Materials and Methods: Eighty two eyes of 77 children between 0-16 yers old underwent PPV in our clinic between 2001-2004 were enrolled to the study. Data about vitrectomy indications, vitrectomy techniques and complications were obtained from patients files retrospectively. Reattachment of the retina was considered as anatomical succes. Visual acuity equal to or better than 0,1 and 0,025 were accepted as fonctional succes and ambulatory vision respectively.

Results: Fifty seven patients were male and 20 of them were female. Mean age was 9.3±4.5 years. PPV indications were congenital anomalies in 4 eyes, retinal detachment in 18 eyes, traumatic posterior segment complications in 57 eyes, postoperative endophthalmitis in 2 eyes and posterior segment complications of uveitis in 1 eye. Lensectomy was performed in 48 eyes, encircling band placement in 41 eyes, retinotomy in 24 eyes and silicone oil injection in 44 eyes during PPV. Anatomical succes was achieved in 60 (73.2%) eyes after mean follow-up of 9.1±8.0 months. Ambulatory vision was present in 38 (80.8%) eyes and functional success in 22 (46.8%) of those 47 eyes in whom visual acuity testing could be done. Mean preoperative and postoperative visual acuities were 0.002±0.056 and 0.022±0.097, respectively and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Hypotony occurred in 24 eyes, cyclitic membrane in 9 eyes, corneal opacity in 11 eyes and retinal redetachment in 24 eyes.

Conclusion: We found that anatomical success was relatively high but functional success was lower following PPV in childhood. Ambulatory vision was able to be achieved in the majority of patients. Keywords : Pars plana vitrectomy, childhood