Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: Pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF) is a reliable parameter for evaluating choroidal blood flow. The scleral buckling (SB) procedure decreased choroidal blood flow in experimental models. We evaluated the changes in POBF after SB. Method: We studied 24 patients (average, 52 years) who underwent SB to repair retinal detachment in one eye. An SB implant was used in 1 quadrant in 14 eyes (58%), in 2 quadrants in 6 eyes (25%), and in 3 quadrants or more than in 4 eyes (17%). Patients were divided into two groups: less than 6 months postoperatively (n=10) and over 6 months postoperatively (n=14). In each groups the POBF of the SB eyes was compared with that of the fellow eyes using the Langham OBF computerized tonometer system (Langham Ophthalmic Technology). Results: Within 6 months of surgery, the POBF of the SB eyes (349.5154.1 ul/min) was significantly lower than that of the fellow eyes (631.0226.6 ul/min) (p<0.05). More than 6 months after surgery, there were no significant differences in POBF between the SB eyes (612.4226.6 ul/min) and the fellow eyes (589.5278.4 ul/min) (p≷0.05). Regarding the extent of the SB procedure, there were no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions: Within 6 months postoperatively, the POBF of SB eyes was lower than that of the fellow eyes; but more than 6 months after surgery, there were no significant differences between the POBF of the SB eyes and that of fellow eyes. These results indicate that choroidal blood flow decreases and might return to normal after SB.
Keywords: 563 retinal detachment • 345 choroid • 352 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: natural history