title: Patching retinal breaks with Seprafilm for treating retinal detachments in humans: 9 years of follow-up.
abstract: PurposeTo describe the long-term surgical outcomes of four patients treated for retinal detachment using Seprafilm as a novel technique.MethodsRetinal breaks in four eyes were covered with Seprafilm using a transvitreal approach after cataract surgery, pars plana vitrectomy, fluid-air exchange, and laser photocoagulation. Neither long-standing gas nor silicone oil was used. The patients were not instructed to maintain a specific head positioning postoperatively.ResultsSuccessful retinal reattachment was achieved with a single surgery in all four eyes, and none developed proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The mean best-corrected visual acuity preoperatively and 9 years postoperatively were 20/97 and 20/33, respectively. The intraocular pressure increased several days postoperatively that lasted no longer than 2 weeks. Visual field defects either in the inferonasal or inferotemporal quadrant were detected postoperatively. The mean electroretinogram a- and b-wave amplitude ratios of the operated eyes to the fellow eyes were 0.68 and 0.64 preoperatively and 0.87 and 0.92 postoperatively, respectively. The mean corneal endothelial cell density was 2365 cells/mm2preoperatively and 2592 cells/mm2postoperatively.ConclusionCovering retinal breaks with Seprafilm may promote retinal reattachment without gas tamponade and postoperative head positioning. The visual outcomes 9 years postoperatively showed no apparent adverse effects of intraocular application of Seprafilm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kurume University, School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haruta
authors.affiliation: Arai Eye Clinic, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.affiliation: Sueda Eye Clinic, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sueda
authors.affiliation: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kurume University, School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C118198:Seprafilm; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid