Conventional buckling surgery or primary vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in multiple breaks

Background: There is controversy about the most appropriate operating methods for complicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) including multiple tears, and surgical techniques may be changed according to the preference of the surgeon. In this retrospective study, we compared the surgical results of conventional buckling surgery and vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade for rhegmatogenous (RD) with multiple breaks. Methods: Thirty patients who underwent scleral buckling surgery (group 1) and 22 patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade (group 2) as the primary surgery for rhegmatogenous RD with multiple breaks were included in this study. The follow-up period was longer than 6 months after surgery. The anatomical success rates and complications were evaluated for both groups. Results: Retinal reattachment was achieved in 24 of 30 eyes (80%) in group 1 and in 20 of 22 eyes (90.9%) in group 2 after the initial surgery. In group 1, subretinal hemorrhage developed due to the drainage of subretinal fluid in 2 eyes (6.6%) intraoperatively. Elevated intraocular pressure (3.3%), ocular motility disturbances (13.2%), and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (3.3%) were seen in the postoperative period. In group 2, iatrogenic breaks (7.3%) and lens damage (9.09%) occurred during the operation. Macular pucker (4.5%), postoperative cataract progression (22.7%), ocular hypertension (9.09%) and PVR (9.09%) were noted postoperatively. Conclusions: Both surgical procedures can achieve favorable and comparable anatomic outcomes in the majority of patients in the treatment of RD with multiple breaks. Intra-and postoperative complications are different in the two procedures.