Long-term results of pneumatic retinopexy

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcome (>6 years) of retinal reattachme nt by pneumatic retinopexy. Methods: Seventy-eight eyes were examined retro spectively after treatment of a retinal detachment with pneumatic retinopex y. The average follow-up period was 6.35 years. The fundus was examined and visual acuity was documented and compared to that of the fellow eye. Any r eoperations were evaluated. Results: In 98.7% of cases permanent reattachme nt of the retina was achieved. In 85.9% the primary intervention had been s uccessful. However, the retina redetached in 19.4% of these during the firs t 3 months and in a further 4.5% later during the observation period, requi ring reoperation. The average number of operations necessary to obtain perm anent reattachment of the retina in the 77 eyes was 1.39. One eye was lost due to phthisis bulbi and had to be enucleated. Six years after the first i ntervention visual acuity of the eyes without reoperation was 0.57 (+/-0.25 SD) with initially detached macula [fellow eye 0.67 (+/-0.27)] and 0.7 (+/ -0.27) with attached macula [fellow eye 0.7 (+/-0.25)]. Visual acuity of th e eyes with reoperation was 0.36 (+/-0.3) [fellow eye 0.51 (+/-0.29)] with initially detached macula and 0.64 (+/-0.26) [fellow eye 0.63 (+/-0.35)] wi th attached macula. Conclusion: Six years after initial pneumatic retinopex y the retina was found to be attached in 98.7% of eyes. In 65.4% this resul t had been achieved by minimally invasive primary surgery alone. The need f or reoperation was evident during the first 3 months in 89% of the cases. T he final visual outcome was satisfactory overall.