Effect of oxygenated intraocular irrigation solutions on the electroretinogram after vitrectomy

Purpose: To investigate the effect of oxygenated intraocular irrigating solutions on electroretinograms (ERGs) for postvitrectomy rabbits. Methods: Eight groups of five rabbits each underwent pars plana vitrectomy on the right eye; the left eye of each rabbit served as control. The intraocular irrigating solutions were balanced salt solution (BSS), BSS-plus, BSS + oxygen (BSS + O-2), BSS-plus + O-2 and combinations of each with the addition of endoillumination (L). All animals were evaluated by single-flash scotopic electroretinography on the operated and nonoperated eyes before surgery and at 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after surgery by an unmasked observer. The main outcome measures were dark-adapted b-wave amplitudes of operated eye/nonoperated eye ratios. The results for the different groups were compared by analysis of variance. Results: Mean dark-adapted b-wave amplitudes of operated eye/nonoperated eye ratios +/- SD for BSS-plus and BSS-plus + O-2 before surgery and 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after surgery were 1.01 +/- 0.09, 0.50 +/- 0.11, 0.95 +/- 0.11, 0.97 +/- 0.11, and 0.99 +/- 0.08 and 0.98 +/- 0.08, 0.59 +/- 0.10, 0.92 +/- 0.06, 0.97 +/- 0.08, and 0.97 +/- 0.10, respectively. At both 1 hour and 1 day after surgery, rabbits treated with BSS-plus + O-2 had an earlier b-wave return to baseline findings, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Mean dark-adapted b-wave amplitudes of operated eye/nonoperated eye ratios +/- SD for BSS and BSS + O-2 before surgery and 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after surgery were 1.02 +/- 0.10, 0.47 +/- 0.09, 0.77 +/- 0.07, 0.89 +/- 0.07, and 0.89 +/- 0.07 and 1.02 +/- 0.06, 0.62 +/- 0.16, 0.94 +/- 0.09, 0.97 +/- 0.08, and 0.96 +/- 0.06, respectively. One hour and 1 day after surgery, ERG readings for rabbits treated with BSS + O-2 exhibited a statistically significantly earlier return of ERG voltage to baseline values compared with both BSS and BSS + L (P = 0.05 and P = 0.02, respectively). One day after surgery, rabbits treated with BSS alone had the lowest ERG ratios. One week and 1 month after surgery, for all solutions tested other than BSS, ERG values were within normal limits. Conclusion: The use of oxygenated solutions appears to affect ERG readings after pars plana vitrectomy. Further studies to evaluate the role of oxygenated solutions in different vitreoretinal surgical procedures are warranted.