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Tova Lifshitz

Publications and source records attributed to Tova Lifshitz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Posterior assisted levitation: long-term follow-up data.

PURPOSE: To report the long-term outcome of posterior assisted levitation (PAL) in cases of a sinking dropped nucleus. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. METHODS: The medical records of all the patients having cataract surgery at Soroka University Medical Center from January 1999 to December 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. The PAL technique was used in 7 eyes, 3 of which had mini-nuc cataract surgery and 4 of which had phacoemulsification. Posterior assisted levitation was done because of an intraoperative posterior capsule tear with vitreous loss and a sinking dropped nucleus. A spatula was inserted via the pars plana, and the nucleus was lifted to and removed from the anterior chamber. RESULTS: The follow-up ranged from 16 to 28 months. The postoperative visual acuity was 20/40 or better in all but 2 eyes, which had 20/50 acuity because of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema, respectively. No postoperative complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The PAL technique was successfully performed during cataract surgery in 7 eyes with a posterior capsule tear, vitreous loss, and a sinking dropped nucleus. There were no complications over the long-term follow-up.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Peripheral sterile corneal infiltrates after refractive surgery.

PURPOSE: To report 5 eyes of peripheral sterile corneal infiltrates after refractive surgery. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel, and Enaim Ophthalmological Center, Jerusalem, Israel. METHODS: Three patients had bilateral refractive procedures for correcting myopia. The procedures included laser epithelial keratectomy in 2 eyes, laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in 2 eyes using a keratome, and LASIK in 1 eye using femtosecond laser. RESULTS: All the patients complained of ocular pain between 1 and 3 days after the procedure. A ring stromal infiltrate peripheral to the flap edge with intact epithelium and an intervening clear zone between the peripheral corneal infiltrates and the limbus was observed in 5 eyes without anterior chamber reaction. All cases improved after several days of topical steroid and antibiotic treatment and systemic steroid. Final visual acuity was 20/25 or better in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: The exact mechanism of this complication is still unknown, which can be confused with infectious keratitis. It is important to maintain a high degree of suspicion for infectious keratitis because the management is very different. The potential outcome can be much worse if the keratitis is due to an infectious etiology which can appear after all types of refractive laser procedures.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Anterior chamber gas bubbles after corneal flap creation with a femtosecond laser.

A 48-year-old woman had bilateral wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis for myopia with IntraLase corneal flap creation. In the right eye the cavitation bubbles were observed not only in the interface between the flap and the corneal bed but also in the anterior chamber disappearing after 30 minutes. After the procedure, uncorrected visual acuity is 20/25 in both eyes; and specular microscopy shows normal hexagonal cells and density. Although no postoperative complications were observed in our case, further follow-up is needed to examine the long-term effect of this phenomenon of IntraLase.

Anterior Chamber↗
PubMed2005

Removal of giant vernal papillae by CO2 laser.

BACKGROUND: We report our experience in removing giant papillae in cases with severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis using CO2 laser. METHODS: Five cases with conjunctival giant papillae due to severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis were treated with CO2 laser. All cases were resistant to conventional treatment. In 4 eyes, there was also an associated corneal shield ulcer. RESULTS: In all 5 cases the procedure was uneventful. Retreatment was performed in only 2 cases because of recurrence of the papillae. No intra- or postoperative complications were observed. INTERPRETATION: CO2 laser seems to be a safe method for removing conjunctival giant papillae in cases with severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis. It is also a repeatable method that enables a rapid conjunctival and corneal recovery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Punctate inner choroidopathy: resolution after oral steroid treatment and review of the literature.

CASE REPORT: A case of punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC) that resolved after oral steroid treatment is described. The 25-year-old female patient presented with reduced visual acuity of several days duration. Results of fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography were consistent with PIC with a small choroidal neovascularization lesion nasal to the fovea. Visual acuity improved significantly after several days on oral steroid treatment. COMMENTS: Although spontaneous resolution of the lesions can occur without any treatment, oral steroids in PIC may help achieve improved vision more rapidly. The clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic modalities of this rare entity are discussed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2005

Eye injuries due to tractor wheel explosion: report of two cases.

CASE REPORT: We describe 2 patients who sustained eye injuries when tractor wheels exploded while being inflated. Descriptions of ocular involvement from such accidents are rare in the literature. One of our patients experienced severe eye trauma requiring enucleation. In the second case, despite trauma to both eyes, 20/20 vision was recovered. COMMENTS: Injuries from exploding tires are compared to those seen in the context of air-bag deployment, and safety recommendations are discussed.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2005

Primary congenital glaucoma presenting within the first three months of life in a Bedouin population: prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the final outcome of surgery in Arab-Bedouin children with primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) presenting within the first three months of life, and to search for prognostic factors for success. DESIGN: Retrospective study of all cases with follow-up of at least 24 months. PATIENTS: Twenty-five Arab-Bedouin children (45 eyes) with PCG presenting within the first three months of life who underwent surgical procedures at the Soroka University Medical Center from January 1988 to December 1998. METHODS: Patient's age, family history, main presenting features, data from examinations under anesthesia, including intraocular pressure (IOP), horizontal corneal diameter, and cup/disc (c/d) ratio, and the type of surgery performed were reviewed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Success of the first operation, defined as final IOP < 21 mm Hg achieved after only one surgical procedure without anti-glaucoma medication, and final outcome, defined as good when IOP was < 21 mm Hg and > 5 mm Hg at the end of a 24-month follow-up period without anti-glaucoma medication, irrespective of the number of procedures performed. RESULTS: At presentation mean IOP was 36.2 +/- 8.0 mm Hg, corneal diameter was 12.62 +/- 0.98 mm, and c/d ratio was 0.41 +/- 0.16. The mean age at first operation was 17 +/- 20 days, and median of 5 days. The mean follow-up period was 37.4 +/- 25.4 months. The success of the first operation performed was not related to the type of operation (P = 0.22), gender (P = 0.47), consanguinity (P = 1.0), family history (P = 0.12), clinical presentation (P = 0.81), or age at first operation (P = 0.38). Eyes with high initial IOP and greater c/d ratio were at a significantly higher risk for failure (P = 0.05, P = 0.04, respectively). A final outcome of IOP under 21 mm Hg and above 5 mm Hg was achieved in 39 eyes (86.5%). There was no statistical association between final outcome and the type of first surgical procedure performed, gender, consanguinity, clinical presentation, and age at first operation. Cases with no family history had a significantly better final outcome (P = 0.05). In multivariate analysis only initial IOP showed borderline significance as an independent risk factor for final outcome (P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Initial high IOP and higher c/d ratio were found to be predictive factors for failure of the first procedure. Final outcome was significantly better in cases with no family history, yet initial IOP was the only independent predictive factor for failure at the final outcome in a multivariate model. Findings of this type have not been previously reported, and they may constitute an important tool in predicting the treatment outcome of very young children with PCG.

Arabs↗
PubMed2005

The effect of the Dead Sea environment on uveitis.

BACKGROUND: Uveitis is an acute or chronic inflammatory process of the uvea caused by a number of etiologies. In many patients the etiology is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the Dead Sea environment (climatotherapy) on the signs, symptoms and clinical course of chronic uveitis. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with chronic uveitis were examined at the beginning and end of a 3-4 week stay at the Dead Sea region and on repeat visits to the region. Study data included demographic information, medical history, etiology, diagnosis, medication, and a complete ophthalmic examination. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were seen between the two examinations within each visit in four parameters (negative values indicate improvement): a) visual acuity for near and far: Jaeger (-0.98 +/- 0.18, P < or = 0.001) and best corrected visual acuity (-0.22 +/- 0.04, P < or = 0.0001); b) anterior chamber flare (-0.18 +/- 0.06, P < or = 0.01); c) anterior chamber cells (-0.12 +/- 0.03, P < or = 0.0001); and d) vitreous cells (-0.17 +/- 0.05, P < or = 0.001). There was a significant mean improvement during visits to the Dead Sea area and a slight dissipation of the effect during the intervals between visits. Sixty-four percent of the patients reported that they required less medication and had fewer and milder attacks of uveitis following the visits. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide evidence of short- and possibly long-term improvement in the signs and symptoms of uveitis following exposure to the Dead Sea environment.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The silent sinus syndrome.

Patients with silent sinus syndrome typically present for investigation of facial asymmetry. Unilateral, spontaneous enophthalmos and hypoglobus are the prominent findings at examination. Imaging of the orbit and sinuses characteristically show unilateral maxillary sinus opacification and collapse with inferior bowing of the orbital floor. It has been suggested that SSS is due to hypoventilation of the maxillary sinus secondary to ostial obstruction and sinus atelectasis with chronic negative pressure within the sinus. Treatment involves functional endoscopic sinus surgery for reestablishing a functional drainage passage, and a reconstructive procedure of the floor of the orbit for repairing the hypoglobus and cosmetic deformity. Ophthalmologists, otorhinolaryngologists, and radiologists must be familiarized with this relatively newly reported disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Outcome of combined penetrating keratoplasty with vitreoretinal surgery using temporary Eckardt keratoprosthesis].

BACKGROUND: For the adequate management of vitreoretinal pathology, good visualization through a clear cornea is needed to permit proper surgical repair. However, an opaque cornea, precludes this necessary visualization and makes posterior segment surgery impossible. Temporary keratoprosthesis facilitates visualization of intraocular structures in eyes that might otherwise be inoperable due to corneal opacities. AIM: To report the effectiveness of a combined procedure (pars plana vitrectomy with temporary Eckardt keratoprosthesis, vitreoretinal surgery, and penetrating keratoplasty) and to assess the functional outcome of eyes undergoing these procedures. METHODS: Six eyes from six consecutive patients operated on between 2001 and 2004 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, and followed-up for at least 6 months, were evaluated retrospectively. The evaluation focused on ocular history, visual acuity (VA), anatomical outcome and complications. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 26 months. Prior to the operation, the most frequent diagnosis in the anterior segment was corneal scar in 4 eyes (67%). In the posterior segment, the most frequent diagnosis was retinal detachment in 5 eyes (83%). Preoperative VA was full light perception or less in all eyes. In five cases (83%), final postoperative VA was 6/240 or better. The corneal graft remained clear in five cases (83%). The retina remained attached in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Combined corneal and retinal procedures using temporary keratoprosthesis are a safe and efficacious way of managing complicated corneal and retinal disease. These methods can preserve ambulatory vision and improve the quality of life of patients. Visual prognosis is usually limited due to the primary ocular disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Artisan aphakic intraocular lens in children with subluxated crystalline lenses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of Artisan (Ophtec) aphakic intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in children with idiopathic subluxated lenses. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. METHODS: This retrospective small case series comprised 4 eyes (3 children) with idiopathic essential subluxated lenses that had lens washout, lens capsule removal, Artisan IOL implantation, and peripheral iridectomy. The indications for surgery were reduced visual acuity and monocular diplopia. The main outcome measures were postoperative refraction and change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: The postoperative follow-up ranged from 8 to 10 months. After surgery, the BCVA was 6/12 or better in the 3 cases that could be recorded. Visual acuity improved by 2 or more Snellen lines in all 4 eyes. The postoperative spherical equivalent was within +/-1.00 diopter in all cases. No significant postoperative complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In 4 eyes with a subluxated crystalline lens, implantation of an Artisan aphakic IOL improved visual acuity. Studies with a larger number of patients and longer follow-up are necessary to confirm these results.

Biocompatible Materials↗