A novel 3D-vision–based collaborative robot as a scope holding system for port surgery: a technical feasibility study

OBJECTIVE A clear, stable, suitably located vision field is essential for port surgery. A scope is usually held by hand or a fixing device. The former yields fatigue and requires lengthy training, while the latter increases inconvenience because of needing to adjust the scope. Thus, the authors innovated a novel robotic system that can recognize the port and automatically place the scope in an optimized position. In this study, the authors executed a preliminary experiment to test this system’s technical feasibility and accuracy in vitro. METHODS A collaborative robotic (CoBot) system consisting of a mechatronic arm and a 3D camera was developed. With the 3D camera and programmed machine vision, CoBot can search a marker attached to the opening of the surgical port, followed by automatic alignment of the scope’s axis with the port’s longitudinal axis so that optimal illumination and visual observation can be achieved. Three tests were conducted. In test 1, the robot positioned a laser range finder attached to the robot’s arm to align the sheath’s center axis. The laser successfully passing through two holes in the port sheath’s central axis defined successful positioning. Researchers recorded the finder’s readings, demonstrating the actual distance between the finder and the sheath. In test 2, the robot held a high-definition exoscope and relocated it to the setting position. Test 3 was similar to test 2, but a metal holder substituted the robot. Trained neurosurgeons manually adjusted the holder. The manipulation time was recorded. Additionally, a grading system was designed to score each image captured by the exoscope at the setting position, and the scores in the two tests were compared using the rank-sum test. RESULTS The CoBot system positioned the finder successfully in all rounds in test 1; the mean height errors ± SD were 1.14 mm ± 0.38 mm (downward) and 1.60 mm ± 0.89 mm (upward). The grading scores of images in tests 2 and 3 were significantly different. Regarding the total score and four subgroups, test 2 showed a more precise, better-positioned, and more stable vision field. The total manipulation time in test 2 was 20 minutes, and for test 3 it was 52 minutes. CONCLUSIONS The CoBot system successfully acted as a robust scope holding system to provide a stable and optimized surgical view during simulated port surgery, providing further evidence for the substitution of human hands, and leading to a more efficient, user-friendly, and precise operation.

NCOG-22. RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF VISUAL OUTCOMES AFTER BEVACIZUMAB-BASED THERAPY IN OPTIC PATHWAY GLIOMA

BACKGROUND Patients with optic pathway glioma (OPG) are vulnerable to debilitating visual impairment. Consequently, vision stabilization is a primary treatment goal. Bevacizumab has demonstrated promising effects on radiographic tumor burden, but less is known about its impact on vision. Our objective was to characterize visual outcomes associated with bevacizumab-based therapy (BBT) in OPG. METHODS This is a single-institution, retrospective review of patients treated with BBT for OPG from 2011 to 2020. Ophthalmologic and radiographic data were abstracted before and after treatment. Clinically significant visual acuity (VA) impairment was defined as logMAR > 0.5 and change in VA was defined as change from baseline of logMAR ≥ 0.2. RESULTS Sixteen patients (13 sporadic OPG, 3 NF1-associated OPG) with evaluable vision outcomes were identified. Treatment indications were radiographic progression (N=15) and vision deterioration (N=4). Prior to BBT, 15 (94%) had failed at least one chemotherapy regimen. BBT regimens included bevacizumab/irinotecan (N=12), bevacizumab monotherapy (N=3) and bevacizumab/vinblastine (N=1). Nine patients (56%) had baseline VA impairment. Thirteen patients (81%) had stable or improved vision after BBT, including 8 of 9 with baseline VA impairment and all 4 patients with vision deterioration as a treatment indication. Eleven patients (69%) had radiographic progression following BBT (Median time-to-progression 66 weeks, IQR 27 weeks), 9 of whom had stable vision at time of progression. There were no associations between VA and age at treatment, NF1-status, histology, or BBT regimen. CONCLUSIONS BBT was associated with favorable visual outcomes for most patients with OPG in this modest retrospective cohort. Consistent with prior research, radiographic and ophthalmologic outcomes were discordant; a majority of patients experienced progressive disease despite stable vision. Next steps include (1) assessing visual field and optical coherence tomography outcomes in the same cohort and (2) comparing outcomes for BBT with other common therapies including carboplatin/vincristine and vinblastine.

Clinical Neurotology

Normal balance is the consequence of continuous interaction between visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive mechanisms. The vestibular system is a system in which head movements and positions cause mechanical forces to be transduced into electrochemical signals that are relayed to the central nervous system for the purpose of maintaining clear stable vision and equilibrium. With a basic understanding of physiology, common disease processes, and examination techniques, a correct diagnosis can generally be made at the bedside.

Concussion and Balance in Sports

Balance, spatial orientation and stable vision are imperative factors for sports or any other physical activity. It is achieved and maintained by a complex integration set of sensorimotor control systems that include sensory input from vision, proprioception or somatosensory and the vestibular system. A Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) is an individualized injury that presents a range of clinical signs and symptoms (cognitive, physical, emotional, somatic, and sleep-related). For this reason, SPR is a meaningful public health issue that involves a multidisciplinary team to properly manage it. In the sports medicine filed, Sports-Related Concussion assessment and management has become an argumentative issue. Presently, the consensus includes a combination of subjective examination, combined by multifactorial evaluation batteries that allowed to verify several components of brain function. Athletes frequently complain of dizziness and imbalance subsequent a concussion, and these symptoms can expect increased period to recover and return to play. Balance assessment is an important component of the concussion evaluation, as it can contribute with an awareness about the function of the sensorimotor systems.

Proliferative retinopathy as a feature of Vogt Koyanagi Harada Disease: a report of two cases

Background Proliferative retinopathy is an uncommon feature of Vogt Koyanagi Harada (VKH) disease which might indicate poor uveitis control in these patients. We aim to describe the clinical features and outcome of management of proliferative retinopathy in 2 patients with VKH. Case Presentation 19 and 33 years old females with VKH presented with unilateral proliferative retinopathy. Both patients had neovascularization of the optic disc (NVDs) and one patient had neovascularizations elsewhere (NVEs) and preretinal hemorrhage. Both patients had exudative retinal detachments (ERD). Systemic steroids and immunomodulatory agents were successfully used to control inflammation and achieve regression. One patient developed fibrous tissue formation at the disc area as well as an epiretinal membrane formation, for which she had pars plana vitrectomy with membrane peeling. Both patients had controlled inflammation with stable vision. Conclusions Proliferative retinopathy can present variably in VKH patients and indicates persistent inflammation which is incompletely controlled. Proper uveitis control is sufficient to achieve regression of retinal neovascularization.

Reversal of diabetic tractional retinal detachment attributed to keto diet

A 40-year-old woman, known type 2 diabetes mellitus, obese (100 kg), on insulin (80 units), was under treatment for unstable proliferative diabetic retinopathy with extramacular tractional retinal detachment (TRD) in the left eye. At 1-year follow-up, she developed progression of TRD involving the macula in the left eye for which she was advised surgery. She did not follow-up for 6 months during which time she had adopted a coconut oil-rich ketogenic diet. She reported losing 25 kg body weight along with reversal of diabetes (Glycosylated Haemglobin (HbA1C) of 5.3% without insulin) in the interim. During this 2-year follow-up visit, it was found that there was complete resolution of macular detachment due to TRD in the left eye with stable vision. This was attributed to the impactful ketogenic diet.

Navigation-assisted endonasal endoscopic optic nerve decompression in fibrous dysplasia

A 12-year-old girl presented with left-sided decreased vision of 2-month duration. Clinical evaluation and imaging revealed fibrous dysplasia compressing the left optic nerve with no underlying endocrinological abnormalities. Best-corrected visual acuity showed progressive deterioration of vision over 2-month follow-up. She underwent navigation-assisted endonasal endoscopic optic nerve decompression. Post-surgery there was improvement in vision and it became normal (6/6). Six-month follow-up showed stable vision with no further complications.

Endonasal endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of intrinsic third ventricular craniopharyngioma: surgical results

OBJECTIVEIntrinsic third ventricular craniopharyngiomas (IVCs) have been reported by some authors to “pose the greatest surgical challenge” of all craniopharyngiomas (CPAs). A variety of open microsurgical approaches have historically been used for resection of these tumors. Despite increased utilization of the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) for resection of CPAs in recent years, many authors continue to recommend against use of the EEA for resection of IVCs. In this paper, the authors present the largest series to date utilizing the EEA to remove IVCs.METHODSThe authors reviewed a prospectively acquired database of the EEA for resection of IVCs over 14 years at Weill Cornell Medical College, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Preoperative MR images were examined independently by two neurosurgeons and a neuroradiologist to identify IVCs. Pre- and postoperative endocrinological, ophthalmological, radiographic, and other morbidities were determined from retrospective chart review and volumetric radiographic analysis.RESULTSBetween January 2006 and August 2017, 10 patients (4 men, 6 women) ranging in age from 26 to 67 years old, underwent resection of an IVC utilizing the EEA. Preoperative endocrinopathy was present in 70% and visual deterioration in 60%. Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 9 (90%) of 10 patients, with achievement of near-total (98%) resection in the remaining patient. Pathology was papillary in 30%. Closure incorporated a “gasket-seal” technique with nasoseptal flap coverage and either lumbar drainage (9 patients) or a ventricular drain (1 patient). Postoperatively, complete anterior and posterior pituitary insufficiency was present in 90% and 70% of patients, respectively. In 4 patients with normal vision prior to surgery, 3 had stable vision following tumor resection. One patient noted a new, incongruous, left inferior homonymous quadrantanopsia postoperatively. In the 6 patients who presented with compromised vision, 2 reported stable vision following surgery. Each of the remaining 4 patients noted significant improvement in vision after tumor resection, with complete restoration of normal vision in 1 patient. Aside from the single case (10%) of visual deterioration referenced above, there were no instances of postoperative neurological decline. Postoperative CSF leakage occurred in 1 morbidly obese patient who required reoperation for revision of closure. After a mean follow-up of 46.8 months (range 4–131 months), tumor recurrence was observed in 2 patients (20%), one of whom was treated with radiation and the other with chemotherapy. Both of these patients had previously undergone GTR of the IVC.CONCLUSIONSThe 10 patients described in this report represent the largest number of patients with IVC treated using EEA for resection to date. EEA for resection of IVC is a safe and efficacious operative strategy that should be considered a surgical option in the treatment of this challenging subset of tumors.

Optic Neuropathy due to an Ethmoid Mucocele: A Case Report and Literature Review

Mucoceles of the paranasal sinus commonly involve the frontal sinuses, the ethmoid sinuses, and rarely the maxillary or sphenoid sinuses. They often present with sinus pain or pressure, but rarely can present with more severe symptoms such as changes in mental status or vision due to expansion and invasion through the skull base or orbit. A 62-year-old male presented with optic neuropathy, a relative afferent pupillary defect with proptosis and lateral gaze palsy of the left eye. The patient was found to have a large mucocele extending from the left posterior ethmoid sinus into the left orbital apex. Urgent endoscopic sinus surgery was performed jointly between Oculoplastics and Otolaryngology. Post-operatively, the patient had improvement in diplopia, extraocular motion, and proptosis with stable vision. This case demonstrates the importance of early identification and intervention in a rare presentation of a sinus mucocele to prevent serious complications such as vision loss.

Influence of scleral lenses on visual acuity and aberrations in patients with irregular cornea

Purpose: To analyze changes of functional parame¬ters and aberrations before fitting and after using rigid gas-permeable scleral lenses (RGPSCL) in patients with irregular cornea. Material and methods. 21 patients (29 eyes) with irregular astigmatism of various etiology were enrolled in this study. The patients could not achieve good visual aсuity in glasses, standard soft or rigid corneal contact lenses. Complex ophthalmologic examination was per¬formed: autorefractometry, visometry, biomicroscopy, computer corneal topography, aberrometry on “OPD-Scan II” (“Nidek”, Japan) before fitting scleral lenses and during the period of their wearing. Results and discussion. The results demonstrat¬ed significant visual acuity improvement after RGP¬SCL fitting in all observed patients. UCVA amounted to 0.1±0.18, BCVA in glasses amounted to 0.4±0.26, BCVA in RGPSCL amounted to 0.7±0.1. An increase of best-corrected visual acuity in RGPSCL was statistically significant in patients after keratoplasty, after intra-stromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) implantation, af¬ter refractive laser surgery (RLS) and in cases of mixed astigmatism. We have found that the correction of ker¬atoconus with the use of RGPSCL resulted in a decrease of the root mean square value (RMS), measured in the 3 mm and 5 mm zones by 2.5 times and 4 times, re¬spectively. In patients wearing RGPSCL after kerato¬plasty, statistically significant decrease in RMS was observed in the 3 mm zone (by 3.85 times) and in the 5 mm zone (by 2.99 times). In patients wearing RGPSCL after implantation of intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS), RMS in the 3 mm zone decreased by 1.5 times. In patients wearing RGPSCL after refractive laser surgery (RLS) RMS was 2.5 times lower in the 3 mm zone and 2.8 times lower in the 5 mm zone. In case of mixed astigmatism correction with RGPSCL, RMS increased by 1.6 times in the 3 mm zone and practically did not change in the 5 mm zone. Conclusion. The results obtained demonstrated significant visual acuity improvement in all observed patients. The sub-lens-space filled with tear forms a unified “cornea-tear-scleral contact lens” optic system that corrects unevenness of cornea, decreases amount of high-order aberrations (HOA) and provides a clear stable vision.