Vitreous substitute removal rates with the Accurus and Millennium vitrectomy systems

Recent innovations in vitrectors have led to studies of evaluated aspiration rates of basic saline solution, porcine vitreous, and human vitreous, but each of these substances has potential drawbacks. The authors determined the timed removal rates of egg white with the Accurus 20-, 23-, and 25-gauge vitreous cutters (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX) and the Millennium AVE 20- and 25-gauge system (Bausch & Lomb, St. Louis, MO and MID Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA) using various machine parameters. The Accurus 20- and 23-gauge cutters and the Millennium AVE 20- and 25-gauge cutters removed egg white easily. At higher cut rates, where slow and delicate removal of vitreous is typically desired, the probes, as expected, removed egg white more slowly.