Retinotomy Closure Following Subretinal Stem Cell Transplant With a 30-Gauge Needle

The authors report two cases of posterior retinotomy closure following subretinal stem cell transplantation for age-related macular degeneration with a 30-gauge needle - a larger bore needle than those used in prior studies. Partial retinotomy closure was seen on optical coherence tomography within 24 hours in one patient, whereas complete closure occurred by the 5-month and 1-year follow-up visits. A trace retinal hemorrhage occurred in one case, with resolution by 12 weeks. These findings demonstrate the likelihood of uncomplicated, spontaneous retinotomy closure following subretinal stem cell transplantation with a 30-gauge needle. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016;47:869-873.].