Sutureless vitreoretinal surgery using a new 25-gauge transconjunctival system.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of vitreoretinal surgery using a new 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy system.


METHODS
Forty-one eyes of 41 consecutive patients were treated from July 2003 to October 2003. Diagnoses included diabetic vitreous hemorrhage (n = 19), diabetic tractional retinal detachment (n = 4), diabetic macular edema (n = 2), macular hole (n = 3), epiretinal membrane (n = 2), branch retinal vein occlusion (n = 3), central retinal vein occlusion (n = 1), vitreous opacity (n = 4), retinal detachment (n = 1), capsular block syndrome (n = 1), and submacular hemorrhage (n = 1). The procedure was combined with phacoemulsification in 14 eyes.


RESULTS
All except 3 patients were operated on under retrobulbar anesthesia only. Four cases required the superior sclerotomy to be converted to a 20-gauge procedure. The mean operation time was 33 minutes and the mean balanced salt solution used was 59 cc. The mean visual acuity improved rapidly during 3 to 4 weeks following 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy from 20/275 to 20/125, and then to 20/100 during the subsequent 5 months. Transient hypotony occurred in only 1 eye. Neither wound leakage nor infection was identified.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite some limitations in surgical indications, 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy appeared to increase the efficiency of vitrectomy and to facilitate postoperative visual recovery in various vitreoretinal diseases.
Department of Ophthalmology Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Young H
YH
Yoon
Deok-Soo
DS
Kim
June-Gone
JG
Kim
Jong-uk
JU
Hwang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000601:surgery*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000295:instrumentation*