The Role of the Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography for Vitreoretinal Surgery in a Real-Life Setting

Abstract

Background: To descriptively report the advantages and the feasibility of microscope-integrated intraoperative optical coherence tomography (i-OCT) in managing different vitreoretinal diseases in a real-life setting. Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective study involving 265 eyes that underwent elective retinal surgery and intraoperative OCT between 1 September 2018 and 1 October 2022 at Eyecare Clinic (Brescia, Italy). Results: 52 epiretinal membranes, 30 retinal detachments, 60 high myopic eyes, 30 choroidal transplants, 40 macular holes, and 32 vitreo-proliferative retinopathies underwent vitreoretinal surgery and intraoperative OCT scans. The i-OCT was a useful diagnostic exam for all cases and significantly influenced our surgical management. Conclusions: i-OCT is a helpful surgical tool in ophthalmic surgery as it provides real-time feedback of tissue anatomy to surgeons, thereby guiding decision-making. Moreover, it provides additional information on the microarchitectural changes after instrument–tissue interactions, further guiding procedures when necessary and possibly reducing unessential surgical maneuvers.