The Retina World Congress, a premier congress to discuss issues in retinal health, recently took place from May 12-15, 2022. During the Congress, various speakers and stakeholders discussed advances in retinal health and science. According to Healio, one such speaker was Dr. Virgilio Morales-Canton, MD, a retinal specialist. During Dr. Morales-Canton’s discussion, he spoke about pars plana victrectomy as an option for controlling and managing uveitis and its symptoms.

What is Pars Plana Victrectomy?

According to the Connecticut Retinal Consultants, pars plana victrectomy is:

a microsurgical procedure [which] can typically be performed under local anesthesia. The first step in this procedure is to remove the ‘vitreous gel’ that fills the back of the eye…[before] accessing the back of the eye through the ‘pars plana’ – a ‘safe zone’ to work that avoids damage to the retina and crystalline lens.

A pars plana victrectomy could be used to treat conditions such as a macular hole or pucker, retinal detachment, giant retinal tears, traumatic eye injuries, or endophthalmitis (an intraocular infection). Dr. Morales-Canton explains that victrectomy has significantly evolved over the last five decades, with new technology providing more safety.

Further, shares Dr. Morales-Canton, research highlights the efficacy of pars plana victrectomy in controlling inflammation, reducing macular edema, and providing disease control. Through this, patients may be able to reduce the amounts of medication they need and help regain some visual acuity.

In the prior 2-3 months before performing a pars plana victrectomy, however, doctors should aim to reduce and control uveitis-related inflammation. Dr. Morales-Canton suggests using steroid treatments for this cause.

He also shares that a victrectomy is not always necessary. If other therapeutic methods or options have not worked, or if individuals have some atypical uveitis, then pars plana victrectomy could be beneficial. However, understanding the patient condition and what would work best is most important.

About Uveitis

Uveitis refers to inflammation of the uvea, or the middle layer of the eye. Normally, the uvea helps protect the eyeball from damage and provides blood supply to the retina. However, uveitis can occur due to an eye injury, an infection, complications from an inflammatory or autoimmune condition, or (in many cases) an unknown cause. Uveitis typically affects those between ages 20-60. It can affect one or both eyes. Uveitis may affect different parts of the eye: iritis/anterior (front of the eye), cyclitis/intermediate (ciliary body), Choroiditis/posterior (retina/optic nerve), and pan-uveitis (all three major parts). Symptoms often appear suddenly and worsen rapidly, so it is important to visit your doctor if you are noticing any symptoms. These can include:

• Light sensitivity
• “Floaters” in your field of vision
• Eye redness and pain
• Blurred vision
• Vision loss

Learn more about uveitis here.