Vitrectomy with and without scleral buckling for retinal detachment repair in pseudophakic patients.

PURPOSE To compare the surgical results of vitrectomy with and without scleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD). METHODS Fifty-one patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) at different stages were submitted to pars plana vitrectomy as the primary surgery, 23 patients (45.09%) with scleral buckle (group I) and 28 (54.90%) without scleral buckle (group II). Visual acuity, anterior segment complications, intraocular pressure, strabismus and retina reattachment rate were evaluated in both groups. RESULTS The anatomical success and postoperative complications were similar in both groups. Retinal reattachment was achieved in 20 of 23 eyes (87%) of group I and in 24 of 28 eyes (85.7%) of group II after the initial surgery (p=1.000). Elevated intraocular pressure was noted in 2 eyes (8.7%) of group I and 1 eye (3.6%) of group II (p=0.583). Corneal abnormalities were seen in 3 eyes (13%) of group I and 2 eyes (7.19%) of the group II (p=0.647). Visual acuity improved from a preoperative median of 20/200 to a median of 20/100 in group 1 and from 20/400 to 20/100 in group 2; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). The mean follow-up period was 10 months, ranging from 6 to 18 months. CONCLUSIONS Both surgical procedures had similar reattachment rates. Intra- and postoperative complications were similar considering both procedures. Visual acuity improved significantly in group 2 (vitrectomy without scleral buckling).