Vitrectomy combined with silicone oil tamponade in the treatment of severely traumatized eyes with the visual acuity of no light perception

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of surgical treatment of vitrectomy combined with silicone oil tamponade in the treatment of severely traumatized eyes with the visual acuity of no light perception (NLP).METHODS: This was a retrospective uncontrolled interventional case-series of 19 patients of severely traumatized eyes with NLP who underwent vitrectomy surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University (Qingdao, China) during a 3-year period. We recorded perioperative factors with the potential to influence functional outcome including duration from the injury to intervention; causes for ocular trauma; open globe or closed globe injury; grade of vitreous hemorrhage; grade of endophthalmitis; grade of retinal detachment; size and location of intraocular foreign body (IOFB); extent and position of retinal defect; grade of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR); type of surgery; perioperative complications and tamponade agent. The follow-up time was from 3 to 18 months, and the mean time was 12 months.RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 12 months (3-18 months) 10.53% (2/19) of eyes had visual acuity of between 20/60 and 20/400, 52.63% (10/19) had visual acuity less than 20/400 but more than NLP, and 36.84% (7/19) remained NLP. Visual acuity was improved from NLP to light perception (LP) or better in 63.16% (12/19) of eyes and the rate of complete retinal reattachment was 73.68% (14/19). Good visual acuity all resulted from those patients of blunt trauma with intact eyewall (closed globe injury). The perioperative factors of poor visual acuity prognosis included delayed intervention; open globe injury; endophthalmitis; severe retinal detachment; large IOFB; macular defect; a wide range of retinal defects and severe PVR.CONCLUSION:The main reasons of NLP after ocular trauma are severe vitreous hemorrhage opacity; refractive media opacity; retinal detachment; retinal and uveal damages and defects, especially defects of the macula; PVR and endophthalmitis. NLP after ocular trauma in some cases does not mean permanent vision loss. Early intervention of vitrectomy combined with silicone oil tamponade and achieving retinal reattachment of the remaining retina, may make the severely traumatized eyes regain the VA of LP or better.