methods: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was used to examine 27 eyes of 15LASIK patients before surgery, and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month after surgery.Results: The mean thick iness of neuroepithelial layer of macula was (195 ±24)microns, (178± 16) microns 1 day and 1 month after surgery, respectively, while thebaseline was (174 ± 12) microns. The increase in macular neuroepithelial thickness wascorrelated with the degree of myopia, but not with the duration of suction or thepostoperative BCVA.Conclusion: Mild macular edema is common in the first month following LASIK,especially in high myopia. However, no association with loss of BCVA has beenestablished. Eye Science 2003; 19: 20 - 24.     

Inhibition on Telomerase Activity and Cytotoxic Effects by Cisplatin in Cultured Human Choroidal Melanoma Cells

Purpose: To study the changes of telomerase activity and cytotoxic effects by Cisplatin; cis-dichlorodiamine platinum (CDDP) in cultured human choroidal melanoma. Material and Methods: The primary cultured human choroidal melanoma cells were cultured in the presence and absence of CDDP with different concentration and time respectively. The toxic effects were evaluated by MTT and the level of telormarse was detected by PCR-ELISA assay. And the relationship between telomerase activity and cytotoxic effects were analyzed by a correlation analysis.Results: Following the increase of the concentration and the time of CDDP, gradually repressed telomerase activity was detected in cultured cells. Meanwhile, the restrain rate of the cells increased. The telomerase activity at 24h and 1μg/ml was repressed significantly compared with the control cells. However, the appearance of cell death lagged behind the decreasing of telomerase.Conclusions: CDDP is an effective telomerase inhibitor in cultured choroidal melan