Clinical Performance of 18-mm Short Vitrectomy Probe for Retinal Surgery in Pediatric Patients

Background To report the surgical outcomes, safety, effectiveness, and reliability of 18-millimeter short vitrectomy probes in pediatric vitreoretinal surgery. Methods This was a prospective, interventional study. We recruited participants under 18 years of age scheduled for vitrectomy due to various etiologies at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou branch, from 2022 to 2025. Comprehensive pre-and postoperative ocular examinations were performed. The primary outcome measures were the safety of the instrument, including the durability and incidence of iatrogenic complications such as lens touch and retinal injury. The secondary outcome measured the overall comfort and reliability of the instrument during surgery, as assessed by a retinal surgeon using a questionnaire. Results Sixteen children (18 eyes) were enrolled with a mean age of 4.9 ± 4.3 years old. No incidences of instrument bending, iatrogenic retinal injury, or other complications occurred during surgery. The instrument received a top rating of 4.6 out of 5 for the overall comfort rated by the surgeon. Average ease of instrument rotation, ease of instrument extension to the peripheral retina, and ease of eyeball rotation were rated as 4.5 ± 0.7, 4.3 ± 0.9, and 4.6 ± 0.6 out of 5 points, respectively. Sixteen eyes (88.9%) achieved their surgical goals. Conclusions The 18-millimeter short vitrectomy probe is a safe and effective surgical instrument for pediatric vitrectomy, which improves the overall comfort of retinal surgeons and ensures success in pediatric vitreoretinal surgeries.