PEDIATRIC VITREORETINAL SURGERY TIPS The youngest patients require some extra care in the OR. Here’s what you need to know

There are significant anatomical differences between pediatric and adult eyes that have important implications for pediatric vitreoretinal surgery. For example, posterior segment volume is less than 50% at birth, and axial length is approximately 70% compared with an adult eye.1 Pars plana width is an important consideration to avoid injury to the lens or retina during trocar placement. The infant lens is thicker and more spherical, and the lens-to-globe ratio is greater in children.2 The hyaloid is very adherent to the retina in young children, and vitreous removal may be difficult.3 Here, we highlight a variety of surgical considerations in pediatric cases.

Duke Scholars

Author Lejla Vajzovic Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery

Author Vahid Ownagh