Effectiveness of Scleral Buckling with a Wide-Field Surgical Microscope and Chandelier Illumination in Retinal Detachment Repair.

PURPOSE: To assess treatment efficacy of scleral buckling surgery with wide-field surgical microscope and 27-gauge (G) chandelier illumination for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of 29 eyes in 29 patients with RRD who underwent scleral buckling surgery with a wide-field surgical microscope and 27-G chandelier illumination fiber inserted into the sclera at the pars plana. Results are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Data were analyzed using the paired sample t test. Statistical significance was considered if p value was less than 0.05.

RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 43.5 ± 3.5 years, and the mean follow-up time was 10.4 ± 2.5 months. Retinal reattachment was achieved in 27 of 29 eyes at initial surgery. The mean best corrected visual acuity improved from 0.38 ± 0.29 (logMAR) preoperatively to 0.19 ± 0.21 at 6 months after surgery. Two eyes underwent vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade because of development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. There was no complication such as choroidal hemorrhage, hypotony, or vitreous herniation at the end of surgery.

CONCLUSION: Scleral buckling with a wide-field surgical microscope and 27-G chandelier illumination has the advantage of offering exact identification of retinal tears and determination of the adequacy of buckle height and position in retinal detachment surgery compared to conventional scleral buckling surgery.