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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
A Step by Step Protocol for Subretinal Surgery in Rabbits
Published on: September 13, 2016
[Current strategies for macular hole surgery in Germany, Austria and Switzerland]
K B Schaal1, K U Bartz-Schmidt, S Dithmar
1Universitäts-Augenklinik, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. stefan.dithmar@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Background:
Main aim of this study was to determine how macular hole surgery is currently being performed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Methods:
A questionnaire concerning the different aspects of surgery for stage 3 macular hole was developed and sent out to the 380 members of the German Retina Society.
Results:
This analysis is based on 129 returned questionnaires from colleagues who perform macular hole surgery. A total of 95% (n=123) of the surgeons routinely perform vitrectomy with posterior vitreous detachment, peeling of epiretinal tissue and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. Some 86% (n=106) stain the ILM, with 80% of these (n=85) using indocyanine green (ICG) in concentrations ranging from 0.005% up to 10%. Fourteen percent of ICG users perform a fluid-air exchange before applying the dye. Platelet concentrate is used by 8% of the surgeons with 97% (n=125) performing a gas tamponade using SF6 (53%), C3F8 (22%), C2F6 (16%) or just air (5%) (multiple answers: 4%). Simultaneous cataract surgery is routinely performed by 8%; by 73% only if there is significant cataract.
Conclusions:
There is common consent on the basic surgical steps, but several surgical details, e.g. ILM staining, are performed in substantially different ways.
