Ultrasound biomicroscopy of conventional and sutureless pars plana sclerotomies: A comparative and longitudinal study

PURPOSE: To report the rate of ultrasonically visible vitreous incarceratio n and longitudinal changes of incarcerated vitreous in pars plana sclerotom ies after conventional suturing or sutureless technique using ultrasound bi omicroscopy. METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive eyes (25 patients) undergoing primary thre e-port pars plana vitrectomy participated. The first 16 pars plana vitrecto mies were performed with standard conventional sutured sclerotomies, and th e following nine pars plana vitrectomies were performed with modified sutur eless sclerotomies. Patient demographics, diagnoses, procedures, and compli cations were recorded. Each patient had ultrasound biomicroscopy performed I week before surgery, and also after surgery at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, and 6 months. Visible vitreous incarceration w as graded as 0 to 3. RESULTS: Vitreous incarceration was seen in 41 of 48 sclerotomies (85.4%) i n the conventionally sutured group, and in 23 of 27 sclerotomies (85.2%) in the sutureless group, with no significant difference in severity among scl erotomies within each group and between the two groups. There was a signifi cant difference in the rate of vitreous incarceration between diabetic pati ents with proliferative retinopathy and others (P = .002). No progressive c hange of visible vitreous incarceration was noted in any eye during the 6 m onth postoperative period. No sclerotomy,related complications occurred dur ing the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound biomicroscopy showed no difference in the amount of visible vitreous incarceration in conventionally sutured or sutureless scl erotomies. There was no visible longitudinal change in the incarcerated vit reous during the 6 months of follow-up in uncomplicated cases. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.