Long-term ocular biometric variations after scleral buckling surgery in macula-on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Myopic shift and biometric ocular changes have been previously observed after scleral buckling (SB) surgery in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), but long term-term outcomes had not yet been explored. The purpose of present study is to evaluate long term ocular biometric changes in patients with primary macula-on RRD treated with SB.

In this retrospective, observational study, we reviewed the medical records of patients undergoing SB surgery for macula-on RRD. Ocular biometry was performed before and at the most recent visit after surgery. Axial length (AXL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior corneal astigmatism and spherical equivalent in treated eyes were compared before and after surgery as well as with those of fellow eyes.

Thirty-four eyes of 17 patients with a mean age of 57.0 ± 8.9 years were included. The mean follow-up duration was 50.9 ± 21.9 months (median 53.0; range 12 to 82 months). A significant postoperative AXL increase of 0.83 mm and a concomitant myopic shift of 1.35 diopters was observed in the operated eyes (p <  0.0001). The preoperative AXL was the only predictive factor of AXL change after surgery (B = 0.152, 95% CI 0.059 to 0.245, β = 0.668, P = 0.003). Compared to fellow eyes, a postoperative ACD shallowing of 0.1 mm was found in operated eyes (p <  0.05), while there were no long-term changes of anterior corneal astigmatism.

We show that the preoperative AXL is the only predictive factor of AXL increase after SB surgery. Scleral encircling induces a concomitant long-term shallowing of the AC, therefore fourth generation intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formulae should be used for patients requiring cataract surgery after SB.