Safety and Efficacy of Hypersonic Vitrectomy for Retinal Reattachment Surgery in Proliferative Vitreoretinopathies

Svenja Deuchler; Julia Scholtz; Timo Knoch; Berthold Seitz; Frank H Koch

doi:10.2147/OPTH.S386014

Safety and Efficacy of Hypersonic Vitrectomy for Retinal Reattachment Surgery in Proliferative Vitreoretinopathies

Clin Ophthalmol. 2022 Nov 11:16:3711-3720. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S386014. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Svenja Deuchler^{1

2

3}, Julia Scholtz¹, Timo Knoch⁴, Berthold Seitz², Frank H Koch^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Study Centre, Augenzentrum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany.
² Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Saarland, Germany.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany.
⁴ Bausch + Lomb GmbH, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Introduction: To investigate the safety and efficacy of the Vitesse hypersonic vitrectomy device for retinal reattachment surgery in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) or proliferative diabetic vitreoretinopathy (PDVR) cases. The Vitesse device utilizes hypersonic technology to liquefy instead of cutting the vitreous, providing an alternative to the traditional pneumatic guillotine cutter.

Material and methods: A prospective, one-armed, non-comparative, open-label study was performed. Sixteen patients with a diagnosis of PVR or PDVR that required retinal reattachment surgery were included. Severity of disease was classified using the Retina Society 1983 classification and Kroll Classification from 2007. Patient data was collected preoperatively, 2 days postoperatively, 1 month postoperatively, and 3 months postoperatively. Efficacy of hypersonic vitrectomy was evaluated, both subjectively using a questionnaire and objectively by means of Supplementary Video documentation, device settings, and data collection of the patients' medical history.

Results: In all 16 cases, retinal reattachment surgery could be performed with Vitesse without conversion to a guillotine cutter. The vitreous could be separated from the detached retina completely with no iatrogenic tissue damage. Vitreous traction was documented in one case. In 6 cases, shaving of the vitreous base was performed after early fluid-air exchange with hypersonic vitrectomy without any complications. No adverse events suspected to be related to hypersonic vitrectomy were documented in the follow-up visits.

Conclusion: The Vitesse has potential advantages including reduced vacuum volumes with limited amount of turbulence and avoidance vitreoretinal traction. Liquefaction directly in front of the probe entrance allows for continuous unrestricted fluid flow. These factors of hypersonic technology allow to carry out retinal reattachment surgery in PVR or PDVR cases successfully.

Keywords: hypersonic vitrectomy; proliferative diabetic vitreoretinopathy; proliferative vitreoretinopathy; retinal detachment.

Grants and funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.