Retinal blood flow alterations associated with scleral buckling and encircling procedures

Abstract

The bidirectional laser Doppler technique and monochromatic photography were used to measure the absolute blood flow rate in the majortemporal retinal arteries in seven patients foliowing unilateral scleral buckling and encircling procedures, and in two patients before and after removal of scleral buckling elements. In the seven patients who had undergone uncomplicated scleral buckling procedures the arterial flow rates were on average 50% lower (p=0.01) in the surgicaily treated eyes than in the contralateral eyes. Removal of scleral buckling elements in two patients produced increases of 73% and 44% in arterial blood flow rates.