|Articles|September 15, 2015

Violating ‘taboos’ to treat a suprachoroidal hemorrhage

A group of surgeons were faced with a suprachoroidal hemorrhage following trauma, and decided to break the ‘rules’ when tackling the case, and came out with surprisingly good results.

Take-home message: A group of surgeons were faced with a suprachoroidal hemorrhage following trauma, and decided to break the ‘rules’ when tackling the case, and came out with surprisingly good results.

 

By Laird Harrison; Reviewed by Matteo Forlini, MD  

Ravenna, Italy-Operating only 7 days after trauma causing a suprachoroidal hemorrhage, surgeons at Domus Nova Hospital, Ravenna, Italy, were able to reconstruct the iris and cornea, as well as treat the hemorrhage and implant an IOL in a single procedure.

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The 4-hour procedure violated more than one traditional “taboo” about treating this type of injury, said Matteo Forlini, MD.

Dr. Forlini and his father (Cesare Folini, MD) collaborated in a presentation on a case study of the procedure. Not only did they operate sooner than is usually recommended, they only used 3 trocars-all in the pars plana-to achieve suprachoroidal hemorrhage drainage. Also contrary to textbook advice, they removed the cornea.

The particular circumstances of the patient in this case necessitated these unusual steps, Dr. Forlini said.

Breakdown of events prior to surgery

Five years after receiving a cornea transplant, the 56-year-old man was in bed watching television. When he pulled the covers up, the remote control flew into his eye and hit the cornea at the site of the suture.

“It was very unlucky,” said Dr. Forlini, adding they decided to operate quickly.

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