Evaluation of the Efficiency and Safety of a 27-Gauge 20,000 Cuts per Minute Vitreous Cutter

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of a 27-gauge (G) 20,000 cuts per minute (cpm) vitreous cutter in clinical settings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective and observational study of 40 eyes of 40 patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). Twenty patients (20 eyes) were treated using a 27G 10,000-cpm vitreous cutter (Advanced ULTRAVIT(®) Probe, Alcon), whereas the remaining 20 patients (20 eyes) were treated using a 27G 20,000-cpm cutter (Hypervit(®) dual-blade probe, Alcon). All the surgeries were performed by the same surgeon (YM). The time from the start of vitrectomy to the start of ERM peeling was independently measured by two separate examiners using digital videos of each surgery. The average duration of vitrectomy was calculated for each patient. Additionally, the data of the patients in the two groups were extracted from their medical and surgical records and compared. RESULTS: The time from the initiation of vitrectomy until the start of ERM peeling was 184 ± 56.9 and 152 ± 39.5 s for the 10,000-cpm and 20,000-cpm groups, respectively. The duration of vitrectomy was significantly shorter in the 20,000-cpm group than in the 10,000-cpm group (p = 0.041). Postoperative vitreous hemorrhage was observed in one patient in the 10,000-cpm group, whereas no complications were observed in the 20,000-cpm group. CONCLUSION: In a clinical setting, the 27G 20,000-cpm vitreous cutter may have a higher safety profile and higher efficacy for vitreous removal than that of the 27G 10,000-cpm vitreous cutter.