EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES WITH PERFLUORO-OCTANE FOR HEMOSTASIS DURING VITREORETINAL SURGERY

Purpose: To investigate the effect of perfluoro-octane on coagulation studies and on intraoperative hemostasis during vitreoretinal surgery in an animal model. Methods: In vitro study-comparison of coagulation profiles (bleeding time, whole blood clotting time, partial thrombopla stin time, and one-stage prothrombin time) of blood taken from healthy volunteers with and without the addition of perfluoro-octane. In vivo study-comparison of times taken to achieve hemostasis in a rabbit mod el with large retinal arterial bleeding in vitrectomized and aphakic e yes with and without intraocular injection of perfluoro-octane. Result s: In vitro study-perfluoro-octane had no significant effect on coagul ation profiles. In vivo study-intraocular perfluoro-octane significant ly reduced the time to achieve hemostasis (P < 0.01) at all infusion b ottle heights in vitrectomized and aphakic rabbit eyes. Conclusions: P erfluoro-octane may be used to control bleeding during vitreoretinal s urgery. A direct effect on the clotting cascade could not be demonstra ted.