71-Year-Old Cyclist’s Left Eye Saved by Minimally Invasive Capsule Technique
Release time: Feb 27,2025
On February 21, 2025, the Hubei Provincial People’s Hospital (Hongshan Campus) successfully performed a third-generation foldable capsular vitreous body (FCVB) surgery. Professor Du Lei’s team implanted a third-generation FCVB in a silicone oil-dependent eye patient, successfully preserving the eyeball.
On February 21, 2025, the Hubei Provincial People’s Hospital (Hongshan Campus) successfully performed a third-generation foldable capsular vitreous body (FCVB) surgery. Professor Du Lei’s team implanted a third-generation FCVB in a silicone oil-dependent eye patient, successfully preserving the eyeball. FCVB, a cutting-edge eyeball-preservation technology, offers new treatment options for patients with severe retinal detachment, ocular trauma, and silicone oil-dependent fundus diseases, playing a critical role in salvaging eyeballs.
Case Overview
Seventy-one-year-old Grandma Huang (pseudonym) suffered a left eye injury from a cycling fall four months ago. Emergency diagnosis at the hospital revealed a left globe rupture, and she immediately underwent debridement suturing + vitrectomy + silicone oil tamponade. Postoperatively, her left eye vision was limited to light perception. After four months of follow-up, she was diagnosed withsilicone oil-dependent eye.
Silicone Oil-Dependent Eye Explained
Due to the non-regenerative nature of natural vitreous, vitreoretinal diseases require surgical removal of the natural vitreous, followed by implantation of an artificial vitreous substitute. Silicone oil is currently the most common clinical filler. However, long-term silicone oil tamponade often leads to complications such as secondary cataracts, secondary glaucoma, corneal degeneration, and silicone oil emulsification. In severe cases, patients may face eyeball atrophy or enucleation with ocular prosthesis implantation, impacting their appearance, quality of life, and mental health.
Treatment Decision
During the admission evaluation, Director Du Lei and his team analyzed Grandma Huang’s condition and conducted preoperative discussions. The patient and family strongly desired to preserve her light perception in the left eye. After thorough communication, Professor Du recommended the third-generation foldable capsular vitreous body balloon (FCVB) surgery to save the eyeball.
Surgical Procedure and Outcome
Using a minimally invasive approach, Professor Du implanted the folded FCVB through a small incision, then injected silicone oil into the balloon via a drainage valve to support the retina and maintain intraocular pressure. The third-generation FCVB was successfully implanted. Postoperatively, the patient’s anterior and posterior chamber depths were normal, intraocular pressure stabilized at ~21 mmHg, light perception was preserved, and no other discomfort was reported. The family expressed deep gratitude to Professor Du’s team for the satisfying results.
Postoperative examination showed that the retinal holes in the right eye were located on the indentation position and attached well, and the rest of the examination results were basically the same as before.
