There has been ongoing progress in the new technique and equipment in vitreoretinal surgery in recent years, contributing to the improvement of treatment of various vitreoretinal diseases. The application of 3D heads-up display viewing system (3D viewing system) has been one of the most fascinating breakthroughs in vitreoretinal surgery. Unlike the traditional method in which the surgeons have to look through the microscope eyepieces, this system allows them to turn their heads up and operate with their eyes on a high-definition 3D monitor. It provides the surgeons with superior visualization and stereoscopic sensation. And increasing studies have revealed it to be as safe and effective as the traditional microscopic system. Furthermore, the surgeons can keep a heads-up position in a more comfortable posture and lesson the pressure on cervical spine. Meanwhile, 3D viewing system makes it easier for the teaching and learning process among surgeons and assistants. However, there are still potential disadvantages including the latency between surgeon maneuver and visualization on the display, learning curves and cost. We hope that the 3D viewing system will be widely used and become a useful new tool for various vitreoretinal diseases in the near future with rapid development in the technology and constant upgrade of the system.
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the key characteristic of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), and the effective therapy is intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents based on clinical and basic research. In the meantime the challenge is how to further improve the inhibiting effect for CNV and visual function of anti-VEGF treatment on nAMD. The new strategy and drug delivery devices for anti-VEGF treatment will optimize the clinical scheme. From bench to bedside, the research on targeted treatment of angiogenesis brings the bloom of nAMD medical therapy.
Optical imaging technology of ocular fundus, including fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), is growing at an unprecedented speed and scale and is integrating into the routine clinical management of ocular fundus diseases, such as diagnosis, treatment, and mechanism study. While FFA allow us to observe the retinal and choroidal blood circulation, OCT and FAF are non-invasive, fast and quantifiable measurement; such techniques show even more unique advantages and are favored tools. All these retinal imaging technologies, together with a variety of retinal function assessments, bring us into the era of big data of ocular fundus diseases. All of these developments are the challenges and opportunities for the operator and user of these fundus optics imaging technologies. In order to improve its clinical applications and allocate resources rationally, we need to understand the optical properties of these retinal imaging technologies, and standardize diagnosis behavior. This is a continuous learning process needs to continue to explore.