The Prophylaxis of Fellow-Eye Retinal Detachment in Stickler Syndrome. A Retrospective Series.

PURPOSE to evaluate retrospectively if scleral buckling (SB) combined or not to cryopexy reduces fellow-eye Retinal Detachment (RD) in Stickler Syndrome (SS) patients who lost their first eye due to RD. METHODS retrospective review of 52 SS patients who received a 6 mm wide, 360° encircling SB. Thirty-nine (75%; Cryo + Group) also received cryo treatment while the reminder 13/52 (25% Cryo - Group) did not. RESULTS Average follow-up was 15.6 ± 2.41 years. Five patients (5/52; 9.6%) developed a retinal detachment 2.6 ± 0.55 years after prophylactic treatment; respectively 0/39 patients in the Cryo + Group and 5/13 in the Cryo - Group (p<0.001). All 5 RD eyes were successfully re-attached through revised episcleral surgery and adjunctive cryo treatment. Post-op refraction changed an average -1.9 ± 0.74 diopters and BCVA at the end of follow-up was 20/25 (0.1 ± 0.07 LogMAR), not significantly different from the rest of sample population who did not develop RD in their fellow eye. CONCLUSION Cryopexy significantly reduced the risk of RD in Stickler Syndrome patients undergoing scleral buckling. If RD ensues, the presence of SB may ease surgical repair and improve final outcome.