Pars plana vitrectomy and scleral buckle versus pars plana vitrectomy alone for patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: A prospective comparative study

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with PPV combined with scleral buckle (SB) in the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in a tertiary care hospital of central India. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare surgical outcome of PPV + SB versus PPV in patients of RRD. A sample of 36 patients with RRD were included in the study and were divided into two groups: PPV with SB (PPV + SB, n = 19) and PPV (PPV, n = 17). All eyes had 3 months of follow-up. Results: Between the groups, there was a significant difference in eyes with inferior breaks ( P = 0.001). Single surgery anatomical success (SSAS) was 94.7% in the PPV + SB group, whereas it was 94.1% in the PPV group. Improvement in visual acuity (logMAR score) was comparable in both the groups at the end of 3 months ( P = 0.433). Furthermore, the SSAS in phakic patients in both the groups was 100%, whereas for pseudophakic patients, PPV + SB had a SSAS of 83.3%, and in the PPV group, it was 85.7%. Conclusion: We did not find significant differences in SSAS, final anatomical success, or change in visual acuity when comparing PPV with PPV/SB in the RRD.