The Safety and Efficacy of Transconjunctival Sutureless 23-gauge Vitrectomy

PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitreoretinal surgery using a 23-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) system for various vitreoretinal diseases. METHODS A retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series was performed for 40 eyes of 40 patients. The patients underwent vitreoretinal procedures using the 23-gauge TSV system, including idiopathic epiretinal membrane (n=7), vitreous hemorrhage (n=11), diabetic macular edema (n=10), macular hole (n=5), vitreomacular traction syndrome (n=5), diabetic tractional retinal detachment (n=1), and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (n=1). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and intra- and post-operative complications were evaluated. RESULTS Intraoperative suture placement was necessary in 3 eyes (7.5%). The median BCVA improved from 20/400 (LogMAR, 1.21+/-0.63) to 20/140 (LogMAR, 0.83+/-0.48) at 1 week (p=0.003), 20/100 (LogMAR, 0.85+/-0.65) at 1 month (p=0.002), 20/100 (LogMAR, 0.73+/-0.6) at 3 months (p=0.001). In 1 eye, IOP was 5 mmHg at 2 hours and 4 mmHg at 5 hours, but none of the eyes showed hypotony after 1 postoperative day. No serous postoperative complications were observed during a mean follow-up of 8.4+/-3.4 months (range 3-13 months) CONCLUSIONS The 23-gauge TSV system shows promise as an effective and safe technique for a variety of vitreoretinal procedures. It appears to be a less traumatic, more convenient alternative to 20-gauge vitrectomy in some indications.