Combined Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Segmental Scleral Buckle for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment with Inferior Retinal Breaks

Abstract

Purpose

To describe a variation of the traditional segmental scleral buckle (SB) without an encircling band combined with 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for the management of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with inferior retinal breaks.

Patients and Methods

This is a single-center, retrospective, consecutive review of all RRDs with inferior retinal breaks that were treated with PPV and segmental SB without an encircling band between May 2019 and February 2020.

Results

A total of 12 eyes of 12 patients were included in the study. All patients had at least 1 inferior retinal break and more than 2 clock hours of retinal detachment. Eight eyes had RRD with macular involvement at presentation. Seven eyes had a persistent RRD following previous pneumatic retinopexy (C3F8). All eyes were treated by PPV combined with a segmental #510 sponge without an encircling band. Surgery anatomical success was 100%. Mean logMAR visual acuity was 1 (SD 0.6; 20/160) and 0.5 (SD 0.4; 20/60) at 3 months and last follow-ups, respectively. No scleral buckle-related complications were noted over the 4.1 (SD 0.8) month follow-up period.

Conclusion

The combined segmental buckling technique is a safe and effective adjunct to PPV in treatment of inferior RRD.

Keywords:

• retinal breaks
• vitreoretinal surgery
• outcomes
• surgical technique
• retina
• retrospective study

Disclosure

Dr Efrem D Mandelcorn received Speaker honorarium from Bayer and Novartis, outside the submitted work. The author reports no other conflicts of interest in this work.