Feasibility and safety of vitrectomy under topical anesthesia in an office-based setting

• Main Authors: Gloria Paulina Trujillo-Sanchez, Alejandro Gonzalez-De La Rosa, Jose Navarro-Partida, Luis Haro-Morlett, Juan Carlos Altamirano-Vallejo, Arturo Santos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2018-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
• Subjects: Office-based; topical anesthesia; vitrectomy; vitreoretinal procedures
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2018;volume=66;issue=8;spage=1136;epage=1140;aulast=Trujillo-Sanchez

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of office-based vitreoretinal procedures. Methods: Patients undergoing primary elective pars plana vitrectomy were elected for surgery in an office-based setting (performed in a minor procedure room under topical anesthesia [TA] and oral anxiolysis). Rates of surgical objective achievement, surgical timing, and comfort were recorded to evaluate feasibility. Intraoperative and postoperative adverse events were assessed to evaluate safety. Results: Office-based vitrectomy surgery was performed in 34 eyes of 30 patients. The mean surgical time was 12.351 ± 8.21 min. Surgical objectives were achieved in 100% of cases. The mean best-corrected visual acuity improvement was 9.08 letters (P < 0.0001). During most parts of the procedure, no patient reported pain or discomfort. Neither intraoperative nor postoperative adverse events were reported until the final follow-up visit. Conclusion: Office-based vitreoretinal procedures under TA could be as feasible and as safe as vitreoretinal procedures under conventional anesthesia.