Comparison of 20-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy with conventional vitrectomy.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of a transconjunctival sutureless technique for pars plana vitrectomy using conventional 20-gauge instruments versus the conventional technique.


METHODS
Clinical data were reviewed retrospectively for a consecutive series of patients who underwent transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV; 38 eyes of 37 patients) and a control group who underwent vitrectomy using the conventional technique (38 eyes of 38 patients).


RESULTS
Eighty-nine of 107 sclerotomies (83.2%) in the TSV group self-sealed without the need for sutures. The TSV group showed earlier visual improvement from baseline, as early as 7 postoperative days, compared with 60 days in the conventional group. This was attributed to less surgically induced astigmatism in the TSV group; mean astigmatism at baseline and postoperative days 7, 30, and 90 was -1.05 diopter (D), -2.53 D, -1.32 D, and -1.09 D, respectively, in the TSV group and -1.09 D, -3.91 D (P = 0.0285), -2.57 D (P = 0.0203), and -1.18 D, respectively, in the conventional group. No serious complications were observed in either group, including postoperative hypotony, wound leakage, or endophthalmitis.


CONCLUSIONS
The 20-gauge TSV technique is as effective as the conventional technique and offers earlier postoperative recovery.
Lee
Joo Eun
JE
Department of Ophthalmology, Maryknoll Medical Center, Busan, Korea. jooeun2@korea.com
Kim
Kyeong Hwan
KH
Kim
Ivana K
IK
Jea
Seung Youn
SY
Kim
Wan Soo
WS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods*