The purpose of the study was to determine the predictors of success and evaluate the use of
perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene as an intraoperative and postoperative tool in the management of giant
retinal tears in a multicentered collaborative study.
DESIGN: Multicentered prospective case series.
PARTICIPANTS: Intraoperative reattachment was achieved in 158 eyes (97.5%); 147 eyes (90.7%) remained attached at their most recent follow-up. Seventy-nine eyes (48.8%) experienced an improvement in their visual acuity, 26 eyes (16.0%) remained unchanged, and 57 (35.2%) worsened. Recurrent
retinal detachment occurred in 80 patients (49.4%). Other significant postoperative complications included
cataract formation in 20 (39.2%) of 51 eyes,
macular pucker in 12 (7.4%), corneal decompensation in 10 (6.2%), and hypotony (intraocular pressure equal to or less than 5 mmHg) in 9 (5.6%). A chi-square analysis of preoperative characteristics showed that hypotony (P = 0.007), macular detachment (P = 0.020), a history of
cataract extraction (P = 0.003), poor visual acuity (P = 0.000), giant tear extent greater than 180 degrees (P = 0.004), and higher grade
proliferative vitreoretinopathy (P = 0.000) all predicted a poor visual outcome.
Vitreon (Vitrophage, Inc., Lyons, IL) was left in 16 eyes (9.9%) for an extended postoperative
retinal tamponade for between 3 and 1034 days (mean, 87.2 days). The
Vitreon was well tolerated, and these eyes experienced a similar outcome and rate of
retinal reattachment to the rest of the group.
CONCLUSIONS: