[Complications of preventive cryoretinopexy in retinal foramina and degeneration in 1,000 eyes].
BACKGROUND
Prophylactic treatment of full-thickness retinal breaks is widely accepted. The side effects and benefits of prophylactic treatment, however, have to be considered critically. The complication rates of prophylactic procedures must be compared. The aim of our study was to find out the complication rate of cryopexy in prophylactic retinal surgery.


METHODS
Retrospectively we analyzed 1000 eyes of 746 patients who were prophylactically treated by cryopexy for different reasons. We included eyes with round holes, horse shoe tears and peripheral degenerations. Follow-up time ranged from 6 months to 7 years (average 30 months).


RESULTS
Further surgical treatment was necessary in 3.4% of the patients (1.8% had a second cryopexy, 0.1% needed laser coagulation, and in 1.5% a subsequent scleral buckling procedure was necessary. In 17.6% of these cases (0.6% of all cases) the retinal detachment occurred in the periphery of the primary cryopexy after more than 1 year. In all our patients we did not find postoperative macular pucker or cystoid macular edema.


CONCLUSIONS
The complication rate of cryopexy performed for the treatment of retinal holes and degeneration is low. This method has to be regarded as a therapeutic tool in the prophylactic treatment of (dangerous) retinal areas.
Reuter
U
U
Medizinisches Zentrum für Augenheilkunde, Philipps-Universität Marburg.
Gerding
H
H
Kroll
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000601:surgery*; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012591:Scleral Buckling
Komplikationen der prophylaktischen Kryoretinopexie bei Netzhautforamina und -degenerationen in 1000 Augen.