Notes on surgery for aperture-derived retinal detachment

  Retinal detachment is usually caused by trauma, high myopia and other factors that lead to retinal fissure, and the liquefied vitreous enters the subretina through the fissure, which then causes retinal detachment. If the macula is affected, vision loss will occur.  The two main treatment options are scleral buckle surgery and vitrectomy. Usually, in young patients, the retinal detachment is still fresh and the fissure is relatively clear, a single patient can choose scleral buckling surgery. The disadvantage is that it is not suitable for patients with combined cataract, vitreous hemorrhage and other refractive interstitial clouding.   In elderly patients with significant vitreous liquefaction, multiple fissures in different locations, or unclear, all are suitable to undergo vitrectomy, which is performed through three small holes made in the wall of the eye to enter the inner part of the eye to find and close the fissures, and the surgery is usually filled with gas or silicone oil to press the fissures outward from the inner part of the eye.  Patients who have undergone retinal detachment surgery should avoid overexertion and possible eye trauma. Usually, after vitrectomy, they need to maintain a certain position for at least four hours a day until the fissure is firmly closed. Special attention should be paid to patients with gas filling during vitrectomy, it takes about 1-2 months for the gas to be fully absorbed, and until the gas is absorbed, one should not travel by airplane or to high altitude areas to prevent blindness caused by violent expansion of the gas in the eye.  It takes about six months for the postoperative vision to stabilize. The factors affecting the vision mainly depend on the degree of retinal detachment, whether it is combined with other ocular pathologies, the time of retinal detachment, and whether the detachment affects the macular area, usually new, small-scale, simple retinal detachment can be restored to the vision before the onset, while old lesions, retinal detachment affecting the macular area, the vision recovery is less satisfactory.  The key to retinal detachment of pore origin is to “repair” the fissure, and vitreoretinal surgery based on modern concepts is becoming more and more delicate and minimally invasive, however, due to the deep retinal location and complex and precise structure, a small number of patients still have to bear the risk of surgical failure. With close cooperation between the patient and the surgeon, the vast majority of patients with foraminal retinal detachment can achieve a better recovery.