Pneumatic retinopexy. Surgical results
M. A. Lowe, H. R. McDonald, R. V. Campo, D. S. Boyer and H. Schatz
Department of Ophthalmology, Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center, San Francisco, CA.
We reviewed 55 consecutive cases of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment
treated with pneumatic retinopexy. Eyes with inferior retinal breaks from
the 4- to 8-o'clock positions or macular holes with retinal detachment were
excluded. Forty-five eyes (82%) were reattached with one operation.
Although ten operations failed, nine retinas were subsequently reattached
surgically, a 98% overall reattachment rate. Thirty-three (92%) of 36
phakic eyes, eight (66%) of 12 pseudophakic eyes, and four (57%) of seven
aphakic retinas were reattached with one operation. In macula-off cases,
phakic patients tended to have greater improvement in visual acuity. New
breaks occurred in six eyes (11%), five (83%) of which were pseudophakic or
aphakic. The safety, efficacy, and indications for pneumatic retinopexy
remain to be established by a randomized, controlled, prospective study.
