Prospective Telemedicine Postoperative Protocol Following Microincision Vitrectomy Surgery (MIVS)

Retrospective studies show a low proportion of postoperative (PO) complications or alterations in management after Microincision Vitrectomy Surgery (MIVS). To our knowledge, this is the first prospective analysis of a telemedicine alternative to the standard practice for PO visits after MIVS. The purpose of this study is to evaluate telemedicine for the management of postoperative visits (POV) following MIVS.
Ongoing randomized, prospective study with 53 patients assigned (1:1) to two arms of POV schedules including Virtual Telemedicine visits (VT) vs. In-person Telemedicine (IP) visits. POV schedules in both groups included visits on the same day after surgery and week(s) 1, 2, 8, and 12. Complete exams with visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and dilated fundus exams of the operative eye were performed by the retina surgeon on day 0, weeks 2 and 12 in both groups. Protocolized focused undilated exams on weeks 1 and 8 either remotely (VT group) or in-person (IP group). Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U tests between groups using Microsoft Excel.
Primary outcome, mean POV logMAR BCVA, showed no statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.70) between VT and IP groups. Other pre- and post-surgical comparisons (e.g. IOP, RNFL score) showed no statistical differences. No post-surgical complications have been noted.
Telemedicine-assisted POV may be a safe and convenient alternative for patients undergoing uncomplicated MIVS, but additional and larger studies are needed.