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The drainage of subretinal fluid
Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Drainage of subretinal fluid during retinal detachment surgery is common, with a 5.6% complication rate. However, these complications rarely cause surgical failure, with most failures attributed to proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retinal Surgery
- Scleral Buckling Procedures
Background:
- Subretinal fluid drainage is a common adjunct in scleral buckling for retinal detachment.
- The safety and impact of this maneuver on surgical outcomes require evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the incidence of complications associated with subretinal fluid drainage.
- To determine the contribution of drainage complications to anatomical failure in retinal detachment surgery.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a consecutive series of 662 scleral buckling procedures.
- Documentation of subretinal fluid drainage, associated complications, and final anatomical success rates.
Main Results:
- Subretinal fluid drainage was performed in 84% of cases.
- Complications of drainage occurred in 5.6% of procedures.
- The overall anatomical success rate was 94.2%, with 97% of failures due to massive proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).
Conclusions:
- While subretinal fluid drainage carries risks, complications are infrequent causes of anatomical failure.
- Massive PVR remains the primary driver of treatment failure in retinal detachment surgery, independent of drainage complications.