Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment with a High Risk of Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy Treated with Episcleral Surgery and an Intravitreal Dexamethasone 0.7-mg Implant

PURPOSE: To report a case of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with a high risk of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) effectively treated with episcleral surgery and an intravitreal dexamethasone 0.7-mg implant. METHODS: A 35-year-old Caucasian man with a macula-off rhegmatogenous subtotal retinal detachment that had persisted for 1 month in his myopic left eye presented several risk factors that could have led to the development of PVR after retinal detachment surgery. His best corrected visual acuity was hand motion. He received an intravitreal dexamethasone 0.7-mg implant (Ozurdex(®)) after episcleral surgery to prevent this complication. RESULTS: At least 9 months after surgery, no sign of PVR or pucker has developed in the treated eye. Visual acuity improved to 0.2, the retina was attached and no complications were observed. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal dexamethasone 0.7-mg implant (Ozurdex) could be considered as off-label treatment following episcleral surgery to prevent PVR.