[Photocoagulation supplementing pitting surgical procedures in amotio retinae]

In cases of incomplete closure of the retinal defect following retinal detachment surgery photocoagulation may render a second surgical intervention unnecessary. The premise for its applicability is a retinal defect resting on an adequate scleral buckle. Indications are incompletely sealed breaks causing a recurrent or residual detachment of the retina. Massive vitreous traction should be absent. The results of 32 cases (out of a total of 692 retinal detachment operations performed within the past five years) in which postoperative photocoagulation was applied are very encouraging: in 28 cases it was possible to complete the closure of the retinal defect, resulting in healing of a residual detachment or redetachment of the retina, respectively. In the course of daily applied photocoagulation (over a period of two to six days) starting from a zone of extremely flat detachment of the defect's border one may gradually achieve adhesion even of higher detached portions of the defect area.