Vitrectomy alone in the management of giant retinal tears

To evaluate the outcomes of vitrectomy without adjuvant scleral buckling for giant retinal tear (GRT) detachment and assess the impact of preoperative lens status on these outcomes.

Retrospective review of consecutive cases of vitrectomy alone for primary GRT detachment at the University of Michigan from October 1992 through October 2012. The primary outcome measure was Kaplan-Meier–estimated single-surgery reattachment rate at 3 months.

Eligibility criteria were met by 41 eyes of 40 patients. Six eyes (15%) had grade C proliferative vitreoretinopathy at baseline. The single-surgery reattachment rate was 83% (95% CI: 67%, 91%) at 3 months, with no significant difference between phakic and nonphakic eyes.

Based on this retrospective series, and within the confines of our eligibility criteria, adjuvant scleral buckling does not appear to be necessary in the management of primary GRT detachment.