Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Uveitis: Experience of a Tertiary Referral Centre in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) without macular intervention on uveitis eyes with persistent vitreous inflammation/opacities in terms of visual acuity (VA), intraocular inflammation and macular profile. Methods: We carried out a single-center retrospective study of patients with uveitic eyes that underwent PPV without intervention on the macula due to persistent vitreous inflammation/opacities. The primary outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular inflammation and macular profile at 3, 12 and 24 months after surgery. Results: Twenty-seven eyes of twenty-six patients were analyzed. Overall, 77.8% had an improvement of VA (55% by 0.3 LogMAR or more); 62.5% of patients had no intraocular inflammation, and the number of patients on systemic steroids and second-line immunosuppressives was reduced by 26% at 12 months; 87.5% of patients had resolution of macular oedema at 12 months. Conclusion: PPV for persistent vitreous inflammation/opacities is safe and effective, showing beneficial outcomes in terms of improvement of BCVA and the reduction in inflammation.

Epiretinal membranes in patients with uveitis: an update on the current state of management

“…However, due to potential outcome variability in certain cases (when compared to idiopathic ERM), such surgery should only be recommended once intraocular inflammation is effectively managed and conservative approaches have proven ineffective [ 77 ]. PPV has become increasingly utilized in uveitic cases for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes [ 31 , 77 – 79 ]. The introduction of microincision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS) has expanded the indications for PPV in uveitis due to its advantages over the conventional 20G vitrectomy, including shorter surgical duration, reduced patient discomfort, minimized conjunctival scarring, and decreased complications.…”