Stefan Mennel
LKH Feldkirch, Austria
Title: Binocular occlusion prior to retinal detachment surgery: A tomographic analysis by OCT
Biography
Biography: Stefan Mennel
Abstract
Introduction: In previous years binocular occlusion was a routine treatment for acute vitreous hemorrhage and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) prior to surgery. In most cases the acute hemorrhage settles enough for successful treatment of the originating pathology. In RRD binocular occlusion diminish sub-retinal fluid to improve preoperative diagnostic and treatment and can prevent a progression of the detachment. The reduction of sub-retinal fluid is still documented by fundus photography and fundus drawings. In this study, we introduced optical coherence tomography (OCT) for this purpose. OCT enables measurement of sub-retinal fluid and to compare similar areas after binocular occlusion.
Methods: 30 patients with RRD that were scheduled for treatment at the following day received OCT at the time of examination and at the following day prior to surgery.
Results: In 18 eyes the macula was attached at the first visit and in none of the cases a macular involvement was determined by OCT at the following day prior to surgery. In 12 cases the macula was already detached. In 11 eyes the retinal elevation decreased and in one case an increase was evident.
Conclusion: This fist study by using OCT to measure sub-retinal fluid and macular involvement in RRD demonstrated binocular occlusion as an effective treatment option to schedule retinal detachment surgery for the following day without the risk of macular involvement in RRD.
