title: Effect of arteriovenous sheathotomy on retinal blood flow and macular edema in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of arteriovenous sheathotomy on retinal blood flow (RBF) in eyes with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven eyes of 7 patients with BRVO underwent sheathotomy and were followed for more than 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 1 week postoperatively, the RBF in the affected vessels was significantly improved from 14.1 +/- 5.7 to 27.3 +/- 11.3 pixel(2)/sec (P < 0.01), and the foveal thickness (FT) was significantly reduced from 536 +/- 84 to 366 +/- 134 microm (P = 0.03). However, the RBF was reduced again to 11.7 +/- 7.7 pixel(2)/sec at 1 month postoperatively, and the FT was increased to 424 +/- 184 microm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arteriovenous sheathotomy led to a transient improvement of the RBF and was effective in reducing macular edema. It is not clear whether the transient effect of sheathotomy affects the long-term visual acuity and macular edema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fujita Health University, School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan. naoichi@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naoichi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horio
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000601:surgery*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000502:physiology; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000502:physiology; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000503:physiopathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity