360° retinectomy for the treatment of complex retinal detachment

To review the anatomical and functional outcomes of eyes that underwent 360° retinectomy for a variety of indications and compare them with previously published results.

Retrospective case series. We reviewed the data of 40 patients (41 eyes) who underwent pars plana vitrectomy and 360° retinectomy. The principal indication for surgery in this series was retinal detachment after penetrating trauma (26 of 41 eyes [63%]). Anatomical success was defined as complete retinal reattachment or attachment posterior to the scleral buckle, if present.

Thirty of the 41 eyes (73%) had follow-up of at least 6 months after 360° retinectomy, and of these, 11 eyes (37%) had recurrent retinal detachment. Seven of the latter eyes underwent repeat pars plana vitrectomy with anatomical success in 6 eyes (86%). Overall, anatomical success was achieved in 25 of 30 eyes (83%) with follow-up of ≥ 6 months after ≥ 1 operations (including 360° retinectomy). Visual results were limited with only 4 of 35 eyes (11%) in which visual acuity could be tested achieving ambulatory vision, which may reflect the preponderance of posttraumatic retinal detachments in this series.

The anatomical results of this series are comparable with those in the reported literature and indicate that vitrectomy with 360° retinectomy can be beneficial in the management of complex retinal detachments in otherwise unsalvageable eyes.