Vitrectomy as a Prevention for Retinal Detachment in High-Risk Eyes

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (retinal detachment, RD) is the most common cause of spontaneous vision loss in aging eyes that were seeing normally until the moment of its occurrence. Causative retinal breaks usually occur in the form of peripheral tears at the vitreous base, resulting from traction exerted by the aging vitreous as it detaches posteriorly. Peripheral encircling laser retinopexy increases retinal resistance to vitreous traction in high-risk eyes. To achieve maximal lifetime prophylaxis, we show that in selected high-risk cases the vitreous can thereafter be removed by advanced vitrectomy techniques, reducing vitreous traction itself.