New application of membrane blue-dual dye for retinal or iatrogenic break staining in retinal detachment surgery

Evangelia Papavasileiou1

  • 1St Demetrios Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. liapapava@hotmail.com.

Abstract

Insights

Membrane Blue-Dual effectively identifies previously undetected retinal breaks during surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). This heavy dye solution improves visualization, leading to 100% surgical success and no re-detachments in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Surgical Innovation
  • Retinal Surgery

Background:

  • Primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) management requires precise identification and treatment of all causative retinal breaks.
  • Undetected retinal breaks complicate 2.2%-22.5% of RRD cases, necessitating improved diagnostic methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the efficacy of Membrane Blue-Dual, a heavy dye solution, in staining and identifying retinal breaks missed during preoperative examination.
  • To evaluate its utility in detecting both primary and iatrogenic retinal breaks.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective interventional study involving 5 patients undergoing 23/27-gauge vitrectomy for primary RRD.
  • Membrane Blue-Dual was injected into the vitreous cavity after preoperative examination failed to identify breaks.
  • Internal peripheral indentation was used intraoperatively before and after dye injection.

Main Results:

  • The dye injection led to the identification of at least one additional retinal break in 100% of cases.
  • These newly identified breaks were successfully treated with cryotherapy or endolaser.
  • All patients achieved a 100% surgical success rate with no retinal re-detachment at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Membrane Blue-Dual significantly improves intraoperative identification of retinal breaks by enhancing visualization of the internal limiting membrane (ILM).
  • Its properties eliminate the need for fluid-air exchange, perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCL), or subretinal injections.
  • This heavy dye offers a valuable tool for enhancing surgical outcomes in RRD repair.

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