Background and Objective: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is an ophthalmic emergency that can lead to irreversible visual complications without prompt surgical intervention. This study aimed to characterize the preoperative and intraoperative features of scleral buckling surgery.
Methods: This retrospective descriptive study reviewed the records of 606 patients (374 men and 232 women; mean age, 37.18±18.8 years) who presented with retinal detachment and underwent scleral buckling surgery at Khatam Al-Anbia Hospital in Mashhad, Iran during 2016-2021 (a five-year period). Preoperative information included visual acuity, lens status, location and extent of the retinal tear, and macular involvement. Intraoperative information included procedure duration, cryotherapy, subretinal fluid drainage, the type of device used (sponge, band, or band plus tire), and the type and number of surgical sutures.
Results: At the initial visit, 51.7% of patients had a preoperative visual acuity below 0.3, and the macula was involved in 36.8% of cases. The inferior retina was the most common site of detachment (35.9%), and 180 degrees was the most common extent of detachment (46.3%). In most cases, scleral buckling was performed using a combination of buckling elements, such as a band plus tire (46%). Cryotherapy was performed in 48% of cases.
Conclusion: Most patients were young or middle-aged men who presented with poor initial visual acuity and inferior retinal detachment; in more than one-third of cases, the macula was already detached at presentation.