Additional indications for a temporary balloon buckle.

An operation for small retinal detachments that uses a balloon-tipped catheter as the buckling device was described in October, 1978. The balloon is inserted into Tenon's space through a small incision in the conjunctiva and is manoeuvred beneath the retinal break. Expansion of the balloon produces a buckling effect that causes the subretinal fluid to absorb. The balloon is withdrawn after 1 week. Permanent attachment is obtained by transconjunctival cryopexy around the break at the time of insertion or laser coagulation after the retina has re-attached. The balloon operation has become a preferred technique at the New York Hospital and has been used in 93 patients. Application is limited to retinal detachments caused by a single retinal break or group of breaks that together subtend less than one clock hour and that are located in the anterior two-thirds of the globe. The extent of the detachment has not proved to be a limiting factor.