Abstract
Purpose: :
To assess the anatomical outcome of primary vitrectomy with or without scleral buckling for pseudophakic retinal detachment and to present the learning curve for this surgery in less experienced surgeons.
Methods: :
Retrospective analysis of primary vitrectomy with or without scleral buckling for pseudophakic retinal detachment with PVR<C. The charts of 151 pseudophakic patients with retinal detachment treated with primary vitrectomy with or without scleral buckling by five surgeons at our center were reviewed. The primary endpoint was the reattachment rate with a single procedure. Mean follow up was three months. To assess the learning curve of this treatment, we compared the results of four less experienced surgeons with those of an experienced surgeon.
Results: :
Retinal reattachment with a single procedure was achieved in 84.9% of all 151 cases. Out of 106 surgeries, the unexperienced surgeons reached an anatomical success rate of 71.9%, 79.7% and 82.9% at two, three and four years of surgical training, respectively. The anatomical success rate of the experienced surgeon was 89.1%.
Conclusions: :
Primary vitrectomy with or without scleral buckling is an effective procedure in the treatment of primary pseudophakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. The anatomical success rate is lower for unexperienced surgeons, reflecting the diversity of the procedure and its learning curve.
Keywords: retinal detachment • learning • vitreoretinal surgery