title: Topical aqueous suppression does not significantly affect duration of intraocular gas tamponade after vitrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if topical aqueous suppression affects the duration of intraocular sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas tamponade after pars plana vitrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted on patients undergoing 23-gauge sutured pars plana vitrectomy with air-fluid exchange and 20% SF6 gas tamponade. Eyes were randomly assigned to receive either postoperative topical dorzolamide 2%-timolol 0.5% twice a day or no additional drops (control group). Standard postoperative topical antibiotics and corticosteroids were used by all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 21 patients were recruited for the study. Four were excluded because of noncompliance with use of dorzolamide-timolol. In the remaining 17 patients, 8 were randomly assigned to the dorzolamide-timolol group and 9 to the control group. Topical dorzolamide-timolol drops twice a day did not affect the duration of SF6 gas tamponade after pars plana vitrectomy (17.1 vs. 18.1 days with no drops, P = 0.35). The difference in mean gas duration was -1.0 days with a 95% confidence interval of -3.2 days to 1.2 days. Secondary analyses did not reveal a difference in SF6 duration based on lens status, presence of diabetes or hypertension, vitrectomy versus combined buckle with vitrectomy, or patient age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Topical aqueous suppression with dorzolamide-timolol does not have a large effect on duration of SF6 gas tamponade after pars plana vitrectomy.
authors: Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Chirag P
authors: CP
authors: Shah
authors: Jason
authors: J
authors: Hsu
authors: Marc J
authors: MJ
authors: Spirn
authors: Larry
authors: L
authors: Donoso
authors: Sunir J
authors: SJ
authors: Garg
mesh_terms: D060433:Administration, Ophthalmic; D000368:Aged; D004338:Drug Combinations; D058450:Endotamponade / Q000379:methods*; D005740:Gases / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000601:surgery; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000601:surgery; D012591:Scleral Buckling / Q000379:methods; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013999:Timolol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D005740:Gases; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013876:Thiophenes; C479140:dorzolamide-timolol combination; D013999:Timolol; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride