Inverted pneumatic retinopexy: a method of treating retinal detachments associated with inferior retinal breaks.
OBJECTIVE
To introduce the new approach of inverted pneumatic retinopexy for the management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments with inferior retinal breaks.


METHODS
Retrospective, noncomparative case series.


METHODS
Eleven patients presenting with rhegmatogenous retinal detachments with causative inferior retinal breaks.


METHODS
Sterile gas/air injection, cryopexy/laser retinopexy, with inverted positioning.


METHODS
Postoperative primary and final anatomical outcome, visual acuity, and complications.


RESULTS
Patients were followed for a minimum of 3 months (mean, 5.1 months). Primary retinal reattachment was obtained in 10 of 11(91%) patients. One patient sustained a redetachment secondary to proliferative vitreoretinopathy, resulting in a single operation reattachment rate of 82%. Final reattachment was obtained in 11 of 11 (100%) patients. Mean visual acuity improved about 3 lines from 20/60 to 20/30, with 11 of 11 patients experiencing improvement in their visual acuity. Two patients required an additional surgical procedure to achieve final anatomic success. No new breaks were identified in the postoperative period, and no complications resulted from the pneumatical procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
Inverted pneumatic retinopexy can successfully repair retinal detachments with inferior retinal breaks under appropriate conditions.
Chang
Tom S
TS
Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California, 1450 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Pelzek
Christopher D
CD
Nguyen
Randall L
RL
Purohit
Surendar S
SS
Scott
Garrett R
GR
Hay
Dawn
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018475:Head-Down Tilt; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D016684:Prone Position; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000601:surgery*; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005466:Fluorocarbons; C042852:perflutren; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride