Abstract

Aim: To demonstrate the efficacy of intraocular gas injection and limited face-down positioning for treatment of symptomatic vitreomacular traction (VMT). Materials and Methods: This was conducted on 11 patients with symptomatic VMT. After the hospitalization of the selected patients in the eye ward, they were sent to the operating room for injection of SF6 gas. In the operating room and under sterile conditions (after prep and drep), the eyelid's speculum was fixed under local anesthetic with anastoxin drops. The surface of the eye was washed with sterilized BSS solution. After AC Tap, 0.3 ml of 100% SF6 gas was injected intravitreally at 4 mm from the limbus in phakic patients and at 3.5 mm from the limbus in pseudophakic patients with a 30-gauge needle. After the injection, the patient was re-examined, his/her IOP and BCVA were checked and recorded in the related form. Results: We found that 54.5% of the studied patients had release of VMT within a month after injection. The central subfield volume decreased significantly, while BCVA (mean log MAR) improved significantly in patients. Of all the studied patients, one out of four cases who had macular hole before the injection was treated after the injection of M.H. It was also found that the lens status in all six patients with released VMT was Phakic. Conclusions: Intraocular gas injection alone in the OR setting followed by limited face-down positioning appears to be a viable novel alternative for treatment of symptomatic VMT.