Abstract
Perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs) are useful and safe surgical tools in vitreoretinal surgery. The use of PFCL as a tamponade has been controversial due to the corneal toxicity, retinal infiltration, and inflammatory reaction in experimental studies. Several authors have studied in humans the anatomical and functional outcome and adverse effects of perfluorocarbon liquids used as short-, medium-, and long-term tamponade. PFCLs develop dispersion a few days after injection and droplets may move into the anterior chamber and cause corneal endothelial damage. When PFCLs are used as postoperative tamponades for more than one week, a foreign-body inflammatory reaction is observed in up to 30% of cases but such a reaction does not induce PVR, and it resolves after removal of PFCLs. Although most clinical studies have found no signs of retinal toxicity such as progressive visual acuity deterioration or macular anatomical changes, few performed ERG or retinal histological analysis.
Highlights
Perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs) were introduced by Chang in 1987 as a tool to manipulate the retina in retinal detachment (RD) surgery
PFCLs have even been used as perfusion fluid for the complete vitrectomy procedure in complex retinal detachment cases due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy, rhegmatogenous RD, or vitreous biopsy procedures [6, 7]
When half of the anterior chamber was filled with PFCLs the rabbit eye showed severe inflammation, mainly around the lower limbus in the first postoperative days
Summary
Perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs) were introduced by Chang in 1987 as a tool to manipulate the retina in retinal detachment (RD) surgery. PFCLs are synthetic fluorinated hydrocarbons fluids that are odorless and colorless, having low viscosity, and heavier than water These features make PFCLs extremely useful tools in vitreoretinal surgery. Their optical clarity and refractive index allow surgical maneuvers under a visible PFCL-fluid interface. Their weight flattens the retina from posterior to anterior whilst draining the subretinal fluid. Their high interfacial tension keeps the PFCL bubble as a single bubble. 2.5 summarize the current state of knowledge of the intraoperative and postoperative use of PFCLs [8, 9]
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