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Duration of intraocular gases following vitreoretinal surgery

  • Retinal Disorders
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

Intraocular gas tamponades are an important tool in modern vitreoretinal surgery. However, there is considerable variation in their use and perceptions amongst clinicians regarding these agents.

Methods

An electronic survey of vitreoretinal surgeons in the UK was undertaken to establish the patterns of use and surgeons’ estimates of the longevity and expansion timing of gas tamponades. In addition, data were prospectively collected on the longevity of gas tamponades in 114 patients from our unit. An analysis was performed to identify patient or surgery factors affecting gas longevity

Results

A wide variation in the patterns of use and estimates of longevity and expansion timing of intraocular tamponades was found in the survey of vitreoretinal surgeons. Data from our unit give informed estimates on the longevity of three commonly used tamponades. For 30 % sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), mean 18.0 days, standard deviation (SD) 2.6 days. For 20 % hexafluoroethane (C2F6), mean 34.5 days, SD 3.3 days. For 15 % perfluoropropane (C3F8), mean 67.7 days SD 5.5 days. In the C2F6 group there was correlation between longer duration of the gas bubble and longer axial length (r = 0.438, p = 0.02) and longer gas duration with male sex (p = 0.002).

Conclusions

We present informed gas tamponade longevity figures in clinical practice and report statistically significant associations between longer gas longevity and increasing axial length and male sex.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK

    Andreas Kontos, James Tee & Tom H Williamson

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Queen Mary’s Hospital, Frognal Avenue, Sidcup, DA14 6LT, UK

    Alastair Stuart & Zaid Shalchi

Authors
  1. Andreas Kontos
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  2. James Tee
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  3. Alastair Stuart
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  4. Zaid Shalchi
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  5. Tom H Williamson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Kontos.

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Funding

No funding was received for this research.

Conflict of Interest

AK, AS, and ZS certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge, or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. THW is involved in the following: Bausch and Lomb Insights panel, Software development for Axsys Systems, Glasgow, UK, Invited lectures for Alcon, UK.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Kontos, A., Tee, J., Stuart, A. et al. Duration of intraocular gases following vitreoretinal surgery. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 255, 231–236 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-016-3438-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-016-3438-3

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