title: Gas-mediated vitreomacular adhesion release with intravitral ranibizumab injections for exudative age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficiency of gas-assisted vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) release combined with intravitreal ranibizumab injections for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective, interventional case series included a total of 23 eyes of 22 patients. The eyes were treated with intravitreal injection of 0.3 mL of perfluoropropane (C3F8) gas and concomitant intravitreal ranibizumab injection to stimulate VMA release. After three initial loading injections, additional intravitreal ranibizumab injections were performed pro re nata. Over a 12-month period, monthly examinations were performed for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, logMAR; logarithm of the minimum angle resolution), optical coherence tomography, and dilated fundus examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After gas injection, 22 eyes (95.7 %) showed complete VMA release at 1 week. Complete VMA was achieved in all eyes at 2 months after VMA release, without serious ocular adverse events except one patient who developed a retinal tear. Mean BCVA was 0.61 ± 0.37 logMAR (20/81 Snellen equivalents) at baseline and 0.46 ± 0.30 logMAR (20/57 Snellen equivalents) at 12 months (P = 0.135). Mean central macular thickness was 357.9 ± 128.6 μm at baseline and 245.6 ± 60.0 μm at 12 months (P = 0.188). Mean numbers of intravitreal ranibizumab injections were 4.8 ± 2.4 times during 12 months (4 to 8 injections).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gas-assisted VMA release can be used as an efficient alternative for exudative AMD patients with obvious VMA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Catholic Kwandong University, International St. Mary's Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea.|Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Yonsei Bon Ophthalmology clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Myung-Gok Eye Research Institute, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chul Gu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Jee
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Republic of Korea. hjkoh@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Hyoung Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010420:Pentanes
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C008806:perfluoropentane; D010420:Pentanes
keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; Perfluoropropane; Posterior vitreous detachment; Vitreomacular adhesion; Vitreomacular traction