Conventional retinal surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy

During the last two years, 79 consecutive patients (i.e. eyes) with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) complicated by proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), stages B and CP according to the classification of Machemer and associates, were treated. Conventional retinal surgery (scleral buckling) was used. Retina was successfully reattached in 54 (68.4%) eyes in the early postoperative period. Thirty-five (81.4%) out of 43 patients with PVR detachment stage B, and 19 (52.8%) out of 36 patients with PVR detachment stage CP achieved total retinal attachment. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.006). In stage CP, larger areas of retinal involvement by fixed retinal folds are inversely related to the rate of anatomical success. A higher degree of preoperative PVR means less success of conventional retinal detachment surgery, so it is advised to apply a conventional surgical technique up to CP-6 stage of PVR, whereas in more advanced stages of PVR pars plana vitrectomy is needed.