Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of an intravitreal ocriplasmin injection using anterior chamber paracentesis to release symptomatic vitreomacular traction (VMT).
Methods: Five patients with symptomatic VMT were enrolled. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination including acquisition of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Before intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin, anterior chamber paracentesis was performed in the study eye to induce mild ocular hypotonia. Control visits were performed the day after the injection, at 1 week, and after 1, 2, and 3 months.
Results: In 4 patients, we had complete release of VMT and visual improvement after the intravitreal ocriplasmin injection preceded by anterior chamber paracentesis. No adverse events were observed.
Conclusions: In our small case series, anterior chamber paracentesis performed before intravitreal ocriplasmin seemed to increase the efficacy of the drug in the resolution of symptomatic VMT. Our success estimate is imprecise due to small sample size (95% confidence interval 0.28 to 0.99) and no definitive conclusion can be reached. Further research is worth being conducted to assess the potential usefulness of paracentesis before ocriplasmin injection to increase vitreoretinal traction release rate.