PROPHYLACTIC SURGICAL BUCKLING FOR RETINA L-DETACHMENT AFTER SEVERE OCULAR TRAUMA

We performed surgical scleral buckling with an encircling band to prev ent retinal detachment in twenty eves with severe ocular injury (three contusions, seventeen penetrating eye injuries including twelve eyes with intraocular foreign bodies). All surgical buckling were performed during the two weeks following the injury. The purpose of this surgic al procedure is to prevent the traction from contracting vitreous base which it itself secondary to vitreoretinal proliferation ; several fa ctors promote this latter outcome: perforating injury, vitreous hemorr hage, intraocular foreign body and the mix of vitreous substance and l ens material. This prophylaxis is justified by the high frequency and often bad prognosis of post-traumatic retinal detachment. A mean follo w-up of thirteen months showed no contusion associated delayed retinal detachment, with a final visual acuity superior to 7/10: thus, preven tive surgical buckling appears efficient; perforating injuries were fo llowed by retinal detachment in three cases; of these, two were reatta ched, and the final visual acuity depended on associated destructions. With the limitation of a short follow-up, this surgical procedure see ms to be able to prevent most of the delayed retinal detachments.