ASSESSMENT: Inflow outflow compensation factors may benefit IOP stability when performing vitrectomy. Our goal is to demonstrate that increased usability is achievable without sacrificing vitrectomy efficiency.

METHODS: Tests were performed with the Stellaris Elite vision enhancement system and the BL-PAF Bi-Blade® dual-action vitrectomy probes. Infusion pressure, vitrectomy time and aspiration volume were measured. Statistical significance was calculated using a two-tailed t-test with α = 0.05.

RESULTS: There was statistically significant improvement when comparing the PAF system to the conventional intraocular pressure control system at all tested cut rate levels: at the maximum cut rate, IOP was 21.4 mmHg with PAF compared to 17.1 mmHg with the conventional system. The average flow rate using BL-PAF was 1.84±0.05 ml/min, comparable to the average flow rate of the conventional system (1.85±0.05 ml/min) (cut rate = 15,000 cuts/min, vacuum = 650 mmHg, p>0.4).

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the PAF and 25g dual-action cutters increase usability of the Stellaris Elite vision enhancement system by providing tighter IOP control during vitrectomy with no statistically significant trade-off in flow rate or vitrectomy time.