Comparison of the efficacy and safety of ultrasonic cycloplasty vs valve implantation and anti-VEGF for the treatment of fundus disease-related neovascular glaucoma

·AIM: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of ultrasonic cycloplasty(UCP) vs Ahmed glaucoma drainage valve implantation(ADV) in addition to intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) for treatment of fundus disease-related neovascular glaucoma(NVG).·METHODS: A total of 43 patients(45 eyes) with NVG secondary to fundus diseases underwent anti-VEGF combined with UCP or ADV from August 2020 to March 2022 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Of them, 14 patients(15 eyes) were treated with both UCP and anti-VEGF as the UCP group and 29 patients(30 eyes) treated with both ADV and anti-VEGF as the ADV group. The success of the treatment was defined as intraocular pressure(IOP) between 11-20 mm Hg with or without using IOP-lowering drugs. IOP measurement, IOP lowering drugs at baseline and follow-ups period and complications were recorded.·RESULTS: The average age was 63.03±9.95 and 52.27±12.89y in ADV and UCP groups, respectively(P=1.947). The fundus pathology included proliferative diabetic retinopathy in 42 eyes and retinal vein occlusion in 3 eyes. All eyes in both groups achieved successful treatment at 3mo. While the success rate was 90.0%(27/30) in the ADV group and 86.7%(13/15) in the UCP group at the last follow-up of 6mo(P>0.05). IOP was significantly lower with reduction of drug use than the baseline in both groups(both P<0.05). And the ADV group needed fewer anti-glaucoma drops than the UCP group from 1d to 3mo. The comfort scores of patients in the ADV group were significantly lower than those in the UCP group in the first week after the operation(P<0.05).·CONCLUSION: UCP is an alternative to the ADV with the same efficacy but non-invasive for the treatment of NVG.

Ahmed valve implantation for neovascular glaucoma after 23-gauge vitrectomy in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

·AIM: To report on the outcome of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation for the management of neovascular glaucoma (NVG) after 23 -gauge vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). ·METHODS: Twelve medically uncontrolled NVG with earlier 23 -gauge vitrectomy for PDR underwent AGV implantation. The control of intraocular pressure (IOP), preoperative and postoperative best -corrected visual acuity, the development of intraoperative and postoperative complications were evaluated during the follow-up. ·RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 15.4±4.3 months (9-23 months). Mean preoperative IOP was 49.4±5.1mmHg and mean postoperative IOP at the last visit was 17.5 ± 1.6mmHg. The control of IOP was achieved at the final follow -up visits in all patients, however, 8 of 12 patients still needed anti-glaucoma medication (mean number of medications, 0.8±0.7). The visual acuity improved in nine eyes, and the visual acuity unchanged in three eyes at the final follow -up visits. The complications that occurred were minor hyphema in three eyes, choroid detachment in two eyes, and the minor hyphema and choroid detachments were reabsorbed without any surgical intervention. ·CONCLUSION: AGV implantation is a safe and effective procedure that enables successful IOP control and vision preservation in the NVG patients with the history of earlier 23-gauge vitrectomy for PDR.·

Trabeculectomy with Ex-PRESS implant versus Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation-a comparative study

AIM：To compare the surgical outcomes of trabeculectomy with Ex-PRESS implant and Ahmed glaucoma valve（AGV） implantation. METHODS： Patients who underwent trabeculectomy with Ex-PRESS implants or AGV implantation separately were included in this retrospective chart review.Main outcome measures were surgical failure and complications.Failure was defined as intraocular pressure（IOP） 〉21 mm Hg or 〈5 mm Hg on two consecutive visits after 3mo,reoperation for glaucoma,or loss of light perception.Eyes that had not failed were considered as complete success if they did not required supplemental medical therapy.RESULTS： A total of 64 eyes from 57 patients were included： 31 eyes in the Ex-PRESS group and 33 eyes in the AGV group.The mean follow-up time was 2.6 ±1.1y and 3.3±1.6y,respectively.Patients in the AGV group had significantly higher baseline mean IOP（P =0.005）,lower baseline mean visual acuity（VA）（P =0.02）,and higher proportion of patients with history of previous trabeculectomy（P 〈0.0001）.Crude failure rates were 16.1%,n =5/31 in the Ex-PRESS group and 24.2%,n =8/33 in the AGV group.The cumulative proportion of failure was similar between the groups,P =0.696.The proportion of eyes that experienced postoperative complications was32.3% in the Ex-PRESS group and 60.1% in the AGV group（P =0.0229）.CONCLUSION： Trabeculectomy with Ex-PRESS implant and AGV implantation had comparable failure rates.The AGV group had more post-operative complications,but also included more complex cases with higher baselinemean IOP,worse baseline mean VA,and more previous glaucoma surgeries.Therefore,the results are limited to the cohort included in this study.

Fluid-Structure Interaction in Problems of Patient Specific Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation with and Without Paravalvular Leakage Complication

Paravalvular Leakage(PVL)has been recognized as one of the most dangerous complications in relation to Transcathether Aortic Valve Implantation(TAVI)activities.However,data available in the literature about Fluid Structure Interaction(FSI)for this specific problem are relatively limited.In the present study,the fluid and structure responses of the hemodynamics along the patient aorta model and the aortic wall deformation are studied with the aid of numerical simulation taking into account PVL and 100%TAVI valve opening.In particular,the aorta without valve(AWoV)is assumed as the normal condition,whereas an aorta with TAVI 26 mm for 100%Geometrical Orifice Area(GOA)is considered as the patient aorta with PVL complication.A 3D patient-specific aorta model is elaborated using the MIMICS software.Implantation of the identical TAVI valve of Edward SAPIEN XT 26(Edwards Lifes ciences,Irvine,California)is considered.An undersized 26 mm TAVI valve with 100%valve opening is selected to mimic the presence of PVL at the aortic annulus.The present research indicates that the existence of PVL can increase the blood velocity,pressure drop and WSS in comparison to normal conditions,thereby paving the way to the development of recirculation flow,thrombus formation,aorta wall collapse,aortic rupture and damage of endothelium.

Small balloon strategy associated with low pacemaker implantation rate after self-expanding transcatheter valve implantation

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate whether small balloon aortic valvuloplasty(BAV) reduces the need for permanent pacemaker implantation (PPMI) after transcatheter aortic valveimplantation (TAVI).METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis using data from our local TAVI database. SmallBAV was defined as a small balloon size (=18 mm) pre-dilatation. Normal BAV was defined as aballoon size >18 mm. The primary endpoint was the incidence of new PPMI.RESULTS: Of 99 consecutive TAVI patients, five patients were excluded due to pre-existingpermanent pacemaker. Patients in the small BAV group (n=57) had a signifi cantly lower PPMI ratecompared with the normal BAV group (n=37) (3.5% vs. 18.9%, P=0.026). Moderate or severe aorticvalve regurgitation post-procedure was similar between the small BAV and normal BAV groups (5.3%vs. 8.1%, P=0.480);likewise, the mean aortic gradient post-procedure did not differ significantly(11.5±5.2 mmHg vs. 12.2±7.3 mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, P=0.580) between the groups. Devicesuccess rates were also similar (94.7% vs. 91.8%, P=0.680). In multivariable analysis, small BAV(P=0.027), the ratio of prosthesis diameter to annulus diameter (P=0.048), and mean aortic gradientby echo in the basement (P=0.021) were independent predictors of PPMI.CONCLUSIONS: The small BAV strategy is associated with a low rate of permanentpacemaker implantation after transcatheter self-expanding valve implantation in this single-centerobservational study.

Efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab with panretinal photocoagulation followed by trabeculectomy compared with Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in neovascular glaucoma

AIM：To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab（IVR）with panretinal photocoagulation（PRP）followed by trabeculectomy compared with Ahmed glaucoma valve（AGV）implantation in neovascular glaucoma（NVG）.METHODS：This was a retrospective comparative study.We reviewed the cases of a total of 45 eyes from 45 NVG patients among which 23 eyes underwent AGV implantation and the other 22 underwent trabeculectomy. The causes of neovascular glaucoma included：diabetic retinopathy（25 eyes）,and retinal vein occlusion（20 eyes）.All patients received preoperative IVR combined with postoperative PRP. The mean best-corrected visual acuities（BCVA）were converted to the logarithms of the minimum angle of resolution（log MAR）for the statisitical analyses.Intraocular pressure（IOP）,the log MAR BCVA and surgical complications were evaluated before and after surgery.The follow-up period was 12 mo.RESULTS：A total of 39 cases showed complete regression of iris neovascularization at 7d after injection,and 6 cases showed a small amount of residual iris neovascularization. The success rates were 81.8% and 82.6% at 12 mo after trabeculectomy and AGV implantation,respectively. In the trabeculectomy group,the log MAR BCVA improved at the last follow-up in 14 eyes,remained stable in 6 eyes and decreased in 2 eyes. In 4 cases,slight hyphemas developed after trabeculectomy. A shallow anterior chamber developed in 2 cases and 2 vitreous hemorrhages. In the AGV group,the log MAR BCVA improved in 14 eyes,remained stable in 5 eyes and decreased in 4 eyes. Slight hyphemas developed in 3 cases,and a shallow anterior chamber in 3 cases. The mean postoperative IOP was significantly lower in both groups after surgery（F=545.468,P〈0.05）,and the mean postoperative log MAR BCVA was also significantly improved（F=10.964,P〈0.05）with no significant difference between two groups.CONCLUSION：It is safe and effective to treat NVG with this combined procedure,and we found similar results after IVR＋AGV implantation＋PRP and IVR＋trabeculectomy＋PRP in eyes with NVG.

Medical management of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in patients non-eligible for transcatheter aortic valve implantation

1 Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in symptomatic severe aortic stenosis: where do we stand? Aortic stenosis occurs in 2%-9% of patients over the age of 65, the most common cause being degenerative.^([1,2]) The preferred treatment in symptomatic severe aortic stenosis(SAS) is surgical aortic valve replacement(SAVR), but in the elderly, the surgical risk can be greater than the benefit.([3]).

Change and impact of left ventricular global longitudinal strain during transcatheter aortic valve implantation

BACKGROUND Although transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)is a safe and effective treatment for aortic stenosis,it still carries some risks,such as valve leaks,stroke,and even death.The left ventricular global longitudinal strain(LVGLS)measurement may be useful for the prediction of adverse events during this operation.AIM To explore the change of LVGLS during TAVI procedure and the relationship between LVGLS and perioperative adverse events.METHODS In this study,61 patients who had undergone percutaneous transfemoral TAVI were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography.Before surgery,data on left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and LVGLS were collected separately following balloon expansion and stent implantation.Difference in values of LVGLS and LVEF during preoperative balloon expansion(pre-ex),preoperative stent implantation(pre-im)and balloon expansion-stent implantation(ex-im)were also examined.Adverse events were defined as perioperative death,cardiac rupture,heart arrest,moderate or severe perivalvular leakage,significant mitral regurgitation during TAVI,perioperative moderate or severe mitral regurgitation,perioperative left ventricular outflow tract obstruction,reoperation,and acute heart failure.RESULTS The occurrence of perioperative adverse events was associated with differences in pre-ex LVGLS,but not with difference in pre-ex LVEF.There were significant differences between pre-LVGLS and ex-LVGLS,and between pre-LVGLS and im-LVGLS(P=0.037 and P=0.020,respectively).However,differences in LVEF were not significant(P=0.358,P=0.254);however differences in pre-ex LVGLS were associated with pre-LVGLS(P=0.045).Compared to LVEF,LVGLS is more sensitive as a measure of left heart function during TAVI and the perioperative period.Moreover,the differences in LVGLS were associated with the occurrence of perioperative adverse events,and changes in LVGLS were apparent in patients with undesirable LVGLS before the surgery.Furthermore,LVGLS is useful to predict changes in cardiac function during TAVI.CONCLUSION Greater attention should be paid to the patients who plan to undergo TAVI with normal LVEF but poor LVGLS.

Delayed right coronary ostial obstruction after J-valve deployment in transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A case report

BACKGROUND Aortic stenosis is the most common valve disease in adults.Transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)is being increasingly applied for intermediate-to lowrisk patients.Here,we describe an uncommon complication of delayed right coronary obstruction in a transapical TAVI case.CASE SUMMARY A 73-year-old woman with a EuroSCORE II of 1.21%underwent transapical TAVI because of severe aortic stenosis.The surgical procedure was uneventful.However,during routine monitoring after valve placement,the patient had a sudden onset of slow heart rate,the systolic blood pressure dropped sharply from 115 to 60 mmHg,and the central venous pressure abruptly increased from 10 to 33 cmH2O.The patient had a poor response to vasoactive agents.Transesophageal echocardiography revealed poor myocardial contractility,and electrocardiography showed a significant depression of ST-segment.Another angiography was performed immediately,which suggested complete obstruction of the right coronary artery.An emergency protocol was initiated.Cardiopulmonary bypass was established immediately.An aortic biological valve replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass was performed.CONCLUSION Perioperative monitoring,early recognition,and diagnosis of obstruction of coronary arteries in TAVI are important.Transesophageal echocardiography is a useful diagnostic and monitoring tool in this situation.Emergency protocols should be established during TAVI.

Transcatheter mitral valve implantation using a novel system:preclinical results

Background This preclinical study in sheep sought to demonstrate the initial safety and feasibility of a novel transcatheter mitral valve system(Mi-thos valve)composed of a self-expanding frame and a bovine pericardial tissue bioprosthesis.Methods The valve was implanted in 26 sheep using a transapical approach for short-and long-term evaluation.The technical feasibility,safety,durability,and valve function were evaluated during and 6 months after the procedure using intracardiac and transthoracic echocardiography,multisliced computed tomography,histological analysis,and electron microscopy.Results The success rate of valve implantation was 100%,and the immediate survival rate after surgery was 84%.Five animals died within 90 min after the development of the prosthetic valve due to an acute left ventricular outflow tract obstruction(n=2)and sudden intraoperative ventricular fibrillation(n=3).Twelve animals died within 1 month due to acute left heart dysfunction.Mild(n=5)and moderate(n=2)paravalvular leakage occurred in seven animals,and two moderate PVL animals died of chronic heart failure within three months.Multimodality imaging studies of the remaining seven animals showed excellent function and alignment of the valves,with no coronary artery obstruction,no left ventricular outflow tract obstruction,no severe transvalvular gradients and no paravalvular leakage.Macroscopic evaluation demonstrated stable,secure positioning of the valve,with full endothelialization of the valve leaflets without injury to the ventricular or atrial walls.Histological and electron microscopic examinations at six months showed no obvious macro-or microcalcification in the leaflets.Conclusions Preclinical studies indicate that transcatheter implantation of the Mi-thos valve is technically safe and feasible.The durability,functionality,and lack of leaflet calcification were all verified in animal experiments.The information from these preclinical studies will be applied to patient selection criteria and the first-in-human studies.

Validation of methods for effective orifice area measurement of prosthetic valves by two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography following transcatheter self-expanding aortic valve implantation

Background The effective orifice area(EOA)is utilized to characterize the hemodynamic performance of the transcatheter heart valve(THV).However,there is no consensus on EOA measurement of self-expanding THV.We aimed to compare two echocardiographic methods for EOA measurement following transcatheter self-expanding aortic valve implantation.Methods EOA was calculated according to the continuity equation.Two methods were constructed.In Method 1 and Method 2,the left ventricular outflow tract diameter(LVOTd)was measured at the entry of the prosthesis(from trailing-to-leading edge)and proximal to the prosthetic valve leaflets(from trailing-toleading edge),respectively.The velocity-time integral(VTI)of the LVOT(VTILVOT)was recorded by pulsed-wave Doppler(PW)from apical windows.The region of the PW sampling should match that of the LVOTd measurement with precise localization.The mean transvalvular pressure gradient(MG)and VTI of THV was measured by Continuous wave Doppler.Results A total of 113 consecutive patients were recruited.The mean age was 77.2±5.5 years,and 72 patients(63.7%)were male.EOA1 with the use of Method 1 was larger than EOA2(1.56±0.39 cm2 vs.1.48±0.41 cm2,P=0.001).MG correlated better with the indexed EOA1(EOAI1)(r=-0.701,P<0.001)than EOAI2(r=-0.645,P<0.001).According to EOAI(EOAI≤0.65 cm2/m2,respectively),the proportion of sever prosthesis-patient mismatch with the use of EOA1 was lower than EOA2(12.4%vs.21.2%,P<0.05).Compared with EOA2,EOA1 had lower interobserver and intra-observer variability(intra:0.5%±17%vs.3.8%±22%,P<0.001;inter:1.0%±9%vs.3.5%±11%,P<0.001).Conclusions For transcatheter self-expanding valve EOA measurement,LVOTd should be measured in the entry of the prosthesis stent(from trailing-to-leading edge),and VTILVOT should match that of the LVOTd measurement with precise localization.

Transradial vs transfemoral secondary access outcomes in transcatheter aortic valve implantation:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Complications of transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)procedures include bleeding,vascular complications,and strokes.These complications are often associated with the type of access used.The two types of access in TAVI procedures are primary and secondary.The main use of the primary access is for valve delivery,while secondary access is used for angiography and hemodynamic monitoring.While there are many options for primary access,those for secondary access are transfemoral and transradial.AIM To compare outcomes between transradial vs transfemoral secondary access(TFSA).METHODS A systematic search was conducted using major databases(EMBASE,PubMed,Cochrane Central,Google Scholar),which resulted in 5 studies that met the criteria for study selection.Outcomes of interest were 30-d rates each of major/life-threatening bleeding,vascular complications,strokes,and mortality.All 5 studies were observational.Only adjusted or matched data were used when available in this meta-analysis.RESULTS A total of 5065 patients underwent TAVI,with 1453 patients(28.7%)having undergone transradial secondary access(TRSA)and 3612 patients(71.3%)TFSA.Irrespective of the site of primary access,the odds of having major or lifethreatening bleeding were 60%lower in the TRSA group than the TFSA group(P<0.00001).The odds of having major vascular complications were 52%lower in the TRSA group(P<0.0001)with no difference in minor vascular complications between the 2 groups.Similarly,the odds of mortality in 30-d after the procedure were 41%lower(P=0.006)and the odds of stroke were 54%lower(P=0.001)in the TRSA group than the TFSA group.CONCLUSION The transradial secondary approach appears to be a safer alternative to the transfemoral secondary approach in TAVI procedures.

Role of coronary angiogram before transcatheter aortic valve implantation

BACKGROUND Coexistent coronary artery disease is commonly seen in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI).Previous studies showed that pre-TAVI coronary revascularisation was not associated with improved outcomes,challenging the clinical value of routine coronary angiogram(CA).AIM To assess whether a selective approach to perform pre-TAVI CA is safe and feasible.METHODS This was a retrospective non-randomised single-centre analysis of consecutive patients undergoing TAVI.A selective approach for performing CA tailored to patient clinical need was developed.Clinical outcomes were compared based on whether patients underwent CA.The primary endpoint was a composite of allcause mortality,myocardial infraction,repeat CA,and re-admission with heart failure.RESULTS Of 348 patients(average age 81±7 and 57%male)were included with a median follow up of 19(9-31)mo.One hundred and fifty-four(44%)patients,underwent CA before TAVI procedure.Patients who underwent CA were more likely to have previous myocardial infarction(MI)and previous percutaneous revascularisation.The primary endpoint was comparable between the two group(22.6%vs 22.2%;hazard ratio 1.05,95%CI:0.67-1.64,P=0.82).Patients who had CA were less likely to be readmitted with heart failure(P=0.022),but more likely to have repeat CA(P=0.002)and MI(P=0.007).In those who underwent CA,the presence of flow limiting lesions did not affect the incidence of primary endpoint,or its components,except for increased rate of repeat CA.CONCLUSION Selective CA is a feasible and safe approach.The clinical value of routine CA should be challenged in future randomised trials.

Transcatheter pulmonic valve implantation: Techniques, current roles, and future implications

Right ventricular outflow tract(RVOT)obstruction is present in a variety of congenital heart disease states including tetralogy of Fallot,pulmonary atresia/stenosis and other conotruncal abnormalities etc.After surgical repair,these patients develop RVOT residual abnormalities of pulmonic stenosis and/or insufficiency of their native outflow tract or right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit.There are also sequelae of other surgeries like the Ross operation for aortic valve disease that lead to right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit dysfunction.Surgical pulmonic valve replacement(SPVR)has been the mainstay for these patients and is considered standard of care.Transcatheter pulmonic valve implantation(TPVI)was first reported in 2000 and has made strides as a comparable alternative to SPVR,being approved in the United States in 2010.We provide a comprehensive review in this space–indications for TPVI,detailed procedural facets and up-to-date review of the literature regarding outcomes of TPVI.TPVI has been shown to have favorable medium-term outcomes free of reinterventions especially after the adoption of the practice of pre-stenting the RVOT.Procedural mortality and complications are uncommon.With more experience,recognition of risk of dreaded outcomes like coronary compression has improved.Also,conduit rupture is increasingly being managed with transcatheter tools.Questions over endocarditis risk still prevail in the TPVI population.Head-to-head comparisons to SPVR are still limited but available data suggests equivalence.We also discuss newer valve technologies that have limited data currently and may have more applicability for treatment of native dysfunctional RVOT substrates.

In vitro bench testing using patient-specific 3D models for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation with Venus P-valve

Background:Due to the wide variety of morphology,size,and dynamics,selecting an optimal valve size and location poses great difficulty in percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation(PPVI).This study aimed to report our experience with in vitro bench testing using patient-specific three-dimensional(3D)-printed models for planning PPVI with the Venus P-valve.Methods:Patient-specific 3D soft models were generated using PolyJet printing with a compliant synthetic material in 15 patients scheduled to undergo PPVI between July 2018 and July 2020 in Central China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou University.Results:3D model bench testing altered treatment strategy in all patients(100%).One patient was referred for surgery because testing revealed that even the largest Venus P-valve would not anchor properly.In the remaining 14 patients,valve size and/or implantation location was altered to avoid valve migration and/or compression coronary artery.In four patients,it was decided to change the point anchoring because of inverted cone-shaped right ventricular outflow tract(RVOT)(n=2)or risk of compression coronary artery(n=2).Concerning sizing,we found that an oversize of 2-5 mm suffices.Anchoring of the valve was dictated by the flaring of the in-and outflow portion in the pulmonary artery.PPVI was successful in all 14 patients(absence of valve migration,no coronary compression,and none-to-mild residual pulmonary regurgitation[PR]).The diameter of the Venus P-valve in the 3D simulation group was significantly smaller than that of the conventional planning group(36[2]vs.32[4],Z=-3.77,P<0.001).Conclusions:In vitro testing indicated no need to oversize the Venus P-valve to the degree recommended by the balloon-sizing technique,as 2-5 mm sufficed.

Emergency Treatment of Acute Decompensated Severe Aortic Stenosis with Transcatheter Aortic Valve implantation under the Coplane View Using J-Tipped Wires Fluoroscopy

Patients experiencing severe aortic stenosis with acute decompensation often face elevated surgical aortic valve replacement risks,leading to high postoperative mortality rates.However,for some patients eligible for transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI),computed tomography angiography for assessing the aortic root and coronary artery might be challenging before the TAVI procedure.This case highlights a patient who underwent emergency TAVI guided by coplane view generated using J-tipped wires fluoroscopy without computed tomography evaluation before the TAVl.This approach reduces contrast usage during the TAVI procedure,significantly mitigating the risks of renal injury and heart function deterioration.

Adjunctive with versus without intravitreal bevacizumab injection before Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in the treatment of neovascular glaucoma

Background Neovascular glaucoma （NVG） is a refractory disease which is difficult to manage. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of adjunctive intravitreal bevacizumab （IVB） injection in conjunction with Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation （AGVI） in the management of NVG. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with NVG in whom AGVI was performed between October 2008 and May 2012. The sample was divided into two groups according to the pretreatment： with adjunctive IVB injection （the IVB group, n=25 eyes） and without adjunctive IVB injection （the control group, n=28 eyes）. The surgical success rate, number of antiglaucoma medications used, best-corrected visual acuity （BCVA）, postoperative complications, regression, and recurrence of iris neovascularization （NVI） were analyzed between the groups. Results The surgical outcomes of the two groups were compared. The complete success rates in the IVB and control groups were 84.0% and 64.3% at 12 months and 80.0% and 53.6% at 18 months, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups （P=0.041）. Mean postoperative intraocular pressures, mean number of postoperative antiglaucoma medications, and BCVA were not significant between the two groups. The NVI in 22 （88.0%） eyes had completely regressed within 2-8 days after IVB. However, NVI recurred in 10 eyes （40.0%） 2-9 months later after IVB. The IVB group had only 1 case （4.0%） of hyphema out of 25 eyes, while there were 8 （28.6%） cases of hyphema out of 28 eyes in the control group （P=0.026）.Conclusions This study showed that preoperative IVB injection reduced NVI remarkably, decreased hyphema, and led to higher surgical success rates. Pre-operative IVB injection may be an effective adjunct to AGVI in the management of NVG.

A prospective comparative study on neovascular glaucoma and non- neovascular refractory glaucoma following Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation

Background Neovascular glaucoma is a refractory disease, and difficult to manage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation （AGVI） in neovascular glaucoma （NVG） and non- NVG patients. Methods This prospective, non-randomized study included 55 eyes of 55 patients with refractory glaucoma; 27 had NVG （NVG group） and 28 had non-NVG （non-NVG group）. All of the patients underwent AGVI. The NVG group was adjunctively injected with intravitreal ranibizumab/bevacizumab （IVR/IVB） before AGVI. Intraocular pressure （lOP） was the primary outcome measure in this study. Surgical success rate, number of antiglaucoma medications used, best corrected visual acuity （BCVA）, and postoperative complications were analyzed between the groups. Results All of the patients completed the study （follow-up of 12 months）. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis indicated that the qualified success rates in the NVG and non-NVG groups at 12 months were 70.5% and 92.9%, respectively; this difference was significant （P=-0.036）. The complete success rates in the NVG and non-NVG groups at 12 months were 66.7% and 89.3%, respectively （P=0.049）. Compared with preoperative examinations, the postoperative mean lOP and use of medications were significantly lower at all follow-up time points in both groups （all P 〈0.05）. There were significant differences in BCVA between the two groups at the 12-month follow-up （X2=9.86, P=0.020）. Cox proportional hazards regression showed NVG as a risk factor for surgical failure （RR=15.08, P=0.033）. Postoperative complications were similar between the two groups. Conclusions AGVI is a safe and effective procedure in refractory glaucoma, but the success rate of surgery was related to the type of refractory glaucoma. The complete and qualified success rates of NVG patient adjunctive anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment are still lower than those of non-NVG patients.

Disorder of blood-aqueous barrier following Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implantation

Background Ahmed Glaucoma Valve implantation （AGVI） is blood-aqueous barrier （BAB） has been noted after some surgica BAB disruption afterAGVl. used to treat refractory glaucoma. Breakdown of the techniques. The current study was designed to assess Methods Anterior chamber protein content was measured by the laser flare cell photometry in 22 eyes of 22 patients with refractory glaucoma before AGVI and at each postoperative visit up to 1 month. Results Before AGVI the mean aqueous flare values in all eyes were （15.17＋9.84） photon counts/ms. After AGVI, the values significantly increased at day 1, day 3, and week I compared to those before AGVI （all P 〈0.05） with a peak at day 3. They returned to pre-operative levels at week 2, and were lower than preoperative level at month 1. Eyes with previous intraocular surgery history had greater aqueous flare values than those without previous intraocular surgery history, but there were no significant differences at all time points postoperatively （all P 〉0.05）. Furthermore, eyes with shallow anterior chambers had greater aqueous flare values at day 3 and week 1 （all P 〈0.05）. When comparing eyes with other refractory glaucoma conditions, neovascular glaucoma combined with intravitreal bevacizumab injection resulted in lower aqueous flare values after AGVI, but no significant differences were observed at all time points, postoperatively （all P 〉0.05）. Conclusions The BAB was impaired and inflammation was present in the anterior chamber in refractory glaucomatous eyes following AGVI. However, such conditions were resolved within 1 month postoperatively. Intravitreal bevacizumab treatment in neovascular glaucoma eyes before AGVI may prevent BAB breakdown.

Procedural results and 30-day clinical events analysis following Edwards transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 48 consecutive patients： initial experience

Background Transcatheter aortic valve implantation （TAVI） is a rapidly evolving strategy for therapy of aortic stenosis. We presented the procedural results and analyzed the death causes of 30-day mortality and clinical events in patients who underwent TAVI with Edwards prosthetic valves in University Hospital of Caen, France. Methods The patients with severe aortic stenosis but at high surgical risk or inoperable were considered as candidates for TAVI. Forty-eight patients undergoing TAVI from July 2010 to September 2011 were enrolled in this registry. The Edwards prosthetic valves were solely used in this clinical trial. Results Overall 48 patients underwent TAVI, 28 of which accepted TAVI by trans-femoral （TF） approaches, 20 by trans-apical approaches （TA）. The aortic valve area （AVA） was （0.70±0.23） cm2, left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） was （57.4±17.6）%, Log EuroSCORE was （19.2±15.8）%, mean gradient was （47.0±16.6） mmHg. There were no significant differences between TF and TA groups in all these baseline parameters. Device success rate was 95.8%, and procedural success rate was 93.7% in total. Procedural mortality was 6.7% （3/48）： two deaths in TA group （10%）, and one death in TF group （3.6%）. Forty-six Edwards valves were implanted： 10 Edwards Sapien and 36 Edwards XT. Procedure-related complications included cardiac tamponade in 2 cases （4.2%）, acute myocardial infarction （AMI） in 1 case （2.1%）, permanent pacemaker implantation in 1 case （2.1%）, life-threatening and major bleeding in 3 cases; access site related major complication in 1 case, AKI stage 3 in 3 cases （6.3%）, minor stroke in 1 case （2.1%）. Thirty-day survival rate was 89.6%. There were 5 deaths in total （10.4%）： 4 in TA group （20%） and 1 in TF group （3.6%）. Conclusion The procedural success rate and 30-day mortality were acceptable in these high risk patients withpatients withEdwards prosthetic valves in the first 48 TAVI.