Indications and contraindications

The modern vitrectomy procedures have replaced the conventional buckle operation in the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in the majority of cases. The present indications of buckle surgery depend on surgeon’s skills, patient to doctor communication and the availability of specialised personnel. On the other hand the contraindications such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy, thin bluish sclera, are more clear and delineate the grey zone of the preoperative dilemma ‘vitrectomy or buckle’. The presentation will try to answer why buckle surgery may be beneficial in special cases and when a modern surgeon must avoid this procedure for the treatment of a patient with RRD