Treatments & Testing

Pneumatic Retinopexy

Pneumatic retinopexy is an in-office surgical procedure for selected retinal detachments — offering effective repair without the need for an operating room in the right candidates.

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What Is Pneumatic Retinopexy?

Pneumatic retinopexy is a procedure used to repair certain types of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. It involves injecting a small gas bubble into the vitreous cavity. The bubble rises and pushes against the retinal break, stopping fluid from passing through and allowing the retina to reattach.

How the Procedure Works

The procedure is performed in the office under local anesthesia. A small amount of gas is injected into the eye. Cryotherapy or laser is then applied around the retinal tear to permanently seal it. After the procedure, patients are required to maintain a specific head position for several days to keep the gas bubble over the retinal break.

Who Is a Candidate?

Pneumatic retinopexy works best for detachments with a single tear or a cluster of tears in the superior portion of the retina, without extensive subretinal fluid or proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Patient selection is critical.

Important: Patients must avoid air travel and high altitude until the gas bubble fully absorbs, as altitude changes can cause the bubble to expand and dangerously raise eye pressure. The bubble typically resolves within 2–8 weeks depending on the gas used.

Recovery

Recovery involves strict positional requirements for several days, followed by close monitoring to confirm reattachment. Success rates in appropriately selected patients are comparable to surgical alternatives, with faster visual recovery and no operating room requirement.

Next Steps

Retinal detachment repair requires prompt evaluation

Contact us to discuss whether pneumatic retinopexy or another repair approach is right for you.

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