Assessment of ocular neuropathic pain following vitreoretinal surgery using 23-gauge sclerotomy

Ocular neuropathic pain refers to persistent post-operative perception of ocular discomfort in the absence of painful stimuli. This study investigates persistent ocular pain following 23-gauge pars plana vitreoretinal surgery. In the present study, patients who underwent either 23-gauge vitrectomy or silicone oil removal, under local or general anesthesia, were included. The symptoms of ocular neuropathic pain were evaluated using the brief pain inventory questionnaire before and 2 months after surgery. In addition, the impact of reported ocular symptoms on quality of life was assessed. We also evaluated the correlation between ocular pain and factors such as patient demographics and underlying systemic conditions. This study includes 75 eyes of 75 patients with an average age of 58.93 ± 12.05 years. Of the included patients, 31 (41.3%) were female. Among the participants, 67 (89.3%) underwent pars plana vitrectomy, and 8 (10.7%) experienced silicone oil removal surgery. Analysis using paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, based on data normality, indicated no significant change in eye pain scores 2 months after surgery. However, the percentage of patients using analgesics increased from 4% before surgery to 17.3% 2 months after surgery (P = 0.021). Furthermore, based on a linear regression model, patients who reported increased analgesic usage 2 months after surgery also scored worse on the quality-of-life questionnaire (P < 0.05). We also found that those who reported ocular pain, facial pain, and photophobia before surgery had a higher likelihood of using analgesics after surgery (P = 0.03, 0.003, and 0.001, respectively). In addition, regression analysis revealed that patients with migraine headaches and lower levels of education were more likely to develop eye symptoms postoperatively (P = 0.017 and 0.044, respectively). In conclusion, surgeries involving 23-gauge scleral incisions do not significantly induce ocular neuropathic pain within 2 months after surgery. However, there is an observed increase in the use of analgesics following surgery.