Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of inferior sutureless sclerotomies without subretinal fluid drainage for the treatment of bullous exudative retinal detachment secondary to diffuse retinal pigment epitheliopathy.
Methods: A retrospective interventional case series of eyes treated with two inferior postequatorial full-thickness sclerotomies without subretinal fluid drainage. Patients were placed in an upright position 24 hours after surgery. Main outcomes were visual acuity and retinal reattachment rate.
Results: Three eyes with recent diagnoses of diffuse retinal pigment epitheliopathy and bullous inferior retinal detachment were included in the study. In all cases, a very thick sclera was evident during surgery. The day after surgery the retina was completely attached in the three eyes. Preoperative visual acuity was light perception, 20/200, and counting fingers. After surgery, visual acuity improved to 20/200, 20/70, and 20/50, respectively. No intra- or postoperative complications occurred.
Conclusions: The performance of inferior sutureless sclerotomies without a draining procedure in cases of diffuse retinal pigment epitheliopathy with inferior bullous retinal detachment is a simple and effective technique. It achieves retinal reattachment the day after surgery, allowing laser photocoagulation of the leaking lesions disclosed in fluorescein angiography.