Porcine Vitreous Flow Behavior During High-Speed Vitrectomy up to 7500 Cuts per Minute

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of high-speed cut rates (up to 7500 cuts per minute [cpm]) on vitreous flow through various gauge probes. METHODS: An open-sky vitrectomy technique was performed on porcine eyes using the CONSTELLATION Vision System with three different gauges of dual-pneumatic probes (27(+)-, 25(+)-, and 23-gauge UltraVit probes; n = 5 for each gauge). Flow rate was calculated by LabVIEW software that converted real-time mass measurements from an electronic scale into flow rate. RESULTS: Average vitreous flow rate increased slightly with increased cut rate in all probes with 50/50 duty cycle; more dramatic flow rate increases were observed for all probes with biased closed duty cycle. Under both conditions, maximum flow rate was observed at 7500 cpm for all gauges. Under the biased open duty cycle, average flow rate was inversely associated with cut rate. CONCLUSION: High-speed cut rate improved efficiency of vitreous aspiration. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: Increased vitreous aspiration of dual-pneumatic, high-speed vitrectomy probes may improve the efficiency of current vitrectomy techniques, allowing surgeons to take advantage of the benefits of high cut rates without sacrificing flow rate.