Pneumatic retinopexy preceded by drainage of subretinal fluid for the treatment of severe bullous retinal detachment

A Useful Method for the Practice of Pneumatic Retinopexy: Slit-Lamp Laser Photocoagulation through the Gas Bubble

This study aimed to demonstrate the laser retinopexy method through the gas bubble under a slit-lamp biomicroscope using a wide-field contact lens to treat rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with pneumatic retinopexy (PR) and report its anatomical and functional results. This single-center, retrospective case series included RRD patients treated with PR using sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆). The demographics, preoperative factors, and anatomical and functional outcomes were collected from the patient files. The single-procedure success rate of PR at postoperative 6th months was 70.8% (17/24 eyes), and the final success rate after secondary surgeries was 100%. The BCVA was better in the successful PR eyes at postoperative 3rd (p = 0.011) and 6th month (p = 0.016) than in failed eyes. No single preoperative factor was associated with PR success. The single-procedure success rate of PR using the laser retinopexy method through the gas bubble with a wide-field contact lens system seems comparable to the PR literature.

Pneumatic retinopexy versus scleral buckle for repairing simple rhegmatogenous retinal detachments

BACKGROUND

A rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a separation of the neurosensory retina from the retinal pigment epithelium caused by a full-thickness break associated with vitreous traction. While pneumatic retinopexy (PR), scleral buckle (SB), and vitrectomy are all well-received surgical interventions for eyes with RRD, their relative effectiveness has remained controversial.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness and safety of PR versus SB or PR versus a combination treatment of SB and vitrectomy for people with RRD and to summarize any data on economic measures and quality of life.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL; which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register; 2021, Issue 3); Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; and four other databases on 11 March 2021. We used no date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included all randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of PR versus SB (with or without vitrectomy) for eyes with RRD.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

After screening for eligibility, two review authors independently extracted study characteristics, methods, and outcomes. We followed systematic review standards as set by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS

In this update, we identified and included one new randomized controlled trial. Together with two trials from the 2015 version of the review, we included three trials (276 eyes of 274 participants) comparing the effectiveness of PR versus SB. None compared PR versus a combined treatment of SB and vitrectomy.  Of the three trials, one was a small study (published in 1996) with 20 participants (20 eyes) enrolled in Ireland and followed for a mean of 16 months; the second (published in 1989) included 196 participants (198 eyes) in the US followed for at least six months, and the third (published in 2021) was conducted in Italy and enrolled 58 participants (58 eyes) with a follow-up of 12 months. Overall, poor reporting quality resulted in unclear or high risks of bias.  We found low-certainty evidence that PR may achieve retinal reattachment slightly less often than SB (risk ratio [RR] 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81 to 1.02; I² = 0%; 3 studies, 276 eyes). Eyes undergoing PR may also display a higher risk of recurrent retinal detachment (low-certainty evidence), but the RR estimates were very imprecise (RR 1.70, 95% CI 0.97 to 2.98; I² = 0%; 3 studies, 276 eyes). All three studies described the final visual acuity (VA) after the two procedures. However, the results were reported using different metrics and could not be combined. One study (196 participants) reported the proportion of eyes with a final VA of 20/40 or greater and favored PR (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.65; low-certainty evidence), whereas in the 2021 study, both groups showed an improvement in final VA and there was no evidence of a difference between the two (mean difference [MD] -0.03, 95% CI -0.25 to 0.19; low-certainty evidence). No study reported data on quality of life or economic measures. Postoperative safety outcomes generally favored PR versus SB (low/very low-certainty evidence); however, there was considerable uncertainty regarding the risk of any operative ocular adverse events (RR 0.55 CI 0.28 to 1.11; 276 eyes), glaucoma (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.01 to 7.46; 198 eyes), macular pucker (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.20 to 2.11; 256 eyes), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.30 to 2.96; 276 eyes), and persistent diplopia (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.03 to 2.09; 256 eyes). Eyes undergoing PR experienced fewer postoperative cataract developments (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.75; 153 eyes), choroidal detachments (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.57; 198 eyes), and myopic shift (RR 0.03, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.10; 256 eyes).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The current update confirms the findings of the previous review. PR may result in lower rates of reattachment and higher rates of recurrence than SB, but carries a lower burden of postoperative complications. The effects of these two procedures on other functional outcomes and quality of life remain uncertain. The available evidence remains insufficient and of low quality.

Pars plana vitrectomy, scleral buckle, and pneumatic retinopexy for the management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: a meta-analysis

We reviewed the literature on the efficacy and safety of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), scleral buckle (SB), and pneumatic retinopexy (PR) for the management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs). A systematic search was performed on three databases from inception to September 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing RRD management options were included. Meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. Eighteen RCTs and 2,751 eyes were included. For PPV versus SB, early postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) favored SB (weighted mean <1 month postoperatively: ~counting fingers for PPV versus ~20/260 for SB, P = 0.02), but differences were nonsignificant at other time points. There was no difference for primary reattachment (P = 0.08). PPV had a lower incidence of choroidal detachment (P = 0.004), hypotony (P = 0.01), and strabismus/diplopia (P = 0.04) but a higher incidence of iatrogenic breaks (P = 0.003) and cataract development/progression (P = 0.05) relative to SB. Combination management was nonsignificantly different relative to PPV alone for CDVA, complications and reattachment rate. In closing, PPV is associated with a slower visual recovery, but similar final visual acuity and primary reattachment rate relative to SB. Combination procedures did not improve primary reattachment rates or vision relative to standalone PPV. Heterogeneity was seen across the included trials, and further randomized trials are needed to reduce the uncertainty of these estimates.