Outpatient- and inpatient-based buckling surgery: a comparative study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Innovation
• Retinal Surgery

Background:

• Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a serious condition requiring surgical intervention.
• Scleral buckling is a common surgical technique for RRD repair.
• Evaluating the setting of care (inpatient vs. outpatient) can optimize resource utilization and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical outcomes of ambulatory scleral buckling surgery for RRD.
• To determine if outpatient-based surgery yields comparable results to inpatient-based surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 80 consecutive RRD cases treated with scleral buckling.
• Patients were divided into two groups: inpatient (Group 1) and outpatient (Group 2).
• Comparison of pre- and post-operative visual acuity, lens status, and anatomical/functional success rates.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found in pre-operative factors or surgical procedures between groups.
• Post-operative visual acuity changes and success rates (functional and anatomical) at 6 months were similar for both inpatient and outpatient groups.
• Functional success rates were 90% (inpatient) vs. 93% (outpatient), and anatomical success rates were 94% (inpatient) vs. 96% (outpatient).

Conclusions:

• Ambulatory buckling surgery is a viable option for uncomplicated RRD.
• Hospitalization is not a prerequisite for successful scleral buckling surgery in select RRD cases.
• Outpatient management of scleral buckling can achieve comparable clinical outcomes to inpatient settings.