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Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining intravitreal dexamethasone implantation (Ozurdex) with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV)., Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on cases where Ozurdex injection was performed in the operating room in conjunction with pars plana vitrectomy. Our primary outcome measure was the presence of surgical complications in the perioperative and 3-month postoperative window. We also measured visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and macular edema at baseline, one, and 3 months after surgery., Results: Fifteen eyes in 14 cases were reviewed. There were no complications intraoperatively or at 1-month postoperatively. Two patients (2 eyes) with prior retinal detachment developed proliferative vitreoretinopathy and redetachment at 3 months. Visual acuity improved in 7 of 15 eyes, and an average improvement of 2 lines was achieved for the entire cohort. There was no overall change in intraocular pressure although 1 patient developed an increase in intraocular pressure >5 mmHg. Five of 9 patients with baseline macular edema experienced improvement or resolution at 3 months., Conclusion: Intraoperative Ozurdex in combination with PPV may be safe and effective in treating macular edema caused by many different underlying diseases., Competing Interests: Disclosures: None.

Purpose: To describe a technique of surgical intraocular embolectomy in patients with acute fovea-threatening branch retinal artery occlusion., Methods: Pars plana vitrectomy with embolectomy involving embolus isolation, dissection, and removal in patients with an acute fovea-threatening arterial occlusion without a patent cilioretinal artery., Results: The surgical technique involves a core vitrectomy. The blocked artery is incised using a microvitreoretinal blade, and microsurgical forceps are used to retrieve the embolus. No significant complications were noted. The study technique offers an excellent safety profile and minimizes the risk of vitreous hemorrhage by carefully dissecting the vascular adventitial sheath and isolating the embolus., Conclusion: Surgical embolectomy is a viable technique for patients with acute fovea-threatening arterial occlusions without patent cilioretinal artery. Careful dissection and retrieval of the embolus minimizes the risk of vitreous hemorrhage, which is an important improvement in previous techniques for management of acute retinal arterial occlusions., Competing Interests: None of the authors have any financial/conflicting interests to disclose.

Purpose: Elevated intraocular pressure is relatively common following pars plana vitrectomy and intraocular gas tamponade. We discuss a series of patients who experienced elevated intraocular pressure from pupillary block and angle closure secondary to trapped gas in the posterior chamber., Methods: Case series., Results: Case 1 is a patient who underwent pars plana vitrectomy for retinal detachment repair. The intraocular pressure was elevated on postoperative Day 3 because of trapped gas in the posterior chamber, and it did not lower with prone positioning, maximal medical therapy, and laser peripheral iridotomies. Aspiration of the trapped gas was done with the patient sitting upright using a 27-gauge needle at the limbus, which was curative. Case 2 provides anterior-segment optical coherence tomography images that confirmed the location of the trapped gas resulting in angle closure. Case 3 demonstrates the unfortunate sequelae of a central retinal artery occlusion following delayed recognition of this entity. Case 4 highlights the challenges encountered when migratory gas is also seen elsewhere in the eye., Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of elevated intraocular pressure secondary to trapped gas in the posterior chamber, which may be recalcitrant to medical therapy. Aspiration of the trapped gas can alleviate both pupillary block and angle closure without compromising the gas tamponade.

Purpose: The role of face-down posturing after macular hole (MH) surgery remains unclear and controversial. We evaluated the anatomical and visual outcomes of MH repair using a short duration (3 days) of prone positioning., Methods: Prospective series of 50 consecutive eyes in 50 patients with Stage 2 or Stage 3 idiopathic MHs. All eyes underwent vitrectomy MH surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling and 20% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas tamponade. The procedure was combined with phacoemulsification cataract surgery in phakic eyes. Surgical outcomes, MH closure rates, complications, and postoperative visual acuity were investigated., Results: Anatomical closure of MHs was achieved in 49 (98%) of 50 eyes by 1 surgery. Postoperative logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity decreased (i.e., improved) by 0.271 (95% confidence interval, 0.101-0.441 [P = 0.0024]). One complication of intraocular lens pupillary capture and one case of chronic cystoid macular edema were observed. There were no complications attributed to intraocular pressure fluctuations., Conclusion: Vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling and gas tamponade with SF6 followed by short-duration 3-day face-down positioning is a successful surgical intervention for Stage 2 and Stage 3 idiopathic MHs. This method possessed minimal complications and offered significant improvement in visual acuity.