Abstract
Purpose: :
To report initial results of retinal detachment surgery in patients who have perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL) used as a postoperative ocular endotamponade.
Methods: :
Retrospective case review of 2 eyes of 2 patients who underwent repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) complicated by proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Each patient underwent standard pars plana vitrectomy with membrane peeling accompanied by retained perfluoro–n–octane liquid, which was removed and replaced with gas two weeks later.
Results: :
The first patient was a 46–year–old male with a history of a previous retinal detachment repaired with scleral buckle. He then had retained PFCL at the time of surgery for a recurrent RRD with PVR. After PFCL removal two weeks later, his retina remained attached. The second patient was a 32–year–old female with a history of glaucoma and pars plana vitrectomy for aqueous misdirection. She then underwent placement of a glaucoma tube shunt and two weeks later presented with a RRD. This was repaired with vitrectomy and retained PFCL, and two weeks later the PFCL was replaced with gas. At her last follow up visit, there was some inferior subretinal fluid.
Conclusions: :
Perfluorocarbon liquids are predominantly used as an intraoperative tamponade in the setting of bullous retinal detachments or giant retinal tears. Their use as postoperative tamponade agents has been limited secondary to reports of adverse effects including photophobia, pain, hypotony, a severe inflammatory responses, a propensity towards emulsification, and corneal decompensation. The two patients described here appeared to tolerate the PFCL without significant adverse effects except for the formation of precipitates on the posterior lens capsule in one patient. The efficacy of this method is still unknown, as further studies involving more patients are required.
Keywords: retinal detachment • proliferative vitreoretinopathy • vitreous substitutes