Scleral buckle

Scleral buckle is a surgical procedure primarily used to fix a retinal detachment. It can be described as a piece of silicone sponge, rubber, or semi-hard plastic that is sewn onto the sclera at the site of a retinal tear to push the sclera towards the retinal tear. The buckle holds the retina against the sclera until scarring seals the tear. It also reduces the vitreous traction that led to the retinal tear and detachment.

Procedure

The surgery is performed in an operating room under local or general anesthesia. The surgeon first identifies all retinal breaks and treats them with cryotherapy (freezing) or laser to stimulate scarring and seal the hole in the retina. The buckle is then placed around the circumference of the eye, indenting the wall of the eye and relieving the vitreous traction.

Complications

Like any other surgical procedure, scleral buckle surgery may have complications. These can include infection, bleeding, high or low eye pressure, cataract, double vision, and re-detachment of the retina. In some cases, the buckle may need to be repositioned or removed.

Recovery

After the surgery, the eye will be red, sore, and swollen for several weeks. Vision in the operated eye will be blurry. It may take several months for the eye to heal completely and vision to stabilize.

See also

• Retina
• Retinal detachment
• Vitreous body
• Sclera

References

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