Side Effects Of Scleral Buckle Surgery

Scleral buckle surgery is a procedure used to repair a detached retina. The retina sends visual information to the brain; an untreated detached retina will lead to permanent blindness. The repair consists of two main steps: repairing the original tear by freezing or laser therapy and reconnecting the retina to the wall of the eye by using the scleral buckle, which is a special band placed around the eye that pushes the walls of the eye inward toward the detached retina. Scleral buckle surgery is often done under general anesthesia and carries several possible side effects.

Infection

The National Institutes of Health website, MedlinePlus, lists infection as one of several possible risks, or "side effects," of scleral buckle surgery. One such infection is called bacterial endophthalmitis, in which bacteria enter the eye cavity and infect the eye itself. Symptoms of this infection include sudden onset of intense pain and redness of the eye. Treatment involves removing the vitreous and using antibiotic therapy in the eye itself.

Increased Eye Pressure

Under normal conditions, the eyeball has a certain amount of pressure in it; this is called intraocular pressure. However, surgery to repair a retinal detachment is associated with a risk for elevated intraocular pressure. This is called glaucoma and is itself associated with a risk of vision loss or even blindness.

Recurrence of Retinal Detachment

A common result of scleral buckle surgery is unsuccessful outcomes leading to the retina detaching again. According to the medical reference resource "UpToDate", in about 80 to 90 percent of cases, one surgery is sufficient to repair the retina. However, this means that 10 to 20 percent of the time, the surgery is ineffective and the retina re-detaches.

In such cases, it may be necessary to perform a vitrectomy, which is the removal of the gel-like substance within the eyeball called the vitreous. In some cases, if the retina continues to repeatedly detach, permanent vision loss or even blindness may result.