INTRAOPERATIVE ENDOLASER RETINOPEXY AROUND THE SCLEROTOMY SITE FOR PREVENTION OF RETINAL DETACHMENT AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY

Abstract

Purpose: 

To investigate whether intraoperative endolaser retinopexy around the sclerotomy site during pars plana vitrectomy can prevent the postoperative complication of retinal detachment (RD).

Methods: 

Two hundred and seventy-eight patients who had undergone 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for various vitreoretinal disorders were investigated retrospectively. Patients who had rhegmatogenous RD and who underwent panretinal photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy were excluded. In Group 1, 152 patients had not undergone laser retinopexy around the sclerotomy site, and in Group 2, 126 patients had undergone laser retinopexy around the sclerotomy site. The incidence rates of postoperative RD were compared.

Results: 

In Group 1, 7 cases (4.6%) of RD developed: 6 cases (3.9%) of sclerotomy-related retinal breaks, and 1 of a sclerotomy-unrelated retinal break. In Group 2, superior RD developed in 1 case (0.8%), but no sclerotomy-related retinal break was observed.

Conclusion: 

Endolaser retinopexy around the sclerotomy site is relatively simple to perform, without inducing particular complications. It is expected to reduce the development of postoperative RD (4.6% vs. 0.8%; P = 0.08) and especially sclerotomy-related RD (3.9% vs. 0%; P = 0.03).

In Brief

Although the incidence of retinal break after pars plana vitrectomy is an important complication that can cause a severe decrease in visual acuity through retinal detachment, in this study, we found that the laser retinopexy around the sclerotomy site is an effective procedure in reducing the incidence of sclerotomy-related postoperative retinal detachment.