An Office-Based Procedure for Hyphema Treatment

Abstract

 

Purpose

 

To describe a novel surgical technique for in-office treatment of hyphema.

 

Methods

 

Retrospective non comparative case series. 3 cases of hyphema in three different eyes treated in office using an anterior chamber gas fluid exchange technique were analyzed.

 

Results

 

Hyphemas were associated with complications of underlying systemic and retinal disease and occurred in the postoperative period of other vitreoretinal surgical procedures. All patients’ hyphemas were succesfully treated using the described procedure. No patients required operating room surgery. One patient required repeat in office air fluid exchange. Another received concomitant anterior chamber bevacizumab injection as adjuvant therapy for iris neovascularization.

 

Conclusions

 

The method described appears to be a safe and effective procedure to treat hyphemas in certain patient populations.

 

 

Figure 1a: Entry into the anterior chamber superiorly with gas filled syringe. Figure 1b: After partial gas injection, entry in to the deepened anterior chamber inferiorly with evacuation syringe, plunger removed.

 

 

Figure 2a: Evacuation of hyphema with complete or near compete anterior chamber gas fluid exchange. Figure 2b: Inferior needle removed while superior gas filled syringe is used to equilibrate intraocular pressure.

 

Keywords: 421 anterior segment • 465 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: systems/equipment/techniques