Enzyme-assisted vitrectomy with bacterial collagenase. Pilot human studies.

ABSTRACT

Clostridiopeptidase A, a bacterial collagenase, was used to assist vitrectomy with membrane stripping in six patients with dense intravitreal fibroproliferative tissue associated with retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, or proliferative vitreoretinopathy. When it was injected intra-operatively, allowed to incubate for 15 minutes, and then removed by irrigation/aspiration, no side effects of lens opacity, lens dislocation, or retinal hemorrhage were observed. Use of this enzyme may facilitate removal of fibroproliferative tissue in certain difficult vitrectomy cases.