title: Ratio of primary episcleral buckling surgery versus primary vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the ratio of the frequency of primary scleral buckling procedures versus the frequency of vitrectomies performed as treatment for rhegmatogenous retinal detachments in a primary retinal surgical department.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included all patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachments who underwent retinal or vitreoretinal surgery in the study period from 2002 to 2006. The size of the retinal defect and the amount of proliferative vitreoretinopathy were not exclusion criteria. Patients with tractional retinal detachment due to proliferative ischemic retinopathies were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the study period, 875 primary retinal and vitreoretinal surgeries were performed on 875 eyes. Among the surgeries, episcleral sponges (42.9%) formed the largest part, followed by pars plana vitrectomies (35.0%) and encircling bands (22.2%). Combining episcleral sponges and encircling bands into an episcleral surgery group revealed that two thirds (65%) of the surgeries were episcleral interventions. In the episcleral sponge group, the retinal re-detachment rate after the first surgery was 13%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a university department as a primary referral unit for retinal detachments, episcleral retinal surgery can still outnumber vitreoretinal interventions, with retinal re-detachment rates which do not differ markedly from the re-detachment rates reported in randomized trials comparing vitreoretinal surgery with episcleral surgery.
authors.forename: Jost B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mangler
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Schlichtenbrede
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009885:Ophthalmology; D012160:Retina; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000601:surgery*; D012590:Sclera; D012591:Scleral Buckling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015503:Surgical Sponges; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057586:Vitreoretinal Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018630:Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative