To compare the time course of foveal reattachment after successful surgery for macula-off retinal detachments by scleral buckling or pars plana vitrectomy (PPV).

We retrospectively examined, using optical coherence tomography (OCT), the cross-sectional retinal images of 28 patients who underwent scleral buckling or PPV for macula-off retinal detachment and whose retinas reattached upon binocular stereoscopic indirect ophthalmoscopy within 4 weeks postoperatively. All eyes underwent clinical examination and OCT scan of the macula at 6 weeks after surgery. If subretinal fluid persisted, repeated OCT was obtained at every 1~2 months until no abnormality was seen on OCT. Demographic data, including detachment characteristics, was also analyzed.

On postoperative OCT examination 6 weeks after surgery, complete foveal reattachments were detected in 14 patients (73.7%) in the PPV group (n=19), significantly higher than 3 (33.3%) patients in the buckling group (n=9). Foveal reattachment took a mean 8.31±5.25 weeks in the PPV group and a mean 20.89±11.37 weeks in the buckling group.

Foveal reattachment after macula-off retinal detachment occurred faster after PPV than after buckle surgery.