Treatment of Retinal Detachments by Pneumatic Retinopexy

ABSTRACT

Pneumatic retinopexy is a recently described procedure to treat the uncomplicated retinal detachment. The procedure of pneumatic retinopexy is composed of cryotherapy (or laser photocoagulation), intraocular gas injection and postoperative positioning. The advantages of pneumatic retinopexy are less tissue trauma, no hospitalization and minimal complication. For these reasons it is more and more popular, but further studies are needed to assess its ultimate safety and efficacy. The authors experienced 7 cases of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treated with pneumatic retinopexy, from September, 1987 to March, 1988. Four cases of the retinal detachment were successfully reattached after pneumatic retinopexy. In the other 3 cases, new retinal tear and detachment were found after pneumatic retinopexy, which were successfully repaired with the conventional scleral buckling procedure.