February 03, 2016
1 min read
Save

Choroidal detachment, hypotony may be common after 23-gauge PPV

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Choroidal detachment and hypotony are common after 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy, and most complications may be associated with the use of fluid tamponade, according to a study.

The prospective observational study compared the clinical features of 49 eyes that underwent 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and 97 eyes that underwent 23-gauge PPV.

At 1 day after PPV, mild choroidal detachment was seen in one eye in the 20-gauge group and 22 eyes in the 23-gauge group; the difference was statistically significant (P = .001). Characteristics of choroidal detachment in the 23-gauge group were defined as asymptomatic, transient and self-healing; diffuse and mild; and associated with the tamponade material, according to the study.

Mean IOP was significantly lower in the 23-gauge group at 1 day postop compared with the 20-gauge group (P = .000), but nine eyes in the 23-gauge group had hypotony vs. one eye in the 20-gauge group (P = .000).

Although choroidal detachment and hypotony are common complications in the early stages after 23-gauge PPV, they can resolve spontaneously, the study authors said.

In the 23-gauge group, the mean IOP of eyes with choroidal detachment was 7.9 ± 2.1 mm Hg, which was significantly lower than 11.7 ± 6.1 mm Hg in the eyes without choroidal detachment (P = .004).

No significant difference regarding vitreous incarceration was observed between the groups, and no progressive change was seen in any eye during follow-up. – by Kristie L. Kahl

Disclosure: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.