[Scleral buckling for inferior rhegmatogenous retinal detachments].

PURPOSE

To investigate the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic factors in cases of inferior rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RD) treated by scleral buckling surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed on 45 patients (45 eyes) with inferior RD with only inferior tears (4:00-8:00), who had been treated by scleral buckling surgery over a 6-year period from 2006 to 2011. The parameters studied included patient demographics, refractive status, time until consultation, clinical exam data, treatment modalities and functional and anatomic results.

RESULTS

Forty-five cases were included in this study (45 eyes), with an average patient age of 44.5 years (14 to 75 years) and a slight male predominance (56%). Myopia was observed in 60%. Mean time until consultation was 3.5 months. Visual acuity on admission was less than 1/10 in 53.33%. Macular detachment was found in 80%. Causative lesions were holes in 26 eyes. Proliferative vitreoretinopathy was essentially stage B in 48.9%. Scleral buckling surgery was performed in all patients, with drainage of subretinal fluid in 37.8%. Retinal reattachment was obtained in 36 eyes (80%) with a final visual acuity greater than or equal to 1/10 in 71.11%. The mean follow-up in our study was 6.62 months.

CONCLUSION

Inferior retinal detachment has a predilection for young myopes. The time until consultation is often long, and extraocular surgery, although difficult, exhibits documented efficacy.