Long-Term Outcomes on Quality of Life Following Sutureless Vitrectomy for Symptomatic Vitreous Floaters

Abstract

Purpose: To assess quality of life over long-term follow-up in patients who received sutureless pars plana vitrectomy for symptomatic vitreous floaters, with short-term safety reexamined. Methods: A single-center, consecutive case series with retrospective analysis of clinical and surgical records preceding and following sutureless pars plana vitrectomy was conducted from May 2022 to December 2022. Descriptive statistics compared data preceding surgery to last clinic visit. A 10-item quality-of-life questionnaire was then distributed to patients 4 to 7 years following surgery, after institutional review board–approved consent was obtained via telephone. Results: A total of 142 eyes (117 patients) underwent sutureless 25- or 27-gauge pars plana vitrectomy for symptomatic vitreous floaters. Overall mean (± SD) best-available Snellen visual acuity was 20/30 (0.2 ± 0.2 logMAR) preoperatively, which improved to 20/25 (0.1 ± 0.2 logMAR) postoperatively (P < .01). Early postoperative complications occurred in 7 (4.9%) of 142 eyes, of which 4 had transient cystoid macular edema, and 3 had a vitreous hemorrhage (1 of which had an additional surgery). Survey responses were collected on 71.1% of eyes, with 91.1% of patients rating the procedure a “complete or significant success,” and the same percentage recommending family members undergo the procedure. Floaters impacted quality of life moderately or severely before vitrectomy in 94.1% of patients. Recurrence of any floaters occurred in 31.7% of eyes, with 26.7% experiencing only mild symptoms, 3% having no symptoms at the time of survey, and 2% having significant floaters. No specific preoperative characteristics were found to be predictive of a dissatisfied patient or a significant recurrence of vitreous floaters. Conclusions: Long-term patient-reported outcomes of sutureless pars plana vitrectomy for symptomatic floaters demonstrated improvements in patient quality of life and visual outcomes, with a low rate of complications. Sutureless vitrectomy should be considered for symptomatic patients who report their subjective severity of daily symptoms as “moderate” or “severe” floaters.