The Safety and Efficacy of Transconjunctival Sutureless 23-gauge Vitrectomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitreoretinal surgery using a 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) system for various vitreoretinal diseases. METHODS: A retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series was performed for 40 eyes of 40 patients. The patients underwent vitreoretinal procedures using the 23-gauge TSV system, including idiopathic epiretinal membrane (n=7), vitreous hemorrhage (n=11), diabetic macular edema (n=10), macular hole (n=5), vitreomacular traction syndrome (n=5), diabetic tractional retinal detachment (n=1), and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (n=1). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and intra- and post-operative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Intraoperative suture placement was necessary in 3 eyes (7.5%). The median BCVA improved from 20/400 (LogMAR, 1.21+/-0.63) to 20/140 (LogMAR, 0.83+/-0.48) at 1 week (p=0.003), 20/100 (LogMAR, 0.85+/-0.65) at 1 month (p=0.002), 20/100 (LogMAR, 0.73+/-0.6) at 3 months (p=0.001). In 1 eye, IOP was 5 mmHg at 2 hours and 4 mmHg at 5 hours, but none of the eyes showed hypotony after 1 postoperative day. No serous postoperative complications were observed during a mean follow-up of 8.4+/-3.4 months (range 3-13 months) CONCLUSIONS: The 23-gauge TSV system shows promise as an effective and safe technique for a variety of vitreoretinal procedures. It appears to be a less traumatic, more convenient alternative to 20-gauge vitrectomy in some indications.

Topical Anesthesia Combined with Patient-Controlled Sedation Analgesia (PCSA) for Posterior Vitrectomy

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of topical anesthesia combined with patient-controlled sedation analgesia for posterior vitrectomy. METHODS: All patients requiring vitrectomy from December 2003 to January 2004 at Seoul National University Hospital underwent surgery with topical anesthesia combined with patient-controlled sedation analgesia. The levels of intraoperative pain and sedation were recorded. The associations of operation time, combined vitreoretinal procedures, and age with intraoperative pain were investigated. Hemodynamic instability and respiratory depression were checked throughout the operation. RESULTS: Forty-three patients (53 eyes) underwent vitrectomy under topical anesthesia combined with patient-controlled sedation analgesia. The mean age was 51.75 +/- 13.68 years and the sex ratio was 25: 28 (male: female). The mean of VAS (visual analogue scale) was 53.61 (5 ~ 67). The level of intraoperative sedation was grade 1 (64%) or 2 (36%). No anesthesia-associated complications were found. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of relatively high VAS, there were no remarkable difficulties in performing posterior vitrectomy and appropriate levels of intraoperative sedation and cooperation were available without anesthesia-associated complications.