Intraocular beta-radiation for proliferative vitreo-retinopathy

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is the most common cause of failure in retinal detachment surgery. PVR is a result of an enhanced healing process. Various surgical and pharmacological methods have failed to provide a definite solution to the problem. Radiation has since long been shown to be effective in similar situations like keloids, pterygia, and post trabeculectomy. Externally delivered radiation has also been tried in PVR, but with limited success. We propose that treatment with intraocularly delivered beta-radiation is a viable method to try and reduce the incidence of PVR after retinal detachment. This can improve the safety of the treatment, reduce potential side effects to surrounding tissues and help achieve a targeted treatment. However, the treatment was limited by the absence of a practical method for intraocular delivery of radiation. This is now possible, as we now have a method which has been shown to be safe in the CABERNET trial. If this can be proved, then it will be an important step towards treating PVR and hence reducing blindness after retinal detachment.