Pneumatic Vitreolysis using C3F8 Gas in Treatment Naive Patients with Vitreomacular Traction

Evaluation of the effectiveness of pneumatic vitreolysis in disrupting vitreomacular traction in our own cohort of patients.

Prospective follow-up of 21 eyes of 18 patients with focal VMT (adhesion width < 1500 µm) who underwent intravitreal injection of 0.3 ml of 100% perfluoropropane between January 2015 and December 2020. The patients were observed for 90 days.

Release of VMT was achieved on the 28th day of observation in 15 out of 21 eyes (71.4%), and by the 90th day in 19 out of 21 eyes (90.5%). The average width of adhesion in our patients was 382 µm (±212 µm). Average best corrected visual acuity in our cohort was initially 0.77 (±0.21), after 28 days 0.74 (±0.30), and after 3 months 0.82 (±0.21). At the end of the follow-up period, we did not observe a statistically significant improvement in vision. Macular holes developed in two eyes, but spontaneously closed within 1 month of observation, and no more complications were observed in the cohort.

Pneumatic vitreolysis by intravitreal injection of C3F8 gas is an effective and inexpensive option for the management of symptomatic vitreomacular traction. The incidence of serious adverse events in our follow-up was significantly lower than in recently published series. The method of management should be selected individually according to the parameters of adhesion, macular hole and associated ocular pathologies.