Vitreoretinal surgery in ocular trauma

PURPOSE: This retrospective study was undertaken to review the structure of patients that admitted to the hospital during one year, due to the different types of ocular trauma as well as to analyze the rate of the vitreo-retinal procedures being employed to treat those patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: As many as 1212 consecutive patients (1252 eyes) submitting to the out-patients Department of Ophthalmology of the Medical University Hospital in Gdansk between the 1st of January and the 30th of December 2004, presenting with eye injury were evaluated. The majority of the patients were males (746) with the mean age of 46.8 years. The females in the number of 466 were 48,5 years old in average. In 40 cases of ocular trauma both eyes were affected. The routine ophthalmologic examination was provided including the anamnesis and collecting the information regarding the circumstances of the injury. The ultrasound (USG) examination, fluorescein angiography (FA) and CT scan was provided when the intraocular foreign body (IOFB), the macular hole or uveal rupture were suspected. THE RESULTS: Most of the patients who admitted to the Clinic were applied the first aid and dismissed. That referred to 1210 of 1252 eyes. In 42 cases patients were hospitalized: 5 eyes received standard treatment while 37 eyes were operated. Twenty five eyes required vitreoretinal surgery - pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) due to the IOFB (6/25), vitreous hemorrhage (2/25), retinal detachment (10/25), dislocation of the lens (4/25) and the uveitis (3/25). CONCLUSIONS: PPV revealed to be the most effective modality used for treating the most severe eye injuries. The analyze included the cases treated in one year time only, as the strategies of treatment tend to change in time as well as the techniques of operation. The time of observation was limited to 12 month additionally in purpose to make comparison easier in the different Polish centers surveys, regarding the treatment of mechanical eye injuries.