[Vitrectomy without scleral buckle versus ab-externo approach for pseudophakic retinal detachment: comparative retrospective study].
OBJECTIVE
Retinal detachment (RD) is a major complication of cataract surgery, which can be treated by either primary vitrectomy without indentation or the scleral buckling procedure. The aim of this study is to compare the results of these two techniques for the treatment of pseudophakic RD.


METHODS
The charts of 40 patients (40 eyes) treated with scleral buckling for a primary pseudophakic RD were retrospectively studied and compared to the charts of 32 patients (32 eyes) treated with primary vitrectomy without scleral buckle during the same period by the same surgeons. To obtain comparable samples, patients with giant retinal tears, vitreous hemorrhage, and severe preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) were not included. Minimal follow-up was 6 months.


RESULTS
The primary success rate was 84% in the vitrectomy group and 82.5% in the ab-externo group. Final anatomical success was observed in 100% of cases in the vitrectomy group and in 95% of cases in the ab-externo group. Final visual acuity was 0.5 or better in 44% of cases in the vitrectomy group and 37.5% in the ab-externo group. The duration of the surgery was significantly lower in the ab-externo group, whereas the hospital stay tended to be lower in the vitrectomy group. In the vitrectomy group, postoperative PVR developed in 3 eyes and new or undetected breaks were responsible for failure of the initial procedure in 2 eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary vitrectomy appears to be as effective as scleral buckling procedures for the treatment of pseudophakic RD.
Le Rouic
J F
JF
Service d'Ophtalmologie, Hôtel-Dieu, 1, place du parvis Notre-Dame, 75004 Paris, France.
Behar-Cohen
F
F
Azan
F
F
Bertin
S
S
Bettembourg
O
O
Rumen
F
F
Caudron
C
C
Renard
G
G
Chauvaud
D
D
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000150:complications*; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012591:Scleral Buckling; D013997:Time Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods*
D005466:Fluorocarbons
Traitement du décollement de rétine du pseudophaque: étude rétrospective comparant la vitrectomie sans indentation au traitement ab-externo.