Retrospective comparison of 25-gauge vitrectomy for repair of proliferative vitreoretinopathy with or without anterior proliferation.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare the outcomes of 25-gauge vitrectomy for the repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) complicated by proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) with and without anterior PVR (A-PVR).

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 26 eyes of 26 patients who underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy for grade C PVR with A-PVR and 16 eyes of 16 patients who underwent the same procedure for grade C PVR without A-PVR.

Results: The number of previous surgeries for RRD was significantly higher in A-PVR cases than in those without A-PVR (P = 0.021). Scleral buckling and retinotomy/retinectomy were performed significantly more frequently in A-PVR eyes than in those without A-PVR (P = 0.017 and <0.001, respectively). The A-PVR eyes required longer surgical times than those without A-PVR (P =0.001). Final anatomical success was achieved in 24 of 26 (92.3 %) eyes with A-PVR and 16 of 16 (100 %) eyes without A-PVR (P =0.517). Best-corrected visual acuity before and six months after vitrectomy was 1.41 ± 0.96 and 0.86 ± 0.78 logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) units, respectively, in eyes with A-PVR and 1.17 ± 0.87 and 0.63 ± 0.72 logMAR units, respectively, in eyes without A-PVR (P =0.355 and 0.276, respectively).

Conclusions: These results indicate that 25-gauge vitrectomy can be used for both types of PVR, although eyes with A-PVR may require scleral buckling and retinotomy/retinectomy more often and may require longer surgical times.