In-office suprachoroidal viscopexy minimally invasive technique for RRD repair that requires no incisions

Rhegmatogenous types of retinal detachments are the most common. Rhegmatogenous detachments are caused by a hole or tear in the retina that allows fluid to pass through and collect underneath the retina. This fluid builds up and causes the retina to pull away from underlying tissues. The areas where the retina detaches lose their blood supply and stop working, causing you to lose vision.

In-office suprachoroidal viscopexy (SCVEXY) is a minimally invasive technique for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair that can be performed with no incision, no tamponade agent, and no positioning requirements. This technique has the potential to be a step forward in the armamentarium to treat RRDs.

In this single-case report with short follow-up, a man in his 50s with pseudophakia and recent visual loss presented to St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, with a fovea-off RRD in the right eye, extending from 6 to 10 o’clock, with no visible causative retinal break. Method includes Injection of suprachoroidal sodium hyaluronate, 1%, in the region of the suspected break, using a 30-gauge needle with a custom-made guard that exposed only 1 mm of the needle.

After the procedure, a dome-shaped choroidal convexity was present in the superior temporal area. The patient achieved macular reattachment in less than 24 hours with no postoperative abnormalities, such as outer retinal folds, residual subfoveal fluid, or retinal displacement, with rapid recovery of the outer retinal bands on optical coherence tomography. The optical coherence tomography scans acquired in the area of the choroidal convexity demonstrated the location of the viscoelastic material in the suprachoroidal space. Laser retinopexy was applied in the suspected region of the retinal tear, and the patient was able to resume normal activity immediately after the procedure with no restrictions.

Suprachoroidal viscopexy is feasible as an in-office technique to create a temporary choroidal buckle for RRD repair. It is a minimally invasive procedure with the potential to maximize anatomical outcomes of integrity and postoperative functional outcomes in RRD because its mechanism of action does not require drainage of subretinal fluid or intraocular gas tamponade. Nevertheless, this was a single-case report with short follow-up, which limits the ability to determine the procedure’s benefits, potential adverse events, failure rates, and best-case selection. Further work is required to refine the procedure and assess its efficacy and safety.

Source: Muni RH, Melo IM, Pecaku A, Mannina A, Batawi H, Bansal A. In-Office Suprachoroidal Viscopexy for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Repair. JAMA Ophthalmol.

doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2023.3785