Vitreous as tamponade in healing of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

The condition of the vitreous body was assessed by a photographic method after surgical treatment in 116 patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment showing horseshoe-shaped retinal breaks. The condition was classified into three groups: 1) the cortical vitreous covered the retinal break under both static and kinetic conditions (complete type), 2) the cortical vitreous covered the break only under the static condition (incomplete type), and 3) the break was not covered by the cortical vitreous (uncovered type). The success rate of the primary surgery was 100% in both the complete and incomplete types, but it was 58% in the uncovered type, where the final success rate after the second surgery was only 89%. The radial retinal folds were found after surgery at a high incidence in the uncovered type. The time required for disappearance of the subretinal fluid was shorter in the complete than in the incomplete type; in the uncovered type it took a long time for the subretinal fluid to diminish. It was concluded that the cortical vitreous served as a tamponade to prevent vitreous fluid flow into the subretinal space, thus facilitating reattachment of the retina.