Perfluorocarbon liquids in vitreo-retinal surgery – Personal experience

Abstract

The combination of the physical and chemical properties of the PerFluoroCarbon Liquids (PFCL) has propeled their clinical use not only for the repair of the complex retinal detachments, but also for a range of intraocular surgical maneuvres. The purpose of this study is to outline the status of the use of PFCL in vitreo-retinal surgery, as it emerges from our personal clinical experience. We have used the PFCL in 82 vitrectomies over a one-year time period (October 2009 – October 2010). The PFCL were injected into the vitreous cavity in patients with the following conditions: rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), tractional retinal detachment (TRD), combined retinal detachment (rhegmato-genous and tractional) and severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). In the RRD group (65 cases), success has been achieved in 55 cases (84.61%), simple recurrence has been identified in 6 cases (9.23%), Proliferative VitreoRetinopathy – in 3 cases (4.61%) and Cystoid Macular Edema – in 1 case (1.53%). The remaining 17 cases in which PFCL have been used (20.71%) were all caused by diabetes. In the severe PDR subgroup, the disease has been stabilized in all the 3 cases. In the TRD subgroup, success has been obtained in all the 4 cases (retinal reattachment), whereas in the combined retinal detachment subgroup (RRD+TRD) the retina has reattached in 8 cases (80%) and maintained detached in 2 cases (20%) after surgery. PFCL have proved their efficacy in vitreo-retinal surgery.