Risk factors for scleral buckle removal: a matched, case-control study.

Purpose: To identify preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative risk factors for scleral buckle (SB) removal.

Design: Retrospective, consecutive, matched, case-control study.

Methods: Cases included all patients undergoing SB removal between August 1988 and December 2007 at a single academic center. Cases were matched against four randomly selected control patients who underwent SB implantation during the same year as the case. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for each factor investigated.

Results: Forty cases of SB removal and 148 matched control cases were identified. Three cases of SB removal were omitted from analysis because of incomplete records. Factors associated with SB removal for any reason, using univariate analysis, included concurrent globe-penetrating injury at time of SB placement (OR, 24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9 to 200), concurrent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) (OR, 17.3; 95% CI, 4.9 to 61), diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR, 7.3; 95% CI, 1.8 to 30), prior chronic topical ocular therapy (OR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.7 to 11), and subsequent ocular procedures (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.5 to 7.5). Factors independently associated with SB removal using multivariate analysis included concurrent globe-penetrating injury (OR, 27.3; 95% CI, 1.7 to 426), concurrent PPV (OR, 11.3; 95% CI, 2.9 to 45), DM (OR, 8.9; 95% CI, 1.3 to 58), and subsequent ocular procedures (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.4 to 11). Factors that did not alter SB removal risk included patient age; gender; and type, size, or location of buckling elements used.

Conclusions: Awareness of these risk factors may be valuable for the surgical planning of retinal detachment repair in patients at higher risk for subsequent SB removal and for risk stratification subsequent to SB implantation.