Objective: To assess the effectiveness of different surgeries for retinal detachment in juveniles.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical therapeutic effects of various surgical treatments on 108 cases (116 eyes) in the age range of 3 - 14 years (mean, 9.6 years) was performed.
Results: Twenty-one eyes underwent scleral buckling procedure, and the retina was reattached in 19 eyes primarily. Fourteen eyes obtained post-operative visual acuity >or= 0.02. Ninety-seven eyes underwent vitrectomy, 58 (59.8%) eyes achieved retinal reattachment primarily and 83 eyes (85.6%) achieved retinal reattachment finally. Among them, retinal reattachment occurred in 7 of 11 gas-filled eyes, and the post-operative visual acuity >or= 0.02 in 5 eyes; and the reattachment occurred in 51 (57.3%) of 89 silicone oil-filled eyes, requiring only the primary repair. Of the silicone oil-filled eyes, 76 (85.4%) eyes achieved retinal reattachment finally. Fifty-nine (66.3%) silicone oil-treated eyes had visual acuity >or= 0.02 compared with 45.5% in long-acting-gas-treated eyes.
Conclusions: Scleral buckling is a beneficial method in treatment of retinal detachment in juveniles. Vitrectomy should be considered for complicated retinal detachment. There is an advantage favoring silicone oil tamponade in achieving retinal reattachment. Retinotomy is a useful procedure for the retinal reattachment in eyes with severe proliferative vitreoretinopathy, however, it is necessary to be careful in selection of cases to undergo such a procedure.