Influence of Scleral Buckling Surgery with Encircling Band on Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Long-Term Observations

PURPOSE The aim of this study is the presentation of subfoveal choroidal thickness with enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) several months after scleral buckling with encircling band surgery. METHODS 48 patients who underwent scleral buckling with encircling band surgery for unilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were included in the retrospective observational study. The mean time from scleral buckling surgery to the final EDI-OCT examination was 22±6.7 months. We compare choroidal thickness between operated and fellow eyes. RESULTS In all patients, the macula was detached before the surgery. The subfoveal choroidal thickness in 48 treated eyes was 260.9±45.8  µ m (range 155-383  µ m) and in the fellow eyes was 217.5±36.7  µ m (range 98-326  µ m). The subfoveal choroidal thickness of eyes after scleral buckling surgery in long-term EDI-OCT examination was significantly thicker (P<0.001) than in fellow eyes. CONCLUSIONS The subfoveal choroid in eyes undergoing encircling band surgery was significantly thicker than in fellow eyes. We suspect that this may be the result of reduced choroidal blood flow. It also seems that the width and size of the material used in scleral buckling surgery may affect a change in the choroid circulation and increase subfoveal choroidal thickness.