MANAGEMENT OF RETINAL DETACHMENTS DUE TO MACULAR HOLES IN MYOPIC EYES- RESULTS OF INTRAVITREAL INJECTION OF PURE C3F8

Purpose To evaluate the long-term anatomic and visual results of intra vitreal injection of pure C3F8 in the management of retinal detachment s due to macular holes in myopic eyes. Materials and methods Twenty on e highly myopic eyes (19 patients) with retinal detachments due to mac ular holes were initially managed by intravitreal injection of pure C3 F8. The postoperative follow-up ranged from 6,5 to 45 monts (median : 27.5 months). Results Total retinal reattachment was achieved in 16 ey es (76.2%). Anatomic success was obtained with a single C3F8 injection in 15 eyes, and two injections in one eye. The 5 eyes which failed to reattach after gas injection underwent reoperation using choroidal ir ritation in the macular area associated with gas injection. The retina was reattached in all eyes. Eleven of the 16 eyes (68.7%) in which th e retina was reattached solely with intravitreal gas injection had a n early normal final near vending visual acuity. In contrast, none of th e eyes reattached with the use of choroidal irritation had measurable final visual acuity. Conclusion The results achieved in the present se ries of patients confirm that intravitreal injection of pure C3F8 is a valuable alternative in the management of retinal detachments due to macular holes in myopic eyes. We recommend this treatment approach as the initial surgical procedure, since more than half of eyes successfu lly operated on recover useful central vision.