Pneumatic retinopexy preceded by drainage of subretinal fluid for the treatment of severe bullous retinal detachment.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety outcomes of scleral buckling (SB) and drainage-injection-pneumoretinopexy (DIP), a modified pneumatic retinopexy technique, in which, before gas injection, subretinal fluid is drained with a simultaneous injection of balanced salt solution (BSS) in the vitreous chamber, for the treatment of severe superior bullous rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (SBRD).

Methods: This prospective, randomized, comparative study included 58 eyes with severe SBRD that were randomized 1:1 to undergo SB or DIP. The main outcome measures included success rate, visual acuity, mean change in refractive error and surgery duration.

Results: The primary anatomic success rate was 93% for both procedures. Both groups showed significantly improved visual acuity after surgery. The change in refractive error and surgery duration was significantly higher in the SB group. Drainage-injection-pneumoretinopexy (DIP) appeared to be less traumatic, but with a longer persistence of subretinal fluid in a greater number of patients.

Conclusion: Our findings suggested that both SB and DIP are safe and effective treatments yielding functional and anatomical recovery in patients with severe SBRD. However, the DIP technique may be easier and less costly, with a success rate similar to that of SB.