Visual and anatomic outcomes of vitreoretinal surgery: results at the Boston VA and a review of the literature

• Published in: Digital journal of ophthalmology 2009, Vol.15 (1), p.17-23
• Main Authors: Hanley-Williams, Nicole C, Subramanian, Manju L, Feinberg, Edward B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 1542-8958; 1542-8958
• DOI: 10.5693/djo.01.2009.005

The veteran population presents unique challenges in the management of vitreoretinal disorders. We compiled the surgical outcomes for the most common visually significant vitreoretinal diagnoses. Those results were then compared to visual and anatomic outcomes established in the literature. Medical records over a three-year time period, from January 2005 through December 2007, were reviewed for 208 persons who underwent vitreoretinal surgery for vitreous hemorrhage, retained lens fragment, rhegmatogenous and tractional retinal detachment, macular hole, and macular pucker at the Jamaica Plain Campus of the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System in Boston, MA. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted on Medline. Data from several large case series and meta-analyses were compared to results obtained at the VA Boston. A total of 208 veterans underwent vitreoretinal surgery from January 2005 to December 2007. After excluding those with rare diagnoses and lack of adequate follow-up data, the outcomes of 181 vitreoretinal procedures were included in this study. Overall, veterans at a regional referral center in Boston demonstrate postoperative visual and anatomic outcomes comparable to outcomes reported in the ophthalmic literature.