Choice of Operative Method in Cases of Retinal Detachment

Abstract

In order to obtain healing of retinal detachment according to Gonin's method of operation, the following principles are essential: 1) 'The operation must be performed within the area of the tear. 2) An exudative process must be produced around the tear. 3) While healing takes place, contact must be maintained between the retina The localization of the tear is sometimes very difficult and sometimes impossible. However, if it can be localized approximately, it is generally possible to perform a successful operation. Only in a few cases will the treatment be unsuccessful, owing to difficulties in localizing the tear.There are two methods of producing an exudative reaction around the tear: either surface diathermy, or, more recently, light-coagulation. These two methods are complementary to each other in a valuable way.The greatest difficulty is to obtain contact between the retina and the choroid. Only after accepting the importance of this fact can any real progress be made in the operative treatment of retinal detachment.T o obtain active contact during the period of healing is a problem which must be solved in different ways for different cases. Within a group of detachment cases, there may be some with a single tear, others with several tears within a limited space, some with multiple tears spread over a large area, and finally those with dialysis. Moreover, nowadays several technical procedures are at our disposal, which are more or less suitable for different types of tears.Therefore, before the treatment is started, the method of operation must be carefully selected for each specific case.-W e will now give a, report of the and the choroid.'fi) Received June 28th 1962.