Perioperative changes of the intraocular pressure during the treatment of epiretinal membrane by using 25- or 27-gauge sutureless vitrectomy without gas tamponade.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative intraocular pressures (IOPs) in 25- or 27-gauge microincision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS) and to evaluate the stability of postoperative sclerotomy closure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of 147 eyes treated for epiretinal membrane by using 25- or 27-gauge MIVS as the initial vitrectomy (25-gauge phacovitrectomy [25-P group]: 73 eyes, 25-gauge vitrectomy alone [25-A group]: 15 eyes, 27-gauge phacovitrectomy [27-P group]: 47 eyes, and 27-gauge vitrectomy alone [27-A group]: 12 eyes). Statistical analyses of perioperative IOPs on preoperative day (PreOp), postoperative day (POD)1, POD2, postoperative week 1, and postoperative month 1 were performed.

RESULTS: All self-sealing sclerotomies were obtained without gas tamponade at the end of surgery. Also, no significant differences were noted in the age and axial length among the 4 groups and in the surgical time between 25-P and 27-P groups and between 25-A and 27-A groups. Significant decreases in IOP were found at POD1 and POD2 in the 25-P, 25-A, and 27-P groups compared with PreOP, but not in the 27-A group.

CONCLUSION: Even though surgeons confirm that there is no leakage from sutureless sclerotomy and that a normal IOP is preserved at the end of 25- or 27-gauge MIVS, there is a possibility of postoperative sclerotomy leakage on the day of the surgery. Furthermore, postoperative sclerotomy self-sealing of the MIVS in previous intraocular lens implantation cases is considered to be acquired easily than that in phacovitrectomy.