The practical and educational value of scleral buckling with chandelier illumination

To compare the surgical results in cases of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachments between standard scleral buckling (SSB) and scleral buckling with chandelier illumination (SBC) and to analyse the differences in SBC surgical results between an experienced ophthalmologist and inexperienced ophthalmologists.

Consecutive surgical case series of 155 eyes that underwent scleral buckling were retrospectively reviewed and divided into four groups: SSB performed by an experienced ophthalmologist (n = 54), SBC performed by an experienced ophthalmologist (n = 52), SBC performed by inexperienced ophthalmologists (n = 40) and SSB performed by inexperienced ophthalmologists (n = 9). Then, these four groups were compared.

No significant differences were observed between SSB and SBC procedures both performed by the experienced ophthalmologist with regard to demographics, preoperative findings, contents of the surgery, intraoperative complications, retinal reattachment, postoperative findings and postoperative complications. Between SBC performed by the experienced ophthalmologist and SBC performed by the inexperienced ophthalmologists, no significant differences were found regarding intraoperative complications, retinal reattachment, postoperative findings and postoperative complications. Between SSB and SBC procedures both performed by the inexperienced ophthalmologist, a significant difference was found regarding intraoperative complications.

There were no significant differences in surgical results between SSB and SBC when both were performed by the experienced ophthalmologist. In addition, the surgical results were equal between the experienced ophthalmologist and the inexperienced ophthalmologist as far as SBC was concerned. Learning scleral buckling skills by using SBC is a reasonable course of action for inexperienced ophthalmologists.