Scleral Buckle Surgery for Retinal Detachment: Long-Term Rates of Operative Success,Redetachment,and Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

Abstract

Purpose: To examine scleral buckle surgery-specific factors affecting long-term retinal reattachment and visual outcomes. Methods: Data were collected from 351 eyes undergoing scleral buckle surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) between January 2017 and January 2023. Primary outcomes included visual acuity (VA), retinal reattachment rates, and single-surgery anatomic success. Results: VA improved from 20/60 to 20/40. Preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) of any grade was noted in 16.2% of eyes, with a single-surgery anatomic success rate of 86.5%. The overall single-surgery anatomic success rate at 1 year was 84.2%, with macula-on status identified as a significant predictor of success. The true redetachment rate was 8.5%. New-onset postoperative PVR associated with a new retinal break occurred in 1.7% of eyes. Conclusion: Scleral buckle surgery yielded favorable anatomic and visual outcomes for RD. New PVR was rarely involved in redetachments. The presence of preoperative PVR did not significantly reduce single-surgery anatomic success, supporting the continued role of scleral buckling as a primary treatment option in selected cases.