What is pneumatic retinopexy?
Retinal detachments, depending on the size and location, can be treated in office through a procedure called pneumatic retinopexy. In this procedure, the doctor injects a therapeutic sterile gas bubble into the eye in order to push the retina back and prevent further fluid from entering the retinal tear. The goal of the pneumatic retinopexy is to reattach the retina and hopefully avoid the need of more invasive procedures such as vitrectomy or scleral buckle). Once the retina is reattached, the patient will undergo laser retinopexy and/or cryopexy in order to form a permanent barricade scar around the retina tear and prevent re-detachment.
What to expect?
Following confirmation that the patient is a candidate for pneumatic retinopexy, one of our experienced technicians will adjust the patient’s seating in order to be relaxed and comfortable for the procedure. First, the technician places an anesthetic solution to numb the surface of the eye along with an antiseptic drop to minimize the chance of an infection. The doctor will further anesthetize the eye with local lidocaine (takes effect within 5-10 minutes).
When the eye is fully numb, the physician will place an eye speculum in order to keep the eye open during the procedure. The doctor will then further sterilize the eye with Betadine. Next in order to create space within the eye for the gas bubble, a small amount of intraocular fluid is aspirated from the anterior chamber with a fine needle. Immediately after, the doctor will inject a gas bubble into the vitreous cavity. The intraocular pressure is checked before removing the speculum and patching the eye with ointment. Depending on the location of the retinal tear(s), the patient has to position themselves in a specific position for 7-10 days, during which time, laser and/cryopexy will also be performed.