Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the use of prophylactic 360º laser photocoagulation in preventing retinal detachment in patients submitted to pars plana vitrectomy to remove retained lens fragments or dropped nucleus.
Methods: :
Retrospective, nonrandomized, consecutive, comparative, interventional study. Inclusion criteria: nucleus or lens fragments resulting from cataract surgery. Main exclusion criteria: concomitant retinal detachment, previous panretinal laser photocoagulation, previous retinal surgery or ocular trauma. Patients were submitted to conventional 23G 3-port pars plana vitrectomy with meticulous removal of the vitreous base. One group (laser group) received 3 rows of photocoagulation 360º in the periphery and the other group did not (control group).
Results: :
Seventy eyes of 70 patients were identified and among those forty nine (49 eyes) met the inclusion criteria. Twenty four (24) eyes were in the laser group and twenty five (25) in the standard group. Three eyes in the laser group and one in the control group developed retinal detachment (RD). Statistical analysis showed no difference between the two groups. Patients’ age, axial length of the eye, time between cataract extraction and pars plana vitrectomy and size of the dropped nucleus (fragments or entire) between the two groups were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: :
Prophylactic 360° laser photocoagulation in the retinal periphery during pars plana vitrectomy to remove retained lens fragments or nucleus fails to prevent retinal detachment.
Keywords: vitreoretinal surgery • retinal detachment • laser