Retinal blood flow analysis using intraoperative video fluorescein angiography combined with optical fiber-free intravitreal surgery system.

Abstract

To report a new method to perform intraoperative video fluorescein angiography (VFA) using an optical fiber-free intravitreal surgery system (OFFISS) and retinal blood flow analysis during surgery. Observational case series. Four eyes of four patients with macular edema as a result of branch retinal vein occlusion underwent vitrectomy and intraoperative VFA with a bolus of 0.8 ml fluorescein dye. The segmental blood flow was calculated using dye dilution technique. Intraocular pressure was maintained at 15 mm Hg. The VFA was clearly recorded with stable excitation light and very little eye movement under retrobulbar anesthesia. The segmental blood flow of the affected vessels (6.1 +/- 1.2 pixel(2)/s) was significantly lower than that of the healthy vessels (17.9 +/- 7.9 pixel(2)/s) (P < .05). The combination of VFA and OFFISS can facilitate intraoperative VFA, and may be useful for evaluating retinal blood flow during surgery.