Program list

SYMPOSIUM: WEAPONS CHOICES
SECTION: Tamponade
Moderators: Klaus Lucke, Athanasios Nikolakopoulos
Monday, September 15th, 2003 ; 8:30 - 10:30

EXPERIENCE WITH F6H8 AS HEAVY TAMPONADE IN REPAIRING
COMPLICATED INFERIOR RD AND PVR
Sven Crafoord
Orebro, Sweden

Purpose: To report our clinical experience using a hydrofluorocarbon liquid (HFCL) i.e. (F6H8) as a 3-4 weeks tamponade in complicated retinal detachment and PVR, in comparison with silicone oil.
Methods: 15 patients, 8 women 7 men with a mean age 54 years, were included in the F6H8 tamponade-group. Two patients had giant breaks, one penetrating eye injury, seven PVR and five retinal redetachments in the two lower quadrants. Of 15 patients operated with silicone oil or expanding gas, 9 were women 6 men, mean age 55 years. 8 cases had PVR and 7 had various complicated retinal detachments.
Results:

Complications: Temporary elevated IOP were seen in two patients, droplets of F6H8 entering the anterior chamber in seven patients, progression of cataract in one patient. No patients appeared with subretinal F6H8.
Conclusions: Using hydrofluorocarbon liquid (HFCL) like F6H8 as a tenuous 3-week tamponade seems to increase the chance of reattaching the retina in the two lower quadrants. Compared to "standard" tamponade procedures using silicone oil the results are similar concerning anatomic reattachment. However the BCVA measured at last visit are much worse in the F6H8 group. One explanation could be that these patients had a more complex pathology reflected in higher amount of reoperations but we can not rule out a certain toxic effect of F6H8, which would negatively influence the final BCVA results.
Take-home message: F6H8 offers a new approach to reattach severely PVR folded or wrinkled retinas. Whether F6H8 induce a toxic effect to the retina perhaps due to its density or chemical properties is indicated but not verified.