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Valérie Le Tien, MD; Vincent Pierre-Kahn, MD; Frédéric Azan, MD; Gilles Renard, MD; Dominique Chauvaud, MD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(1):98-101.

Objective  To report a novel surgical procedure to displace retained subfoveal perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL).

Methods  Retrospective cases series. Three patients had retained subfoveal droplets after PFCL was used in vitrectomy repair of retinal detachment. In each case, submacular PFCL was displaced to the subretinal space in the inferior periphery. A retinal detachment at the posterior pole and the inferior periphery was created by injecting balanced salt solution through a retinal puncture near the inferotemporal vessels. Fluid-air exchange was performed, followed by short-term postoperative upright head positioning.

Results  In all cases, PFCL droplets were successfully displaced toward the inferior periphery, with good visual recovery.

Conclusion  This procedure seems to be safe and is an alternative to direct aspiration of PFCL through a juxtafoveal retinotomy, which risks damage to the foveal region.

Author Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, Hôtel Dieu de Paris, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris V, Paris (Drs Le Tien, Azan, Renard, and Chauvaud), and Department of Ophthalmology, Hôpital Foch, Suresnes (Dr Pierre-Kahn), France.