Mechanical Excision and removal of intravitreal vessels. I. In animals

We wished to know if excision of artificially produced intravitreal vessels would cause bleeding and if the hemorrhage could be controlled by increasing the intraocular pressure. In 17 rabbit eyes, the distal end of several intravitreal blood vessels was excised and removed by the Peyman vitrophage. No significant bleeding occurred from the vessels in 13 eyes, and in the remaining four bleeding stopped after 30 seconds or less of increased intraocular pressure. In one month of observation after surgery, there was no evidence of delayed hemorrhage. Electron microscopy of several transected intravitreal vessels revealed that vessel constriction, platelets and fibrin strands contributed to the prevention of immediate and delayed hemorrhage.