How to Explain the Procedures for a Scleral Buckle Surgery

Scleral Buckle surgery is commonly used to treat retinal detachment, a condition that affects roughly 25,000 individuals in the U.S. each year, according to the Surgery Encyclopedia website. The surgery is utilized when there is one large tear in the retina or multiple individual breaks. Explaining the procedures involved in the surgery--and what to expect afterward--can help your patients make an informed decision about whether this treatment is right for them.

Instructions

• 1

  Explain that a scleral buckle is a piece of is a piece of silicone sponge, rubber, or semi-hard plastic that a surgeon attaches to the outside of the eye to help close a tear in the retina. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology Committee on Ophthalmic Procedure Assessment, the buckle pushes in, or "buckles," the sclera toward the center of the eye. "This buckling effect on the sclera relieves the pull (traction) on the retina, allowing the retinal tear to settle against the wall of the eye," the AAOCPA notes.

• 2

  Explain the type of anesthesia that will be used. Most cases of Scleral Buckle surgery are performed under general anesthesia, which means that the patient will not be conscious during the operation. A small number of cases are performed under local anesthesia, however. In this case, the eye and the region surrounding it will be numbed. With either type of anesthesia, eye drops will be administered to dilate the patient's pupil. If any of this poses a potential concern for your patient, tell them to consult with their doctor.

• 3

  Describe the incisions that will be made during the procedure. After patient is fully anesthetized, the surgeon will cut the eye open to reveal the sclera, commonly known as the "white" of the eye. The surgeon will cut into the sclera, creating a small flap with tiny incisions that will be peeled back to expose the retina.

• 4

  Tell the patient how the surgeon will prepare the retina. After exposing the retina, the surgeon will use either a laser (for small tears) or a cryoprobe (for large tears) to seal the hole in the retina. Then she will affix the retina into place with the scleral buckle, preventing the hole from reopening.

• 5

  Explain the final process. After the retina is set into place, the surgeon will drain subretinal fluid from the patient's eye to facilitate a smooth reattachment of the retina. The buckle will be sutured into place and covered, while the eye is treated with antibiotics to prevent infection before being patched.