MANAGEMENT OF GIANT RETINAL TEARS USING PERFLUORODECALIN AS A POSTOPERATIVE SHORT-TERM VITREORETINAL TAMPONADE - A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

To avoid postoperative ''Compartmentalization'' of the vitreous cavity , which may accelerate the recurrence of proliferative vitreoretinopat hy (PVR), and to provide a tamponading effect lasting long enough to a llow the formation of a firm chorioretinal adhesion by retinopexy, we managed 11 eyes with giant retinal tears and grade-B PVR with lensecto my, vitrectomy, 5-day internal tamponade with perfluorodecalin (PFD), and postoperative supine positioning until the PFD was removed. Baseli ne characteristics included myopia (10 eyes; range, 5.00 to 15.00 diop ters) and perforating trauma (one eye). All patients underwent PFD/flu id exchange 5 days after surgery. Anatomic attachment of the retina wa s achieved with two operations (the second one being the removal of th e PFD) in 9 (82%) of the 11 eyes (median follow up, 18 months). In eig ht eyes (73%), there was no evidence of reproliferation; in one (succe ssfully reattached after PFD/fluid exchange), a macular pucker develop ed. The intraocular PFD used as an internal tamponade appeared to be w ell tolerated for up to 5 days, as judged by static threshold perimetr y in the two patients tested, and by the functional outcomes (64% of t he reattached eyes had a final visual acuity of 20/40 or better).