OBJETIVO: Avaliar a eficácia dos enxertos de conjuntiva no tratamento de bolhas filtrantes com vazamento após trabeculectomia. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo de sete pacientes com bolhas filtrantes vazando que foram reparadas com enxertos de conjuntiva. Foi avaliada a eficácia deste procedimento em controlar o vazamento, manter pressão intra-ocular (PIO) satisfatória, manter profundidade satisfatória da câmara anterior, e preservar acuidade visual. RESULTADOS: Enxertos de conjuntiva aparentemente pararam o vazamento em 6 pacientes (85.7%), mantiveram PIO satisfatória em 5 pacientes (71.4%), mantiveram profundidade satisfatória da câmara anterior em todos os pacientes (n=7), e preservaram acuidade visual semelhante à antes do tratamento em 3 pacientes. CONCLUSÕES: O uso de enxertos de conjuntiva parece ser método efetivo para tratar bolhas filtrantes com vazamento, sem perder o controle da PIO.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of free conjunctival grafting for leaking conjunctival blebs following trabeculectomy. METHODS: Retrospective study of seven patients with leaking conjunctival blebs that were repaired by free conjunctival grafting. The effectiveness of this procedure in stopping the bleb leak, maintaining satisfactory intraocular pressure (IOP), maintaining satisfactory anterior chamber depth, and preserving vision was evaluated. RESULTS: Free conjunctival grafting appeared to have stopped the bleb leak in 6 patients (85.7%), maintained satisfactory IOP in 5 patients (71.4%), maintained satisfactory anterior chamber depth in all patients, and preserved pretreatment vision in 3 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Free conjunctival grafting appears to be an effective method to treat leaking blebs, without loss of IOP control.

OBJECTIVE: To study the differences between fluvastatin and pravastatin regarding LDL susceptibility to oxidation, plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides (TG) in hypercholesterolemic patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: A double-blind randomized parallel study was conducted that included 41 hypercholesterolemic outpatients with CHD treated at the Instituto de Cardiologia do Rio Grande do Sul. The inclusion criteria were LDL-C above 100 mg/dL and triglycerides below 400 mg/dL based on 2 measures. After 4 weeks on a low cholesterol diet, those patients that fullfilled the inclusion criteria were randomized into 2 groups: the fluvastatin group (fluvastatin 40 mg/day) and the pravastatin group (pravastatin 20 mg/day), for 24 weeks of treatment. LDL susceptibility to oxidation was analyzed with copper-induced production of conjugated dienes (Cu2+) and water-soluble free radical initiator azo-bis (2'-2'amidinopropanil) HCl (AAPH). Spectroscopy nuclear magnetic resonance was used for determination of lipids. RESULTS: After 24 weeks of drug therapy, fluvastatin and pravastatin significantly reduced LDL susceptibility to oxidation as demonstrated by the reduced rate of oxidation (azo and Cu) and by prolonged azo-induced lag time (azo lag). The TC, LDL-C, and TG reduced significantly and HDL-C increased significantly. No differences between the drugs were observed. CONCLUSION: In hypercholesterolemic patients with CHD, both fluvastatin and pravastatin reduced LDL susceptibility to oxidation.