Perioperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage and its surgical management: a systematic review

Suprachoroidal hemorrhage (SCH) is a rare but severely feared sight-threatening complication of intraocular surgery, and its management remains debatable. We intended to summarize the existing surgical management options regarding perioperative SCH, describing different techniques and their respective visual outcomes.

A systematic literature search of articles published since 1st January 2011 until 31st December 2022 was performed using MEDLINE (PubMed) and Scopus. Eligibility criteria included the adult population with SCH related to intraocular surgery.

Thirty-eight studies enrolling 393 patients/eyes were assessed after a selection process among 525 records. We included 5 retrospective cohort studies, 15 case series and 18 case reports. We documented cases of acute SCH diagnosed intraoperatively and delayed SCH, treated until a maximum of 120 days after the diagnosis. Best corrected visual acuity at diagnosis was generally poor, with variable final visual outcomes. Techniques of external drainage with or without combined pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), type of endotamponade (if PPV performed), anterior chamber maintainer and reports of the use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator were described.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review assessing perioperative SCH and its surgical management. There is no standardized surgical approach of SCH and longitudinal intervention studies are lacking. To ensure that patients achieve the best possible visual outcome, prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Therefore, further clinical research is on demand to improve the management of this clinical sight-threatening entity.