Scleral buckling with wide-angled endoillumination as a surgical educational tool

Purpose: To describe a technique of wide-angle viewing as an educational tool in scleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Methods: Retrospective comparative study of the reported technique was performed. Fourteen consecutive patients each who underwent Chandelier-assisted scleral buckling (CSB) or standard scleral buckling (SSB) using indirect ophthalmoscope were included. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of eyes that had successful reattachment of retina. Results: Mean study eye baseline visual acuity was 20/160 in the CSB group and 20/320 in SSB group. The primary reattachment rate was similar, with 13 of 14 eyes (92.85%) successfully attached in the CSB group and 12 of 14 eyes (85.71%) in the SSB group. The mean visual acuity improved from 20 of 160 to 20 of 80 in the CSB group, and 20 of 320 to 20 of 160 in the SSB group. The surgical time was significantly less in the CSB group (77.85 ± 16.37 minutes) compared with the SSB group (95.71 ± 26.59 minutes, P = 0.037). Conclusion: Chandelier-assisted buckling had similar outcomes compared with standard buckling. It could be used as a valuable educational tool for teaching fellows by allowing them to simultaneously view the operative steps along with the surgeon.