Recent developments in imaging and surgical vision technologies currently available for improving vitreoretinal surgery: a narrative review

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Recent technologies and new devices continue to be developed in vitreoretinal surgeries, and they provide more details, enhance safety, improve surgeons’ comfort, and better visual and anatomical outcomes. Some devices have been used for better visualization during surgery, and some help the operation performance. They are divided into the following titles: Intraoperative OCT (including hand-held, probe-integrated, and microscope-integrated OCT), three-dimensional visualization system, virtual reality system, endoscopic vitrectomy (fiber optics and non-fiber optics), wide-angle viewing systems (contact and non-contact lenses), endo-illumination, light filters, chromovitrectomy, the retinal prosthesis (including epiretinal, subretinal, and suprachoroidal devices), robot-assisted vitreoretinal surgery, newer Vitreoretinal instruments, gene and cell therapy.

Areas covered

In this narrative review, we focused on PubMed articles between 2010–2023 with these keywords: ‘Optical Coherence Tomography,’ ‘Three-Dimensional,’ ‘Virtual System,’ ‘intraoperative,’ ‘endoscopic,’ ‘vitrectomy,’ ‘lens,’ ‘illumination,’ ‘filters,’ ‘chromovitrectomy,’ ‘prosthesis,’ ‘robotic surgery,’ ‘instrument,’ ‘gene,’ ‘cell.’

Expert opinion

The main aim of this review is to update the reader on the latest progression in intraoperative imaging and surgical vision technologies and to provide an understanding of how each has helped improve operation and surgical outcomes. The surgeons should know recent updates to do their best and achieve the most excellent results.

KEYWORDS:

• Optical Coherence Tomography
• virtual system
• vitrectomy
• illumination
• filters
• chromovitrectomy
• prosthesis
• robotic surgery
• gene

Article highlights

• Intraoperative OCT helps in surgical decision-making.

• 3D visualization and virtual reality systems provide higher resolution imaging and better ergonomics.

• newer endoscopic vitrectomy systems make a better field of view and higher resolution.

• Advances wide angle viewing systems are thinner and provide higher field of view.

• Endoillumination devices, light filters, and choromovitrectomy result in better resolution and lower retinal phototoxicity.

• Newer surgical instruments increase the precision of surgeries.

• Retinal prosthesis helps people with low vision to enhance their quality of life.

• Robot assisted surgeries create revolution in eye surgeries.

• Gene and cell therapy have helped retinal diseases that had no cure until now.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Declaration of interest

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Author contributions

Elham Sadeghi contributed to the writing and editing. Sashwanthi Mohan and Danilo Iannetta contributed to the writing. Jay chhablani contributed to the study design, writing, and editing.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.