[The efficacy of arteriovenous adventitial sheathotomy for macular edema in branch retinal vein occlusion].

Purpose: To examine the efficacy of arteriovenous adventitial sheathotomy (or arteriovenous decompression) for macular edema (ME) in branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Patients And Methods: Eighty-three patients (83 eyes) who had ME in BRVO for 26 weeks or less underwent pars plana vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane dissection and were followed post-operatively for more than one year. The eighty-three eyes were divided into 38 eyes with sheathotomy(sheathotomy group) and 45 eyes without sheathotomy(non-shesthotomy group). The absorption period for ME and the difference between pre- and postoperative visual acuity(VA) at one year in the two groups were compared, and statistically significant factors were extracted.

Results: The mean absorption period for ME was 3.4 months in the sheathotomy group and 4.2 months in the non-sheathotomy group, and the mean difference between pre- and postoperative VA at one year was 0.37 and 0.28, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups. There was no significant factor related to the absorption period for ME, but the difference between preoperative VA and postoperative VA at one year was significant.

Conclusion: Sheathotomy may have no additional effect on the absorption of ME or the improvement of VA after vitrectomy for BRVO.