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Pain, operating time similar in 20-gauge and 25-gauge vitrectomy

Br J Ophthalmol. 2010;94(1):36-40.

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There appears to be little difference in postoperative pain in patients undergoing vitrectomy with either 20-gauge or 25-gauge instrumentation.

The advent of smaller instruments in back-of-the eye surgery has raised speculation that the newer instruments could result in longer surgery but less patient discomfort. But in a randomized pilot study of 21 patients who underwent 20-gauge vitrectomy and 19 patients who underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy, the presence of pain in the first 12 hours after surgery was similar.

While the time from first incision to the start of vitrectomy was shorter in the 25-gauge vitrectomy group, and the time to complete vitrectomy was less in the 20-gauge vitrectomy group, overall there was no statistically significant difference in operating times, according to the study.

Significant pain was more common in patients in the 20-gauge group. "However, pain was not a prominent feature in either group," the authors said.