Pneumatic retinopexy outcomes as primary or secondary surgical option for treating rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

PURPOSE: To report the outcomes of pneumatic retinopexy (PR) performed as a primary surgical procedure for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) or as a secondary procedure for recurrent RRD. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed case records of 54 patients (54 eyes) who underwent PR for RRD by injecting 0.3 ml of perfluoropropane (C3F8) in the vitreous cavity and cryopexy to break in the same sitting, followed by positioning. RESULTS: A total 54 eyes of 54 patients aged between 17 and 84 years (mean - 51.3, median - 53 years) were included in the study. Except five eyes, all had breaks in the superior quadrants. The RRD ranged from 1 quadrant to 4 quadrants. Twenty-eight eyes (51.8%) were phakic and 26 (48.1%) were pseudophakic. The follow-up ranged from 6 to 144 months. In 25 eyes (46.2%), PR was the primary intervention and was successful in 15 (60%) eyes with a significant visual improvement (P = 0.023). Twenty-nine eyes (52.7%) with failed scleral buckle or failed pars plana vitrectomy underwent PR with a success rate of 65.5% and significant visual improvement (P = 0.0017). Progression of proliferative vitreoretinopathy changes (40%) was the most common cause of failure. The success rate was higher in phakic eyes, eyes with attached macula, superior breaks, superior RRD, and RRD limited to 3 quadrants or less. CONCLUSION: PR remains a minimally invasive procedure which can be used primarily or as a salvage procedure in failed surgery with moderately good success rate and minimal complications. One-step procedure reduces patient visits and ensures adequate treatment of the break.