Endoscopy-guided subretinal fluid drainage in vitrectomy for retinal detachment.

PURPOSE

To study the usefulness of endoscopy-guided subretinal fluid drainage in pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

PARTICIPANTS/METHODS: A prospective non-comparative study of a small number of RRD cases. The study involved examining 10 eyes of 10 patients with RRD that received PPV. Two eyes had hazy corneas, which hindered the observation by surgical microscopy. Fluid-gas exchange was performed and then subretinal fluid was drained through a primary retinal break guided by an endoscope. No drainage retinotomy was made. Each clinical feature was studied and the surgical outcome and complications were evaluated.

RESULTS

All eyes had retinal reattachment by a single operation. No serious complication related to surgery was experienced.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopy-guided subretinal fluid drainage is the safe and effective procedure in PPV for RRD.