DISCOVER Study: Microscope-integrated Intraoperative OCT Study

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become a critical component to the evaluation of ophthalmic disease. Similar to the ultrasound, OCT uses light to reconstruct an image of the tissue of interest. In effect, OCT functions almost like a light biopsy, allowing clinicians to visualize subtle changes in the tissue, such as macular edema or subretinal fluid. OCT in the clinic setting has become the gold standard for monitoring diseases such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy;and it has become one of the most frequently ordered diagnostic test in ophthalmology. Due to the restraints in the size and structure of the imaging equipment, the use of OCT in the operating room has been limited. More recently, modifications to OCT table-tops models as well as the development of hand-held OCT probes have allowed for the translation of OCT technology into the operating room. The high resolution anatomic information that is gained from the OCT imaging is a natural complement to the ophthalmic surgeon. Using OCT during vitreoretinal surgery has revealed subtle changes in the microarchitecture of the retinal diseases such as retinal detachment, macular hole and optic pit, that were not previously known. Our research team has been examining intraoperative OCT in the operating room using both a handheld and microscope-mounted portable spectral domain OCT probe with excellent success and an outstanding safety record. In this study an OCT device that has been built into the microscope (rather than mounted on the side or held in the surgeon's hand) and will be utilized to take images at various milestones during surgery to assess feasibility and potential utility of this technology. Since it is built into the microscope, there are potential significant advantages over a separate system including increased efficiency, improved working distance, and the ability to visualize tissue-instrument interactions.