Scleral buckling technique without retinopexy for treatment of rhegmatogeneous: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of retinopexy in the surgical management of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) without proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The primary outcome was retinal attachment, and secondary outcomes were visual acuity results and complications.


METHODS
A randomized controlled trial including 60 patients with RD caused by a break or a group of breaks no larger than one clock hour. Thirty eyes received no retinopexy (group 1), and 30 eyes received transscleral cryotherapy (group 2). An encircling buckle was placed in all eyes. In eyes with posterior breaks, segmental buckles were also added. In some eyes, subretinal fluid drainage or anterior chamber paracentesis and/or intravitreal air bubble injection was performed.


RESULTS
No differences were found between the groups in terms of the preoperative clinical variables evaluated: age; sex; axial length; lens status; type, number, and location of breaks; extension of detachment; and macula status. There were no differences in the surgical procedures performed. The reattachment rate in group 1 was 90%, and in group 2, it was 87% (a difference that was not significant [P = 1.00]). Final visual acuity improved by two lines or more in 22 patients in group 1 and in 20 patients in group 2 (P = 0.317).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that primary rhegmatogenous RD can be successfully treated with scleral buckling without retinopexy.
Figueroa
Marta S
MS
Department of Ophthalmology, Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Corte
Michelle Della
MD
Sbordone
Sandro
S
Romano
Antonio
A
Alvarez
Maria T
MT
Villalba
Símon J
SJ
Schirru
Alessandro
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012591:Scleral Buckling / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity