Purpose: To evaluate relationships between the incidence of re-detachment and postoperative days of hospitalization in patients with diagnosis of retinal detachment (RD) who underwent surgery either through ab-externo approach (scleral buckling and encircling) or ab-interno approach (vitrectomy and oil-gas tamponade).
Methods: This retrospective study included 268 patients (268 eyes) with diagnosis of primary RD: 127 males (47%) and 141 (53%) females, mean age of 64.1 ± 17.3 years. 46 patients (17%) underwent a surgical ab-externo approach (group A), while 222 patients (83%) underwent an ab-interno surgical approach. Each RD was graded according to the "Retinal detachment grading system of Royal College of Ophthalmologists" and treated within 5 days after diagnosis. The redetachment (RT) related to a surgical failure was considered within 30 days after first operation.
Results: In the group 1 without night hospitalization (day surgery) global RT rate was 3.5% (4.17% for ab-interno technique and 0% for ab-externo techniques). In the group 2 with one day of hospitalization global RT rate was 1.33% (1.49% for ab-interno technique and 0% for ab-externo techniques). In the group 3 with 2 days of hospitalization global RT rate was 3.80% (4.62% for ab-interno techniques and 0% for ab-externo techniques). In the group 4 with 3 or more days of hospitalization global RT rate was 12.28% (14.29% for ab-interno techniques for 6.67% ab-externo techniques). The incidence of RT in group 1, day surgery, is comparable to the other groups and it is less compared to group 4 (3 or more days of hospitalization).
Conclusions: The incidence of retinal redetachment (RRD) is not increased in day surgery mode. These data support outpatient management of RD patients to reduce medical cost and problems related to the hospitalization. Further studies are needed for patients' security.