gms | German Medical Science

At present, primary vitrectomy methods and scleral buckling techniques are being used for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment of medium complexity, in equal measure and with similar success rates. The "Scleral Buckling versus Primary Vitrectomy in Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Study" (SPR-Study)is a prospective, multicentred and randomised study, designed to compare both of these operative techniques.

Description of recruitment data used for the study from August 1998 to July 2003.

Forty-five surgeons from 25 centres in five European countries have recruited patients for the study (average 25 patients per centre). In total 664 patients were included for the study, with 326 as primary vitrectomy patients and 338 as scleral buckling patients. Evaluation of the parallel run data (comprehensive summaries of all patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachments available from individual study centres) shows that 5.7% of all patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachments were included in the study. In the pseudophakic sub-group (n=257), the patients' ages ranged between 36 und 90 years, with a mean of 68 years; 72% of the pseudophakic patients were male, 28% were female. In 7%, coagulation therapy of the retina was carried out before recruitment, in 30%, YAG Laser capsulotomy was carried out. In the sub-group of phakic patients (n=407) the ages ranged between 19 und 89 years, with a mean of 63 years; 59% were male and 41% were female. Coagulation therapy of the retina was carried out on 6% of patients before inclusion. In both groups, a considerable loss of visual acuity or visual field were the most frequently demonstrated symptoms of retinal detachment. Mouches volantes and photopsia were noticeably fewer in less than half of the cases described.

The SPR Study represents the first prospective multi-centred comparison of scleral buckling surgery to primary vitrectomy in rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. After the final recruitment in July 2003 and last follow-up examinations July 2004, the final results of the study can be expected at the beginning of 2005.