Abstract
Purpose: :
Determine optical effects of a post-operative intraocular air bubble. Determine whether near vision through an intraocular bubble is a predictor of final post-operative visual acuity.
Methods: :
Patients were recruited post-operatively. Near visual acuity was recorded with a near vision chart on an illuminated Iphone screen. The patients’ head positioned parallel to the floor, forcing the patients to look through the bubble. The patients held the chart at his near point and best corrected visual acuity was recorded. The near point was then measured. At each post-operative visit, the size of the intraocular gas bubble was estimated. Visual acuity was taken from far once the bubble was not obstructing the visual axis. The visual acuity at the last post-operative visit was recorded.
Results: :
105 patients were recruited. 54 patients (51%) had a retinal detachment, 22 (21%) an epiretinal membrane, 20 (19%) a macular hole, 1 a subluxed lens, 1 a subluxed IOL, and 1 patient had a supra-choroidal hemmorhage. Average and mean early PO BCVA (POD <10) were 20/25 and 20/20 respectively. Induced myopia was proportional to bubble size. As expected, reading distance was inversely proportional to bubble size. We analyzed pseudophakic patients in the early post-operative period (n=45, 2<POD<10). Induced myopia by the intraocular bubble varied between 8 and 50 diopters, where as reading distance varied from 2 to 12.5 centimeters. Average last BCVA was 20/45. In this group, pseudophakic patients Early post-operative BVCA (logMAR) was directly proportional to last recorded BVCA.
Conclusions: :
Post-operative intraocular gas bubbles induce high myopia, which progressively diminishes as the size of the bubble decreases. Early post-operative near vision through the gas bubble is easily feasible and can serve as a prediction tool for final post-operative vision.
Keywords: retinal detachment • optical properties • vitreoretinal surgery