Temperature monitoring in vitreoretinal surgery

Abstract

AbstractPurposeTo study the dynamics of epibulbar and intraocular temperature during vitreoretinal surgery.MethodsThis pilot study included 20 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (10 eyes) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (10 eyes). All patients underwent vitreoretinal surgery with room temperature irrigation solution. In all cases, the ambient temperature, the patient's body temperature, the temperature of the irrigating solution, temperature in the anterior, mid‐ and posterior vitreous were recorded during surgery. Pre and post‐operative thermometry was also performed on the outer ocular surface.ResultsDuring vitreoretinal surgery with room temperature (24.2 ± 0.52°C) irrigation solution, a decrease in temperature (p < 0.001) versus the initial one was found in all segments of the vitreous cavity. In the absence of continuous irrigation, a rapid rewarming of the vitreous cavity was noted (an average of 0.18°C per minute). Our study also demonstrated the presence of regional hyperthermia of the operated eye in a number of patients (25%) in the post‐operative period.ConclusionsCurrent research shows that vitreoretinal surgery is performed under conditions of uncontrolled local ocular hypothermia is characterized by a rapid uncontrolled rewarming of the vitreous cavity after cessation of cooling, and in the post‐operative period, local hyperthermia of the operated eye is observed in a number of patients.