Kim, Judy E.

When encountering diseases of the anterior vitreous and peripheral retina (ie, the “middle segment” of the eye), vitreoretinal (VR) surgeons are specifically trained in surgical techniques for managing the vitreous and visualizing the peripheral retina during anterior vitrectomy, and therefore, they are well equipped to address the complications of surgery involving the anterior vitreous space. This clinical update reviews and compares the current literature discussing techniques and patient outcomes related to complete pars plana vitrectomy versus incomplete, subtotal pars plana vitrectomy, and addresses the proposition of developing an abridged training curriculum for non-VR surgeons to acquire the knowledge and skills required to perform these procedures. Recent studies confirmed that operating in the anterior vitreous carries potential risk of retinal tear, retinal detachment, and other adverse events that may cause vision loss. To mitigate these risks, studies suggest that the use of dedicated visualization equipment and illumination instruments is necessary for surgeons to safely perform anterior vitrectomy and recognize complications, should any occur. Performing VR surgery in the absence of wide-angle viewing systems, endoillumination, careful peripheral examinations, modern vitrectomy platforms, and appropriate training may lead to outcomes that are detrimental to patient safety.

ImportanceIntraocular pressure (IOP) elevations of clinical relevance have been observed after the commonly used 0.05-mL volume for intravitreous injections. However, more recently approved intravitreous agents involve volumes from 0.07 to 0.1 mL. It is not well established whether repeated 0.1-mL intravitreous injections may result in IOP-related complications.ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of 1 year of repeated 0.1-mL intravitreous injections on IOP outcomes.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis study was a post hoc analysis of 2 clinical trials investigating the IOP safety of intravitreous lampalizumab on geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Both trials were conducted between 2014 and 2018 and recruited participants who were 50 years or older and had bilateral geographic atrophy. This post hoc analysis was performed between 2018 and 2022.InterventionsIntravitreous lampalizumab, 0.1 mL, every 4 weeks; lampalizumab, 0.1 mL, every 6 weeks; or sham procedure every 4 weeks or 6 weeks for 48 weeks.Main Outcomes and MeasuresIOP changes in the 4-week-frequency study arms and ocular adverse events to week 48 in all arms. The hypothesis for this analysis was formulated after data collection.ResultsAmong a total of 1851 participants, there was no change in mean pre-injection IOP values through 48 weeks in either arm. The adverse events glaucoma and ocular hypertension were reported for 1.8% of participants treated with lampalizumab and 1.6% of those in the sham arm.Conclusions and RelevanceOver 1 year, IOP increases were rare and did not affect treated participants more frequently than sham arm participants. These findings support the low risk of persistent IOP increases, on average, of intravitreous 0.1-mL injection volumes administered for 1 year in a manner similar to that performed in these clinical trials. These results may be valuable in the design of future therapeutic trials considering this volume for injections particularly as more recently approved agents use volumes of 0.07 to 0.1 mL.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02247479 and NCT02247531