ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL RETINAL DETACHMENT AND REATTACHMENT MODEL USING MICROPIPETTING IN CATS / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

To establish a model of experimental retinal detachment and reattachment, extracapsular lens extraction and vitrectomy were performed in 78 adult cats. After three weeks, a glass micropipette with a flat tip (diameter 150～200?m) was inserted between the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) monolayer. Retinal detachments were produced by subretinal injection of 0.25% solution of Healon through this micropipette. Twenty～four hours later, detached retinas were reattached by air-fluid exchange and subretinal fluid drainage with a glass micropipette. Then 30% perfluoropropane (C 3F 8) gas temponade was porfomed. Retinal detachment was successfully made in 93.6%(73/78), and 97.1%(33/34)of the detached retinas were successfully reattached. By light microscopy, histologic sections showed that seperated retina located between RPE cells and photoreceptors, and neural retina contacted to RPE cells closely in reattached retinas. In conclusion, by using micropuncture, we have established an animal model of retinal detachment and reattachment with minimum injury to the retina, and a high rate of retinal detachment and reattachment were obtained.