RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The treatment of retinal detachment (RD) with unseen break has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of scleral buckle surgery as the primary treatment for RD with unseen break without initial proliferative vitreoretinopathy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included charts of 100 consecutive patients: 63 pseudophakic cases, 37 phakic cases, undergoing a scleral buckle, 51 of which were circumferential and 49 localized. RESULTS: The primary reattachment rate was 75%. There was no statistical difference according to the status of the lens and the extent of the circumferential versus localized buckle. The reattachment rate at 6 months was 92% with a mean of 1.2 operations per patient. CONCLUSION: An unseen break is an unfavorable factor for the anatomic success of scleral buckle, whether it be circumferential or localized. The better results of vitrectomy in pilot studies justify a controlled randomized study comparing it to conventional buckle surgery for RD with unseen break, particulary for phakic patients.