CURRENT VISUAL AND ANATOMIC OUTCOMES OF PNEUMATIC RETINOPEXY

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess current visual and anatomic outcomes of pneumatic retinopexy (PR) for the repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD). METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 150 patients who underwent PR for RD between January 2000 and February 2005. Patients with a history of scleral buckling, Lincoff balloon, or proliferative diabetic retinopathy in the same eye were excluded. RESULTS: Successful reattachment was achieved in 76.7% with a single procedure and 98.7% after additional procedures. A total of 17.3% underwent a subsequent procedure for a new or persistent tear. The success rate remained consistent in pseudophakic and aphakic eyes, and eyes with traumatic detachments, macular detachment, multiple breaks, poor preoperative visual acuity (VA) (<20/50), superior and inferior lattice degeneration, >or=6 clock hours of detachment, and prior pars plana vitrectomy. A total of 2.7% of eyes underwent a second additional procedure for RD. A total of 32% of males versus 15.3% of females underwent an additional procedure for RD (P = 0.07). Final VA >or=20/50 was achieved in 80.8% of macula-on and 73.6% of macula-off RDs. Of eyes that underwent an additional procedure, final VA >or=20/50 was achieved in 63.2% of macula-on and 43.8% of macula-off RDs, and those with macula-on RD lost a mean of 1.79 (+/-4.9) lines of Snellen VA, while those with macula-off RD gained a mean of 5.6 (+/-4.6) lines (P = 0.00006). CONCLUSIONS: : PR had a high anatomic success rate in eyes with a wide variety of complicated RDs. Male sex may be a risk factor for failed PR. Careful monitoring and treatment of postoperative tears is important in preventing redetachment.