Influence of sutureless 23-gauge sclerotomy architecture on postoperative intraocular pressure decrease: results of a multivariate analysis

Comparison of postoperative ciliary body changes associated with the use of 23-gauge and 20-gauge system for pars plana vitrectomy

Background

To compare the ciliary body changes associated with the use of 23-gauge (23G) and 20-gauge (20G) systems for pars plana vitrectomy.

Methods

A total of 60 patients (60 eyes) with idiopathic epiretinal membrane who were scheduled for surgical treatment were selected and randomly assigned to 20G group or 23G group. Time required for incision making, vitrectomy, and incision closure was compared between the two groups. Changes in ciliary body were evaluated by ultrasound microscopy (UBM). Anterior chamber inflammation was assessed with laser flare meter instrument.

Results

Incision-making time (4.5 ± 0.9 min) and incision-closure time (2.8 ± 0.7 min) in the 23G group were significantly shorter than those in the 20G group (10.1 ± 1.5 min and 11.3 ± 2.2 min, respectively). No significant intergroup difference was observed with respect to time required for vitrectomy (21.6 ± 3.3 min and 20.7 ± 3.2 min, respectively). Ciliary body thickness in the 23G group recovered back to preoperative levels after 4 weeks, as against 8 weeks in the 20G group. Postoperative ciliary body thickness in the 20G group was significantly higher than that in the 23G group (p < 0.05). The aqueous protein concentration in 23G group recovered back to preoperative levels after 2 weeks, as against 4 weeks in the 20G group. Postoperative aqueous protein concentration in the 20G group was significantly higher than that in the 23G group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The use of 23G system was associated with significantly milder injury to the ciliary body as compared to that associated with the use of 20G system.

Trial registration

The study was retrospectively registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. The clinical study registration number was ChiCTR-INR-17011082. Date of registration: 2017-04-07.

Influence of silicone oil tamponade on self-sealing sclerotomy using 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy: a retrospective comparative study

Background

Characteristic complications have been reported for transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy, such as postoperative sclerotomy leakage and postoperative hypotony. Particular attention to sclerotomy closure is required in cases of silicone oil tamponade, because postoperative supplementation of silicone oil implies reoperation, whereas postoperative supplement of gas is comparatively easy. This study investigated sclerotomy closure in cases of silicone oil tamponade using 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy.

Methods

We enrolled 19 consecutive eyes with silicone oil injection (Group A, self-sealing sclerotomies, n = 10) (Group B, sutured sclerotomies, n = 9) and 10 eyes with silicone oil removal (Group C, self-sealing sclerotomies) using 25-gauge TSV. Postoperative intraocular pressure was compared between Groups A and B, and between Groups A and C using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), one-way factorial ANOVA, and the Tukey-Kramer test.

Results

No significant differences in age or axial length were seen among groups, but surgical time differed significantly between Group C and the other groups. Mean duration of silicone oil tamponade was 3.2 ± 1.4 months in Group C, and no sclerotomies in Group A or C required suture placement. Postoperative silicone oil leakage to the subconjunctival space was not encountered in Group A. No cases showed postoperative hypotony (defined as intraocular pressure <5 mmHg). Significant differences in intraocular pressure within the same postoperative period were not identified between Groups A and B. Conversely, significant differences in intraocular pressure within the same postoperative period were identified at postoperative days 1 and 2, although not at postoperative week 1 or postoperative month 1 between Groups A and C.

Conclusions

The procedure for sclerotomy closure seems to have little influence on postoperative intraocular pressure in eyes with silicone oil tamponade using 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy, because silicone oil tamponade may avoid postoperative hypotony by decreasing sclerotomy leakage in the early postoperative period.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12886-015-0159-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparison of Clinical Features After 20-Gauge Vitrectomy Versus 23-Gauge Vitrectomy

PURPOSE

To compare the clinical features after 20-gauge (20G) versus 23-gauge (23G) pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

DESIGN

This was a prospective observational study.

METHODS

Patients who underwent 20G or 23G PPV participated in the study. Sutures were used in all patients who had 20G and as necessary in patients who had 23G. All patients were examined with ultrasound biomicroscopy and tonometry for intraocular pressure (IOP) preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months.

RESULTS

Forty-nine eyes underwent 20G PPV and 97 eyes underwent 23G PPV. Hypotony appeared more frequently in the 23G group (9 patients of 97, 9%) than in the 20G group (1 patient of 49, 2%) 1 day after surgery. Mean IOP was statistically significantly lower in the 23G group 1 day after surgery (P = 0.000). Postoperatively, choroidal detachment (CD) was found in both the 23G group (22/97, 23%) and the 20G group (1/49, 2%). In the 23G group, the mean IOP of eyes with CD was significantly lower than those without CD. There was no statistically significant difference in vitreous incarceration between the 2 groups (P = 0.317).

CONCLUSIONS

Choroidal detachment and hypotony were common complications in the early stages after 23G PPV. The incidence of postoperative vitreous incarceration was similar in both groups.

Investigation of postoperative intraocular pressure in cases of silicone oil removal using 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy with oblique incisions

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) in cases of silicone oil (SO) removal when using 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) with oblique incisions.

Methods

We enrolled ten consecutive eyes with SO removal (SO group) and eleven consecutive eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) as the initial vitrectomy (ERM group) in cases using 25-gauge TSV with oblique incisions. Postoperative IOPs were compared between the two groups at each of the four examination periods.

Results

No significant differences were identified in any of the periods examined.

Conclusion

The use of 25-gauge TSV with oblique incisions resulted in almost equivalent postoperative IOPs between cases with SO removal and idiopathic ERM as the initial operation. Self-sealing sclerotomy in 25-gauge TSV with oblique incisions may primarily involve the valve architecture, and be complemented by vitreous incarceration.

Comparison of two scleral incision techniques in 23-gauge transconjunctival vitrectomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To compare two 23-gauge transconjunctival vitrectomy incision techniques, parallel and perpendicular to the alignment of scleral fibers, in terms of hypotony and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-three eyes of 53 patients who underwent 23-gauge one-step trocar pars plana vitrectomy were randomly assigned to undergo scleral incision parallel (group 1, 26 eyes) or perpendicular (group 2, 27 eyes) to the limbus. Patients were observed postoperatively for wound healing, leakage, endophthalmitis, IOP, and hypotony at 1 day, 1 week, and 1, 3, 6, and 9 months.

RESULTS

No difference in preoperative IOP was observed (P = .229). Postoperative IOP was significantly lower in group 2 (P = .009). Hypotony rates did not differ between the groups. Intraocular gas or silicone tamponade was used intraoperatively in 26 cases. In cases in which no gas or silicone was given (n = 27), IOP measurements were significantly lower in group 2 (P = .021). There was no difference in hypotony ratios for gas/silicone injection versus no injection (P = 1.00) or in postoperative visual acuity (P = .350). Visual acuity improved significantly in both groups at follow-up examinations.

CONCLUSION

Parallel and perpendicular incisions resulted in similar postoperative hypotony rates, but perpendicular incisions were associated with lower IOP.