5 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Visual outcomes of the eye with large subretinal hemorrhages (bleeding under the retina) due to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are poor. The Submacular Surgery Trial (SST) showed that no statistically significant improvement in vision resulted from surgical removal of the layer of abnormal blood vessels causing the bleeding. However, placement of a gas bubble into the gel of the eye along with removal of the blood has shown some success. However, this does not treat the underlying condition of the AMD. Intravitreal injections (into the gel of the eye) of a drug called Lucentis has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of AMD, yet its penetration through areas of thick blood caused by subretinal hemorrhage is not known. This study is proposing to treat the AMD causing the subretinal hemorrhage with a vitrectomy (surgery involving removing the gel inside the eye, and membrane layers of the eye) followed by Lucentis placed between the layers of the retina and then with or without a gas bubble. In order to determine if the the subretinal Lucentis alone is beneficial, 5 of the 10 patients enrolled will get a gas bubble and the other 5 will not.
This study is designed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of the Red Reflex Test (RRT), with and without dilation, for early detection of ocular abnormalities in children and newborns. The RRT functions by shining a light from an ophthalmoscope into a participant's eye and noting the presence or absence of a red glow. Despite its use in pediatric clinics for years, this test at times fails to detect significant ocular diseases, especially located in the back of the eye, threatening visual development in this population. Therefore, the investigators aim to quantify the utility of this test as a tool for screening by comparing these findings on RRT with those of retinal photography. The investigators hypothesize that the sensitivity and specificity of the RRT will be sufficient for detecting anterior segment pathology but will be insufficient for detecting posterior segment pathology with or without dilation.
The purpose of this study is to assess whether preoperative pegaptanib sodium safely improves vitreous hemorrhage prior to surgical intervention and to evaluate the stability of pre-existing tractional retinal detachment.
Surges in the sympathetic nervous system occur at the ictus of a variety of neurological critical illnesses including intracranial hemorrhage and ischemic stroke. It is hypothesized that these exaggerated increases in sympathetic nervous activity produce maladaptations that promote secondary brain injury. One of these possible mechanisms include diffuse vasospasm that cause cerebral ischemia. Hence, methods to abrogate the sympathetic nervous system in this context are under active investigation. One possible method is the regional anesthesia technique of the stellate ganglion nerve block, which is ordinarily used for complex regional pain syndrome, but has been shown to reduce cerebral sympathetic activity and reduces vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, its effect on the microcirculation is not clear. Hence, we propose to study patients receiving the stellate ganglion nerve block as part of their standard medical care and to image their retinal microcirculation before and after the procedure using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA).
Since the introduction of vitrectomy in 1971, this procedure has become the third most frequently performed ophthalmic surgery. Approximately 225,000 vitrectomies are performed annually in the United States and indications continue to expand. Known long-term complications of vitrectomy are relatively few and include retinal detachment and cataract formation. Although much has been written in the literature concerning acute rises in intraocular pressure (IOP) in the immediate postoperative period, there is surprisingly little information on long term IOP outcomes after vitrectomy. A recent report by Chang given at the LXII (62) Edward Jackson Memorial Lecture hypothesized a causal relationship between vitrectomy and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) via oxidative stress exacerbated by removal of the crystalline lens. A second report by Luk and colleagues reported similar conclusions in a modified cohort. Both studies, were retrospective in nature and did not perform baseline evaluations to exclude pre-existing glaucoma. Furthermore neither study accounted for natural history. Finally, our analysis has not reproduced similar results. The primary purpose of this study is to analyze the full spectrum of optic nerve and macular changes between vitrectomized study eyes and their non-vitrectomized fellow eyes to control for natural history. Baseline evaluations will include examination by fellowship trained retina and glaucoma specialists, fundus photography, autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography (macula and optic nerve) and automated visual field testing. At 3 month then annually for 5 years after vitrectomy surgery, the cohort will undergo similar evaluation.