Fang Y, et al. - Researchers probed into the incidence, risk factors, and treatment of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) 1 year after vitrectomy in eyes without a history of glaucoma or ocular hypertension. It was discovered that elevated IOP served as a common complication after vitrectomy. A correlation was unveiled between silicone oil tamponade with a greater risk of elevated IOP and it exerted long-term effects on IOP. Additionally, the findings revealed that drugs and surgery were used to control IOP, and few patients required long-term IOP-lowering therapy.

Methods

• An analysis was conducted of 256 eyes from 256 consecutive patients without a history of glaucoma or ocular hypertension who underwent vitrectomy and were followed up for 1 year.
• This was followed by an estimation of the incidence of elevated IOP at 1 year after vitrectomy.
• Researchers undertook a comparative examination of the characteristics of patients with or without elevated IOP with the intention of determining the possible risk factors for elevated IOP.
• The treatments used to control IOP were recorded and analyzed.

Results

• Elevated IOP was reported in 50 patients (19.5%) after vitrectomy at the 1-year follow-up.
• Tamponade was discovered to be a predominant risk factor for elevated IOP (P < 0.05).
• The cumulative rates of elevated IOP in eyes with air, balanced salt solution, sulfur hexafluoride, perfluoropropane (C3F8), and silicone oil as the tamponade were found to be 0, 10.8%, 5.9%, 19.8%, and 28.4%, respectively (P < 0.05).
• Occurrences of approximately 68% of cases of elevated IOP were noted within 1 month after vitrectomy.
• At 1 year after vitrectomy, 29 patients (58.0%) discontinued their IOP-lowering drugs and 21 (42.0%) patients were continuing these drugs.
• Discontinuation of IOP-lowering drugs was not noted in nearly 65% of ocular hypertension patients who received silicone oil tamponade.
• A substantially greater rate was disclosed than that of ocular hypertension patients who received C3F8 tamponade (18.2%, P < 0.05).