Minimally Invasive Vitreoretinal Surgery (25G, 27G) with High-speed Vitrectomy Cutter – Case Series

Abstract

Introduction:The development of vitreoretinal surgery is inseparably linked to the gradual miniaturization and decreasing invasiveness of the procedure. The smallest available systems are 23G, 25G, and 27G, which are referred to as minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery techniques. This paper presents the preoperative and postoperative results of three patients undergoing posterior vitrectomy using the 25G or 27G systems with the HIPERVIT probe (Alcon, USA). The effects were retrospectively analyzed in terms of changes in best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, occurrence of complications, and changes in optical coherence tomography images of macular edema. Examinations were performed before and one day, two weeks, three months, and six months after vitrectomy. The potential benefits and drawbacks of using these systems in practice were analyzed.Case report:The analysis concerns the results of the performed posterior vitrectomy procedure in patients with full-thickness macular hole, tractional retinal detachment due to diabetic retinopathy, and vitreomacular traction syndrome.Conclusions:The performed procedures allowed for improvement in both anatomical and functional conditions of the macula. All analyzed patients showed an improvement in visual acuity. None of the analyzed patients required the use of scleral sutures. Serious complications were not observed during the surgery or during the 6-month observation period. 25G and 27G HYPERVIT vitrectomy can be successfully used in the discussed vitreoretinal diseases. In the discussed cases, it enabled the effective and safe performance of the procedure.