A Porcine Model of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment and Repair With Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Silicone Oil Tamponade

The purpose of this study was to develop a porcine model of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) associated with posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) that can be used to evaluate surgical repair with small-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) utilizing contemporary methods.

A total of 11 eyes from 7 Yucatan minipigs underwent 23-gauge PPV, triamcinolone-assisted PVD induction, retinal detachment creation using subretinal injection of balanced salt solution (BSS), and creation of an iatrogenic retinal break. In seven eyes, the induced RRD was repaired with fluid-air exchange, laser photocoagulation, and silicone oil tamponade. Another four eyes were planned, un-reattached RRD controls, and the remaining three eyes were used as non-surgical controls. Animals were examined 1 month postoperatively with indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and full-field electroretinography (ERG). Animals were euthanized and processed for histopathologic analysis.

At 1 month postoperatively, all seven surgically repaired eyes remained attached under oil, with no observed complications. Two of four unrepaired control eyes demonstrated persistent and progressive retinal detachments, whereas the other two unrepaired eyes had spontaneously reattached retinas with variably sized retinal folds.

Current conventional vitrectomy surgery methods can be used to create a pig model of RRD and successful repair with PPV, laser retinopexy, and silicone oil tamponade. This model may be useful for investigations regarding cellular and molecular changes associated with RRD pathogenesis and response to repair, as well as for comparing new surgical instrumentation, techniques, and tamponade agents for retinal reattachment.