27-GAUGE PARS PLANA/PLICATA VITRECTOMY FOR PEDIATRIC VITREORETINAL SURGERY

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Surgery

Background:

• Pediatric vitreoretinopathy presents unique surgical challenges.
• Minimally invasive techniques are increasingly explored for pediatric eye surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and safety of 27-gauge vitrectomy in pediatric patients.
• To assess surgical outcomes, including complications and visual acuity, in this population.

Main Methods:

• An international, multicenter, retrospective case series involving 47 pediatric patients (56 eyes) aged 17 years or younger.
• Patients underwent 27-gauge vitrectomy for conditions such as retinopathy of prematurity, Terson's syndrome, and traumatic macular holes.
• Data on intraoperative events, postoperative complications, and visual acuity were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• No intraoperative complications or postoperative endophthalmitis were reported.
• Instrument bending occurred in 1.8% of cases; 7.1% required conversion to a larger gauge, and 5.3% developed postoperative hypotony.
• Mean visual acuity improved significantly (P=0.01), with 96.4% achieving anatomical success after one surgery.

Conclusions:

• Twenty-seven-gauge vitrectomy is a safe and feasible ultra-small gauge surgical option for selected pediatric vitreoretinopathies.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the indications and long-term outcomes of this technique in pediatric ophthalmology.