Combining a contact lens and wide-angle viewing system for a wider fundus view.

摘要

The use of wide-angle viewing systems during vitrectomy has gained in popularity because surgeons can see a wide fundus area simultaneously and can correctly evaluate the pathogenesis during surgery. The usefulness of these systems is more important during microincision vitrectomy surgery, in which a 25- or 23-gauge system is used without a conjunctival incision because it is difficult to indent the sclera to see the far peripheral retina. Two types of wide-angle viewing systems, the contact lens system and the noncontact lens systems, are available; each has advantages and disadvantages. A disadvantage of the noncontact lens system is corneal surface drying, which results in a blurred fundus view. Surgical assistants periodically irrigate the corneal surface with water, although the use of a viscoelastic material on the corneal surface may decrease the need for frequent irrigation. Water droplets may come into contact with the lens surface, which also reduces the quality of the surgical field view. We report the usefulness of combining a wide-angle viewing system and a magnifying contact lens to provide a wider fundus view without the help of a surgical assistant.