Comparison Between Silicone Oil and Gas in Tamponading Giant Retinal Breaks

Risk factors and management of primary giant retinal tears

PURPOSE

To describe clinical characteristics and management in a large cohort of patients with retinal detachment due to a giant retinal tear (GRT).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study with 222 eyes of 206 patients with a primary and non-traumatic GRTs between 2005 and 2022. We analysed the relevant clinical and surgical data from these patients.

RESULTS

Eighty-six per cent (n = 177) of patients were male. We observed no relation between refractive error and GRT size (Spearman's rho: r = -0.018, p = 0.83). We achieved a primary and final treatment success in 77%, respectively 92%, of eyes. The final visual outcome was 20/40 or better in 65% and 36% of eyes in fovea-on and fovea-off GRTs respectively. Thirty-five per cent (n = 73) of patients developed a retinal detachment in the fellow eye. The median time until a retinal detachment in the fellow eye occurred after GRT was 20 months, and 10% developed within 1 month. A prediction model for the development of retinal detachment in the fellow eye resulted in a receiver operating characteristics curve with an area under the curve of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.57-0.78, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We observed a highly significant gender imbalance in patients with a non-traumatic GRT. One third of patients developed a retinal detachment bilaterally. Ten per cent of fellow eye's retinal detachment that develop after GRT, occur within 1 month. Clinical parameters showed limited predictive value for a retinal detachment in the fellow eye. These findings suggest an underlying genetic factor.

Management of macula-on giant retinal tear detachments- outcome of pars-plana-vitrectomy with silicone oil versus gas tamponade

BACKGROUND

To compare the outcome of eyes with a macula-on giant retinal tear (GRT) detachment treated with pars-plana-vitrectomy (PPV) depending on the used endotamponade.

METHODS

All consecutive cases with a macula-on GRT-associated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) managed with PPV between 2007 and 2022 were retrospectively assessed depending on the selected endotamponade. By reviewing medical charts and surgical protocols the pre- and intraoperative parameters were analysed in detail. The number of vitreoretinal (VR) procedures needed for reattachment, the redetachment rate and the functional outcome were evaluated. Eyes treated with primary silicone oil (SO) tamponade were compared to eyes with primary gas tamponade. Cases with pre-existing conditions affecting outcome e.g. macula-off situation, history of trauma, status after complicated cataract surgery, former VR surgery or proliferative vitreoretinopathy grade C or higher were excluded.

RESULTS

Overall, 51 eyes of 45 patients with a macula-on GRT detachment were treated with PPV and SO (n = 32; 63%) or gas (n = 19; 37%) endotamponade in the observed period. Eyes with primary SO tamponade underwent on average 2.3 (SD 0.8) VR procedures and had a redetachment rate of 13% (n = 4). Eyes with gas tamponade showed a higher redetachment rate of 32% (n = 6) with a mean number of 1.6 (SD 1.0) PPV procedures. Postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was significantly better in eyes with primary gas tamponade (mean logMAR BCVA 0.32; SD 0.30) compared to eyes with SO (mean logMAR BCVA 0.60; SD 0.42; p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical management of GRT-associated RRDs is complex. In clinical routine often SO is used as endotamponade. Because of known disadvantages (second procedure necessary for SO removal, unexplained SO-related visual loss, secondary glaucoma, SO emulsification) some VR surgeons prefer a gas tamponade. In our cohort, eyes with a gas compared to SO tamponade showed higher redetachment rates. However, the final postoperative BCVA was significantly better in eyes with gas compared to SO tamponade.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial protocol was approved by the local ethics committee on 25th of November 2022 (Ethikkommission der Universität Regensburg, Votum 22-3166-104).

Retinal Detachment Associated With Giant Retinal Tears: Surgical Management and Outcomes in the Past 2 Decades

Purpose: To describe the surgical outcomes of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs) associated with giant retinal tears (GRTs) and define factors associated with primary anatomic failure. Methods: This retrospective consecutive study comprised primary GRT-RRD surgeries between 1999 and 2021 at a single institution. Exclusion criteria were a follow-up of less than 3 months and incomplete surgical data. Results: The series included 69 eyes (64 patients). Single-surgery anatomic success (SSAS) was achieved in 75% and final anatomic success (FAS) in 90%. The mean logMAR visual acuity improved from 1.5 ± 1.1 to 0.6 ± 0.9. Preoperative factors significantly associated with redetachment were proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) (odds ratio [OR], 6.2; P < .01), hypotony (OR, 13.6; P < .01), and a 180-degree or larger GRT (OR, 3.3; P = .04). All cases were treated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and perfluoro-N-octane (PFCL). Perfluoropropane (C3F8) was used in 59% and silicone oil in 41%; the redetachment rate was significantly lower in gas cases (15% vs 39%) (P = .02). An encircling band, placed in 84% eyes, had a tendency to reduce redetachment (22% vs 36%) (P = .32). Lensectomy was performed in 61% of phakic eyes, with no effect on redetachment (20% vs 21%) (P = .92). On multivariate analysis, PVR and hypotony were significantly associated with redetachment. Conclusions: PPV with PFCL achieved high SSAS and FAS rates. PVR and hypotony were the main preoperative factors associated with anatomic failure. In cases without PVR, C3F8 tamponade significantly increased SSAS. Encircling scleral buckling showed a nonsignificant tendency toward an increase in SSAS. Lensectomy had no effect on SSAS.

Applications of Human Amniotic Membrane Patching Assisted Vitrectomy in the Management of Postoperative PVR in Complex Retinal Detachments

Human amniotic membranes (hAMs) are extraembryonic tissues currently employed in the treatment of many ocular and systemic diseases. Several reports indicate that hAMs can suppress the signaling pathway of tissue growth factor beta (TGF-β), a cytokine that plays a major role in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) through the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in exposed retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a modified vitrectomy procedure (hAMP-V) involving the extensive coverage of exposed RPE with hAM patches to prevent postoperative PVR in a series of 15 cases of retinal detachment complicated by severe preoperatory PVR. The primary outcome was to assess the rate of successful retinal reattachment of a single hAMP-V procedure at 6 months from silicone oil removal. Secondary outcomes included the collection of intraoperative data concerning the quantity, size, and scope of hAM patches, and the assessment of postoperative improvements in mean LogMar BCVA at 3 and 6 months. Successful retinal reattachment was obtained in 14 out of 15 eyes (93.3%). Surgical failure due to major recurrence of PVR occurred in 1 out of 15 eyes (6.7%). Postoperative improvements in mean LogMar BCVA were statistically significant (p < 0.05, paired t-test). No intraoperative and postoperative adverse effects were reported. The study helped to refine the surgical technique while also offering cues for future improvements.

Complications associated with the use of silicone oil in vitreoretinal surgery: A systemic review and meta-analysis

Silicone oil (SO) still represents the main choice for long-term intraocular tamponade in complicated vitreoretinal surgery. This review compared the complications associated with the use of SO and other vitreous substitutes after pars plana vitrectomy in patients with different underlying diseases. Meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We retrieved randomized clinical trials (RCTs), retrospective case-control and cohort studies evaluating the risk of using SO, published between 1994 and 2020, conducting a computer-based search of the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase. Primary outcome was the rate of complications such as intraocular hypertension, retinal re-detachment, unexpected vision loss or hypotony. Secondary outcome was to compare the rate of adverse events of different SO viscosities, especially emulsification. Forty-three articles were included. There were significant differences in intraocular hypertension (p = 0.0002, OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.27-2.18) and the rate of retinal re-detachment (p < 0.0009, OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.50-0.64) between SO and other agents, including placebo. However, there were no differences in other complication rates. Silicone oil (SO)-emulsification rate was non-significantly higher in low than high SO viscosity, and results from other complications were comparable in both groups. The high quality of most of the studies included in this study is noteworthy, which provides some certainty to the conclusions. Among them is the high variability of the SO residence time. The fact that ocular hypertension and not hypotension is related to SO use. A clear relationship is not found for the so-called unexplained vision loss, which affects a significant percentage of eyes. Re-detachment cases are less if SO is used and that surprisingly there does not seem to be a relationship in the percentage of emulsification between the low- and high-viscosity silicones. All these data warrant more standardized prospective studies.

Assessment of the Retinal Toxicity and Sealing Strength of Tissue Adhesives

PURPOSE

The purpose of this in vitro prospective nonrandomized study is to compare the toxicity and strength of cyanoacrylate and hydrogel adhesives on human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and porcine retina, respectively.

METHODS

The toxicity of cyanoacrylate (histoacryl, dermabond, superglue), ReSure PEG, and Tisseel fibrin glue on human RPE cells was determined by growing RPE cells in vitro, applying the different adhesives to the cells, and monitoring for disruption of growth over 3 days. The relative strength of these adhesives was tested by gluing a 3 mm piece of foam to a porcine retina and determining the amount of force needed to break the attachment.

RESULTS

0.085 N of force was required to break the porcine retinal tissue (p = .913). Histoacryl adhesive exhibited high strength (0.247 N) and high RPE toxicity (0.55 mm inhibition zone after 24 hrs). The strength of Tisseel fibrin glue was 0.078 N while that of ReSure was only 0.053 N. Both Tisseel and ReSure were nontoxic to the RPE cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Tisseel VH fibrin sealant may provide the best option for sealing retinal breaks because of its high strength and low retinal toxicity.

Contemporary Management of Complex and Non-Complex Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Due to Giant Retinal Tears

Purpose

To investigate the clinical features and surgical outcomes of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) associated with giant retinal tears (GRTs) at a tertiary referral center.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective, non-consecutive interventional case series of GRT-associated RRDs that underwent primary surgical repair at the University of Michigan W.K. Kellogg Eye Center between January 1, 2011 and July 1, 2020. Clinical characteristics and preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data were collected.

Results

Forty-eight eyes of 47 patients with GRT-associated RRDs met inclusion criteria, including those that were children (under 12 years, N=4, 8.3%), associated with a history of trauma (N=20, 41.7%) or with grade C proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR-C) (N=7, 14.6%) at baseline. Median age was 46 years (interquartile range (IQR): 29 years, range: 4 to 72 years), median follow-up was 28 months (IQR: 43 months, range: 3-124 months), and 83.3% (N=40) of subjects were male. Primary surgical repair for GRT-associated RRDs included pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) (N=40, 83.3%), scleral buckle (SB) (N=1, 2.1%), or combined PPV/SB (N=7, 14.6%). Surgical approach commonly involved the use of perfluorocarbon liquid (N=43, 90%) and gas tamponade (N=39, 81%). Single surgery anatomic success (SSAS) was 75% (95% CI: 60%, 85%) at 3 months and 65% (95 CI: 47%, 78%) at 2 years. Final anatomic success was achieved in all 48 eyes (100%). Median visual acuity improved from 20/250 preoperatively to 20/60 at final follow-up, with 44% (N=20) of eyes achieving postoperative visual acuity of 20/40 or better.

Conclusion

In this series from a tertiary referral center, both complex and non-complex GRT-associated RRDs were most commonly managed with PPV alone, perfluorocarbon liquid, and gas tamponade with favorable final anatomic and visual outcomes comparable to other modern GRT series.