The Factors Influencing to the Results of Pneumatic Retinopexy

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the preoperative factors influencing results of pneumatic retinopexy in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively the preoperative and postoperative retinal findings, visual results, postoperative complications in 98 eyes of 98 patients who had undergone pneumatic retinopexy and followed for at least 3 months. RESULTS: Postoperatively visual acuity improved in 46 out of 59 patients whose preoperative visual acuity was equal to or less than 0.08, and in 20 out of 27 patients whose preoperative visual acuity was equal to or less than 0.5. The success rate of initial surgery was 75.5% and the final reattachment rate 99.0%. The anatomic success rate of each group did not differ in terms of the duration of retinal detachment, the size or quadrantal location of retinal break. The success rate was decreased when retinal detachment was broader or retinal breaks were multiple, although the difference was not statistically significant. The success rate was significantly lower when retinal break was located posterior to the equator than when retinal break was located on or anterior to the equator (40.0% vs 80.3%, 70.4%) (p=0.02). The main causes of failure in primary retinal reattachment were as follows reopened retinal break in 8 eyes, new retinal break in 7 eyes, delayed absorption or shift of subretinal fluid in 5 eyes, proliferative vitreoretinopathy in 2 eyes, subretinal gas in 1 eye and endophthalmitis in 1 eye. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that the axial location of retinal break was the only preoperative factor influencing the success rate of pneumatic retinopexy. However, other factors may not be completely ruled out as influence factors for success rate considering the small number of patients in our study. Further study including larger series will be needed.