Comparative study of vitrectomy with and without vein decompression for branch retinal vein occlusion: a pilot study

To report the clinical outcomes in patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy with and without vein decompression for treatment of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Thirty-five eyes with macular edema and visual acuity worse than 20/100 secondary to BRVO were prospectively evaluated. Vitrectomy with posterior hyaloid removal and vein decompression at the arteriovenous crossing was performed on 15 eyes (Group 1); consecutively, the same technique without vein decompression was performed on 20 eyes (Group 2). Primary outcome was visual acuity and secondary outcomes were resolution of macular edema and development of neovascularization.

No differences were found between groups in either patient age (p = 0.566) or preoperative visual acuity (p = 0.505). No differences were found in visual acuity at 3 (p = 0.651), 6 (p = 0.697), 9 (p = 0.763), 12 (p = 0.881), or 18 (p = 0.748) months. Mean time for macular edema resolution and visual acuity improvement was 9 months in both groups, with a mean improvement of 3.5 +/- 2.35 lines in Group 1 and 3.2 +/- 2.97 lines in Group 2. No eyes in either group developed new vessels.

Results suggest that vitrectomy with posterior hyaloid removal without vein decompression can resolve macular edema, improve vision, and prevent development of new vessels in BRVO.