Author: Alvaro Fernandez-Vega G.
Co-authors: David Chow
Abstract
PURPOSE:To describe the management with vitrectomy and external drainage of subretinal gas in a case of retinal detachment with subretinal gas injection during pneumatic retinopexy.
METHODS:
Case Report
SETTING/VENUE
St. Michael´s Hospital of Toronto. University of Toronto. Canada
RESULTS
A 61-year-old phakic male presented with mac split superior retinal detachment in his left eye with horse tear at 11 o’clock. Patient underwent pneumatic retinopexy but during the gas injection the needle went through the retina and 0.7 ml of pure sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas was injected in the subretinal space. Vitrectomy was performed but removing the gas through the original tear became impossible due to the large size of the bubble and because of the phakic condition of the patient. Therefore, the gas removal was accomplished by placing a 25G trocar in the subretinal space through the sclera to extract the subretinal gas ab-externa. Once the gas was eliminated from the subretinal space, standard retinal detachment surgery was performed.
CONCLUSION:
External degassing technique is useful to remove the gas from the subretinal space in complicated retinal detachments cases where there is a large volume of subretinal gas.
No financial disclosure.
