One-year outcomes of 27-gauge versus 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair

Giancarlo Sborgia; Alfredo Niro; Luigi Sborgia; Maria Oliva Grassi; Samuele Gigliola; Mario R Romano; Francesco Boscia; Alessandra Sborgia; Giovanni Alessio

doi:10.1186/s40942-019-0164-0

One-year outcomes of 27-gauge versus 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair

Int J Retina Vitreous. 2019 Jun 4:5:13. doi: 10.1186/s40942-019-0164-0. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Giancarlo Sborgia¹, Alfredo Niro², Luigi Sborgia¹, Maria Oliva Grassi¹, Samuele Gigliola¹, Mario R Romano³, Francesco Boscia⁴, Alessandra Sborgia^{1

2}, Giovanni Alessio¹

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
² Eye Clinic, Hospital "S. G. MOSCATI", ASL TA, Via per Martina Franca, 74010 Statte, Taranto, Italy.
³ 3Department of Ophthalmology, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy.
⁴ 4Department of Surgical, Microsurgical and Medical Sciences, Eye Clinic, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.

Abstract

Background: 27-gauge (27G) and 25-gauge (25G) transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy (TSV) were considered equal about safety, effectiveness and vitrectomy time for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), although larger and long-term comparative studies are needed to confirm previous knowledge. Furthermore, a combined comparison of time duration of surgery and vitreous removal was never performed. Our purpose was to compare the safety and efficacy of 27G versus 25G TSV for the treatment of uncomplicated RRD over a 1-year follow-up.

Methods: A 12-months single-center prospective, randomized, interventional study of 92 consecutive patients was performed. 46 patients underwent 27G TSV (Group 1) and 46 underwent 25G TSV (Group 2). Primary outcomes were primary and final reattachment rate, and final functional success (visual acuity ≥ 20/200, 1 LogMar). Secondary outcomes were the surgical and vitrectomy time. Complications were recorded.

Results: All functional and morphologic data at baseline and at all follow-up time points up to 12 months after surgery were available for only 88 patients. Four patients in Group 1 dropped out of the study after surgery. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Primary and final reattachment rates were 90.5% and 100% in Group 1, and 95.6% and 100% in Group 2, respectively (p > .05, p > .05, respectively). Visual acuity improved from 1.5 ± 1.09 LogMar to 0.38 ± 0.55 LogMar in Group 1 (p < .001) and 1.2 ± 0.9 LogMar to 0.49 ± 0.53 LogMar in Group 2 (p < .001), without significant difference between the groups (p > .05). The surgical time was 73.2 ± 11.3 min with 27G TSV and 64.4 ± 9.5 min with 25G TSV (p = .0001). The vitrectomy time was 19.9 ± 3.8 min with 27G TSV and 20.8 ± 3.8 min with 25G TSV (p > .05). One single case of choroidal detachment occurred.

Conclusions: Reattachment rates, functional success and vitrectomy time were comparable between 27G and 25G TSV for RRD. Surgical time was significantly longer using 27G vitrectomy.

Keywords: 25-Gauge; 27-Gauge; Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment; Surgical time; Transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy; Vitrectomy time.