Vitreoretinal Surgery in the Post-Lockdown Era: Making the Case for Combined Phacovitrectomy
covid-19, Cataract, Epiretinal Membrane, macular hole, Retinal detachment, vitreoretinal surgery, phacovitrectomy
Fares Antaki,1 Daniel Milad,2 Simon Javidi,1 Ali Dirani3 1Department of Ophthalmology, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada; 2Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Centre Universitaire d’Ophtalmologie, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, QC, CanadaCorrespondence: Ali DiraniDepartment of Ophthalmology, Centre Universitaire d’Ophtalmologie, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, CanadaEmail drdirani@gmail.comAbstract: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly limited the capacity of healthcare systems to provide elective services like cataract surgery. Cataract formation is a frequent complication after pars plana vitrectomy. In this paper, we review the pros and cons of combined phacovitrectomy as opposed to sequential surgery in the post-pandemic era. In particular, we discuss the patient-level visual benefits and societal economic advantages of this procedure.Keywords: COVID-19, phacovitrectomy, vitreoretinal surgery, retinal detachment, macular hole, epiretinal membrane, cataract