INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE ANALYSIS AFTER SCLERAL BUCKLING SURGERY

C.R. Lauretti, R. Jorge, F.P. Sabbag, J.S. Paula, A. Komatsu and

E. Romao

Department of Opthalmology, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, Brazil

Purpose: To verify the intraocular pressure (IOP) from patients submitted to a scleral buckling procedure and to verify a relationship between associated intravitreal injection of perfluoropropane (C3F8) and higher levels of IOP.

Methods: The data from thirty five patients who underwent a scleral buckling procedure between July 1998 and December 1999 were retrospectively analyzed, regarding the use or not of intravitreal C3F8 and regarding the IOP measured in the following post-operative (PO) times: first day, 1 week and 1 month after (late measure) scleral buckling.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference (p<0,001) between the first post-operative day IOP value and the late IOP one, and there was no difference between the first PO day IOP and the 1-week PO IOP values. There was also no statistical difference in the IOP post-operatives values between the patients who C3F8 was injected intravitreouslly and those who were not.

Conclusion: The level of IOP in patients after scleral buckling is higher in the close post-operative period and it is not related to the intravitreal use of C3F8.