Purpose:
To investigate whether intraoperative endolaser retinopexy around the sclerotomy site during pars plana vitrectomy can prevent the postoperative complication of retinal detachment.
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 retinal detachment 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 retinal detachment were compared.
Results:
In Group 1, seven cases (4.6%) of retinal detachment developed: six cases (3.9%) of sclerotomy-related retinal breaks, and one of a sclerotomy-unrelated retinal break. In Group 2, superior retinal detachment developed in one case (0.8%), but no sclerotomy-related retinal break was observed.
Conclusions:
Endolaser retinopexy around the sclerotomy site is relatively simple to perform, without inducing particular complications. It is expected to reduce the development of postoperative retinal detachment (4.6% vs. 0.8%; p = 0.08) and especially sclerotomy-related retinal detachment (3.9% vs. 0%; p = 0.03).
Keywords: retinal detachment • vitreoretinal surgery • laser