Posterior retinal folds following vitreoretinal surgery
W. I. Larrison, A. R. Frederick Jr, T. J. Peterson and T. M. Topping
Connecticut Retina Consultants, New Haven 06519.
The authors conducted a retrospective review of 32 patients with posterior
retinal folds following retinal reattachment surgery. Twenty-eight of these
patients underwent combined pars plana vitrectomy, fluid-air exchange with
either internal drainage through a preexisting retinal break or external
drainage of subretinal fluid, and scleral buckle. We believe these drainage
techniques resulted in incomplete elimination of subretinal fluid, with
resultant sequestration of fluid at the dependent border between attached
and detached retina. Metamorphopsia and decreased visual acuity were noted
in patients with folds involving the macula. The likelihood of fold
formation may be greatly reduced by internal drainage through a posterior
retinotomy combined with more complete removal of slowly gravitating fluid
as it flows dependently to the drainage site.
