What is posterior scleral reinforcement?

  Myopia is one of the major causes of blindness in children, and degenerative myopia is one of the major causes of blindness in ophthalmology. As the disease progresses, the eye axis gradually elongates and the eye dilates, leading to ischemic pathological changes such as vitreous clouding and liquefaction, retinal and choroidal atrophy, and macular degeneration, resulting in serious damage to visual function. Beijing Children’s Hospital has recently developed posterior scleral consolidation for the treatment of progressive myopia in children, which effectively controls the development of myopia and provides a better treatment effect.  Posterior scleral reinforcement is a procedure that uses biologic or non-biologic materials to strengthen the weak area of the posterior pole of the sclera. The reinforcing material is fixed to the posterior scleral surface, which acts as a mechanical reinforcement to stop the axial growth of the eye, while thickening the scleral tissue at the posterior pole and improving the local blood supply, thus stopping the progression of pathological myopia and related fundus diseases.  Posterior scleral reinforcement has a history of 30 to 40 years and has been performed in most countries around the world, and a large number of patients have been operated on. In Russia, it was carried out early and there are many surgeries. A number of hospitals in China also perform it and it has been proven to be safe and effective.  Posterior scleral consolidation is indicated for children aged 7 years or older, with myopia greater than or equal to -6D, annual progression of ≥-1D eye axis ≥25mm, presence of posterior scleral staphyloma and presence of retinal degeneration.  Posterior scleral reinforcement is an extraocular procedure in which reinforcing material is cut into various desired shapes, separated from the extraocular muscles through an incision in the bulbar conjunctiva, and placed all the way to the outer surface of the weakest part of the eye, usually the posterior pole of the eye and the area with staphyloma for fixation.  There are many people who have a recent increase in visual acuity after posterior scleral reinforcement, the increase can be as much as 1-3 rows of the visual acuity table visual scale, in fact, this is not really the desired therapeutic effect, this is due to the temporary excitation of the optic polypoid cells caused by the local stimulation of the surgical implantation and the increase in visual acuity, this increase does not last and diminishes with the weakening of the stimulation, often returning to the original level after 1-3 months.  It is worth mentioning that posterior scleral reinforcement is a preventive surgery, so it is advisable to do the surgery early. For the already formed fundus lesions, the pathological damage cannot be eliminated, and even if posterior scleral reinforcement is done, it can only stop its further development. Parents are reminded that if your child’s nearsightedness keeps growing beyond the normal range, it is recommended to perform the surgery as soon as possible to avoid delaying the treatment and bringing lifelong regrets to your child.  The parents recently found that the pupil of Linlin’s right eye seemed to be “white”, so they took Linlin to the ophthalmology department for an examination, and were surprised by the results. The doctor said that the retinoblastoma in Linlin’s right eye was a malignant tumor and should be operated on immediately, otherwise it would be life-threatening.  In fact, eye tumors in children are not uncommon, they can occur in the eyelids or in the eyeballs, both benign and malignant, among which retinoblastoma accounts for the first and malignant intraocular tumor in infants and children. This tumor develops in 2/3 of the eyes and 10%-15% of them are hereditary. The 5-year survival rate of this tumor is relatively high compared to other malignant tumors, but those with hereditary disease are often combined with other malignant tumors outside the eye.  Retinoblastoma usually develops between the ages of 2 and 5 years, and is rare at the age of 5 years. The tumor is not easily detected early, but is often detected by parents when the tumor grows into the eye cavity, causing a yellowish-white reflection in the pupil, or when the tumor causes an exotropia of the eye. In some patients, when the disease progresses to secondary glaucoma, the eye becomes congested, painful, and the cornea becomes edematous and hazy and loses its transparency. When the disease progresses to advanced stage, the tumor may grow outside the eye, or the eye may rupture due to high intraocular pressure or combined with external force. And when the tumor metastasizes systemically, it can endanger the child’s life.  This is the case of retinoblastoma in Linlin. Surgery should be done early, otherwise if it progresses to an advanced stage, the consequences are unthinkable. Yellowish-white reflections in the pupil can also be seen in metastatic endophthalmitis, retro-ocular fibroplasia, Coats disease, extensive choroidal defects, and cataracts, all of which can seriously impair the child’s visual development and must also be differentiated from retinoblastoma. Therefore, any child found to have white pupils should be seen in a timely manner.  Retinoblastoma is highly heritable and has a high incidence in offspring, so some people advocate that patients with retinoblastoma should not have children. If the disease is found in the offspring, they should not have any more children either. The offspring and siblings of patients with retinoblastoma should undergo regular preventive fundus examinations.